Mark Thomas (ice hockey)
Encyclopedia
Mark Thomas is an English
professional ice hockey
player, currently playing for the Sheffield Steelers
in the EIHL. Thomas began his professional career in 2002, playing for the Haringey Racers in the ENIL
. Thomas took up ice hockey much later than most players but was able to thrive due to his natural talent and physical abilities. Thomas began playing ice hockey at Under-19 after watching his local team, the now-defunct Manchester Storm
, then playing in the ISL
.
Thomas would start with a strong showing in his first season, when he played in 22 games and totalled 63 penalty minutes as well as helping out the offense with 7 points. For the start of the 2003/04 season Thomas was a Telford Wildfoxes player, but played just once before being snapped up by then Manchester Phoenix
head coach, Rick Brebant
to play for the Phoenix in their debut season. The Phoenix had been established following the collapse of the Storm, the team that had inspired Thomas to start to play ice hockey in the first place.
Thomas was an important part of the Phoenix's first season and played in 52 EIHL regular season games and featured 6 times in the play-offs. The Phoenix organisation was suspended in 2004 due to off ice problems and so Thomas was forced into moving. In the summer of 2004 he chose to sign for the London Racers
, where he stayed for a season and a half. It was financial problems that again forced Thomas to move, with the Racers franchise folding mid-way through the 2005/06 season.
This mid-season move brought Thomas to sign for the Sheffield Steelers
, arch-rivals of the Phoenix whom Thomas had played for just two years earlier. Thomas established himself as a key part of the Steelers defence, and was a rare British star player surrounded by foreign imports. It is that consistency that has seen Thomas remain with the Steelers for two further seasons, and he continues to feature through the 2007/08 season, making 59 appearances so far.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player, currently playing for the Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
in the EIHL. Thomas began his professional career in 2002, playing for the Haringey Racers in the ENIL
English National Ice Hockey League
The English National Ice Hockey League is an amateur ice hockey league below the English Premier Ice Hockey League which is administered by the English Ice Hockey Association. It is split into two conferences, north and south...
. Thomas took up ice hockey much later than most players but was able to thrive due to his natural talent and physical abilities. Thomas began playing ice hockey at Under-19 after watching his local team, the now-defunct Manchester Storm
Manchester Storm
The Manchester Storm were an ice hockey team from Manchester, England. The team formed in 1995, playing their home games at the then newly built Nynex Arena . Storm won the British Hockey League Division One in their first season, watched by an average crowd of 6,342...
, then playing in the ISL
Ice Hockey Superleague
The Ice Hockey Superleague was a professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom between 1996 and 2003. Formed in 1995, it replaced the Premier Division of the British Hockey League, it was the highest level of ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom...
.
Thomas would start with a strong showing in his first season, when he played in 22 games and totalled 63 penalty minutes as well as helping out the offense with 7 points. For the start of the 2003/04 season Thomas was a Telford Wildfoxes player, but played just once before being snapped up by then Manchester Phoenix
Manchester Phoenix
Manchester Phoenix are a professional ice hockey team from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. The club was formed in 2003 as a result of the efforts of supporters group Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey to bring top-level ice hockey back to Manchester after Manchester Storm folded in...
head coach, Rick Brebant
Rick Brebant
Richard Joseph "Rick" Brebant is a retired ice hockey player who played mainly in Great Britain. He is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.-Club:...
to play for the Phoenix in their debut season. The Phoenix had been established following the collapse of the Storm, the team that had inspired Thomas to start to play ice hockey in the first place.
Thomas was an important part of the Phoenix's first season and played in 52 EIHL regular season games and featured 6 times in the play-offs. The Phoenix organisation was suspended in 2004 due to off ice problems and so Thomas was forced into moving. In the summer of 2004 he chose to sign for the London Racers
London Racers
The London Racers was a British ice hockey club based in London, England formerly members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. Although founded in 2003, it claimed to be a successor of the Harringay Racers club established in 1936. Due to a lack of suitable ice facility the club suspended its team...
, where he stayed for a season and a half. It was financial problems that again forced Thomas to move, with the Racers franchise folding mid-way through the 2005/06 season.
This mid-season move brought Thomas to sign for the Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
, arch-rivals of the Phoenix whom Thomas had played for just two years earlier. Thomas established himself as a key part of the Steelers defence, and was a rare British star player surrounded by foreign imports. It is that consistency that has seen Thomas remain with the Steelers for two further seasons, and he continues to feature through the 2007/08 season, making 59 appearances so far.
External links
- Mark Thomas Personal Profile, Manchester Phoenix Official Website
- Mark Thomas Personal Profile, Sheffield Steelers Official Website