“The style of play was hard and it was a case of almost fighting for your survival in every game. Unfortunately the league folded after a few months due to money troubles and I arrived back in the UK not totally sure if I was going to continue playing. I eventually signed for Manchester Phoenix ENL team but only lasted six weeks before EPL’s Romford Raiders got in touch saying they wanted me to sign. I played just over a season for them but as a Defenseman! It was a great experience but difficult on a personal level because I had to move down there full time.”

Last Autumn, Mark Stokes was appointed Head Coach with the Hawks and Rick was immediately on his radar.

“I’d heard that Mark was taking over at Blackburn and decided I would ring him to find out if he was interested in signing me. Before I could even find his number, Mark had tracked me down and asked if I wanted to join. Initially my parents couldn’t believe I was signing for Blackburn because of the rivalries between the teams I’d played for previously.  The first time I walked into the changing rooms was weird because I’d gone from being the villain who always used to wind up the ‘D’men or netminder to being a part of the team. When Mark announced he was making me captain there were a few strange looks but the guys have accepted me as one of their own and I’m loving the responsibility.”

From the first game against Nottingham it seemed the Hawks would be competitive but results didn’t follow. Rick admitted it was a frustrating start to his Hawks career.

“That first game against the Lions should have kick-started us. Although we lost 3-2 we’d more than matched probably the best team in the league and I really thought we’d start winning games but somehow we only managed one league victory in the first two months. When we travelled to Whitley and lost 6-5 their coaches and fans were amazed we were bottom of the league.”

With Mark Stokes leaving and Gary Buckman taking over the season could have collapsed. Suddenly things seemed to click into place with the Hawks embarking on a winning run. Rick’s highlight was the remarkable recent home victory over Whitley.

“I’ve played against the Warriors’ teams through all the age levels and never had much luck so to beat them was brilliant. Everything just clicked into place and the extra support we had from people definitely played its part. When the fans get into the game we feed off it and it helped drag us over the winning line that night.

Despite hiccups against Sheffield and Nottingham, Rick firmly believes the Hawks will make the end of season play-offs.

“The Sheffield game was a bit of an anti-climax after the exertions of the Warriors win and quite a few of us were under-par. We played a lot better against Nottingham the night after but didn’t have enough left in the tank to grab a point but the fact we’re playing these teams expecting results speaks volumes for the improvements we’ve made. At the start of the season Mark simply wanted us to ensure we consolidated our Division One status but as things have moved on the play-offs are a real possibility and I can’t see why other teams wouldn’t be scared of facing us.”

Gary Buckman spoke of his desire to bring EPL hockey to Blackburn - Rick confessed it was something he’d love to do again.

“Playing with Romford was great but because I’d moved down there it was difficult from a work point of view. Looking at the other EPL options in the North, Blackburn is the only place for quite a distance where it would be possible to get a slot with an EPL team. The two nearest teams, Manchester and Sheffield, don’t seem to take players from the ENL or have their own established junior set-ups providing players for them. To be able to have EPL hockey in Blackburn and keep my full-time job (Rick works for his dad’s kitchen company) would be fantastic.”

With the Hawks trying to improve links between the players and fans Rick admitted he enjoys the attention but keeps his feet firmly on the ground.

“It’s great when the youngsters come up and ask you to sign something because it means they are looking up to you which is a nice feeling and makes you want to give them something to be proud of when you hit the ice. I’ve not really experienced that anywhere else and although I’ve only been here a few months I can’t see any reason why I won’t be with the Hawks for many years to come.”

Further articles can be found at: http://michaeljblack.blogspot.com/

For further details on the Hawks please visit: www.blackburnhawks.com