We’re only six weeks into the season and a handful of players have already separated themselves from the rest of the pack in the Elite League and Challenge Cup. While it’s still early days, hockey fans have already witnessed plenty of exhilarating performances and shock results. With that said, here are British Ice Hockey’s three standout players from the first month of the season.
Scott Conway: Belfast Giants, Centreman
Scott Conway is a lethal scorer. He’s already notched 17 points (11 goals, six assists) in eight domestic appearances and starred for the Belfast Giants in the Champions Hockey League.
When asked about the team’s success under head coach Adam Keefe, the 27-year-old said: “There is no secret: it’s just hard work.”
Related: Belfast Giants determined to write new history after ‘gutting’ Skellefteå loss
Conway’s efforts have paid off in bucketloads to start the campaign. His best performance so far came in a 3-0 win over the Glasgow Clan last month, when he notched a hattrick in a half-hour span. The Team GB forward has also played with remarkable consistency, registering at least a point in each of his domestic appearances.
Conway finished last term with 100 points (40 goals, 60 assists) in 65 appearances. Could he break new ground this time around?
Jesper Öhrvall: Manchester Storm, Winger
Jesper Öhrvall is rapid. You’ll miss him if you blink – and plenty of Elite League defencemen have fallen into that trap this season.
“Jesper is an exceptionally fast and skilled forward,” head coach Matt Ginn said in preseason. “He has played plenty of hockey in North America and understands the needs to get into the hard areas. His style is not that of typical Scandinavian, as he takes the body and plays with tenacity.”
The 27-year-old has made a flying start to life on the Manchester Storm’s wing, producing 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in eight league appearances. He also has four points (three goals, one assist) in three Challenge Cup games.
Öhrvall’s best performance of the season came in a 5-1 win over the Fife Flyers when he scored a brace and notched an assist in a dominant individual performance.
Bradley Lalonde: Guildford Flames, Defenceman
The Guildford Flames sit top of the Elite League, albeit with an inferior point percentage to the Cardiff Devils and Coventry Blaze, and Bradley Lalonde has been a huge part of their success.
The 25-year-old is an intelligent defender and confident passer. He’s already amassed seven points (two goals, five assists) in eight league appearances, making him one of the division’s top offensive defencemen.
Lalonde spent the second half of last season with the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits, for whom he contributed 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in 28 appearances as a rookie.
“He made an impressive start at Greenville after an excellent run at university,” head coach Paul Dixon said of Lalonde last summer. “We are excited about what he will bring to our back-end group.”
Guildford faced an uphill battle to replace star blueliner Jamal Watson last offseason. In Lalonde, they have a promising replacement.
Honourable Mentions: Nathanael Halbert, Janne Kivilahti, Marcus Crawford
Nathanael Halbert debuted for the Coventry Blaze last season and has developed leaps and bounds since. Since earning the captaincy in preseason, the Nottingham-born blueliner has produced nine points (one goal, eight assists) in seven Elite League appearances.
Janne Kivilahti, a teammate of Halbert in 2021-22, has also taken a step forward this term. The Finn has already accrued 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 11 appearances across all competitions, helping the Flyers punch their ticket to the next round of the Challenge Cup.
Marcus Crawford is on course for a remarkable year with the Cardiff Devils. If the Canadian continues to produce at his current rate, he will end the season with 64 points from the blueline. In addition to his puck-moving ability, the 25-year-old is a savvy defender who has been instrumental to his team’s hot start to the season.
Elite League Standouts: who has impressed you to start the season? Join the conversation by tagging @BritIceHockey on Twitter.
