Swindon Wildcats

Swindon Wildcats
City	Swindon, Wiltshire
League	National Ice Hockey League
Founded	1986
Home arena	Link Centre
Colors	Red & White, Red & Black
General manager	Steve Nell
Head coach	Aaron Nell
Captain	Sam Bullas
Media	Cats TV
Affiliates	Swindon Wildcats 2
Franchise history
1986 - 1996	Swindon Wildcats
1996 - 1997	Swindon Ice Lords
1997 - 2000	Swindon Chill
2000 - 2001	Swindon Phoenix
2001 - 2004	Swindon Lynx
2004 - present	Swindon Wildcats
Championships
Regular season titles	3 (1996/97), (2000/01), (2018/19)
Autumn Cups	2 (1991), (2017/18)

The Swindon Wildcats are a professional ice hockey team based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. They play in the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL). Since their inception, the Wildcats have played their home games at the 2800-capacity Link Centre in West Swindon. The club was founded in 1986 as the Swindon Wildcats, shortly after the opening of the Link Centre.

The Wildcats were members of the English Premier Ice Hockey League (EPIHL) from 1997 to 2017. Due to the instability of the EPIHL following the culmination of the 2016–17 season, the Swindon Wildcats announced their intention to join the National League.^[1]

In their first season competing in the National League, the Wildcats won both the Autumn Cup and National Cup competitions, securing the club's first silverware since the 2000-01 season.^[2] The following year the Wildcats won the regular season, becoming the 2018/2019 champions.

Logos and uniforms[]

Logos[]

The Wildcats' logo is an animated wildcat in the team colours of red and white.

Jerseys[]

The jerseys currently worn by the Swindon Wildcats are in red and white,^[3] the colours sported by the team since the 2008–2009 relaunch. They have worn the same jerseys (with a few small variations) since the 2008–2009 season. For the 2019/20 campaign, the Wildcats will have an alternate jersey that is predominantly black with red motifs.^[4]

The first Wildcats colours were black, yellow, orange and white. Blue and white were worn in 2006 and 2007.

Mascot[]

The official mascot for the Swindon Wildcats is an anthropomorphized wildcat by the name of Willie. He has been the mascot for the 'Cats since their return to the Wildcats name in 2004, after three seasons as the Lynx. He wears a Wildcats jersey with the number 00.

Season-by-season record^[5][]

Club roster 2021–22^[6][]

Netminders
No.	Nat.	Player	Catches	Date of birth	Place of birth	Acquired	Contract
30		Renny Marr	L	(1997-10-08) 8 October 1997 (age 23)	Lochgelly, Scotland	2017 from Coventry Blaze	21/22
33		Michael Crisp	L	(1991-05-24) 24 May 1991 (age 30)	Caerphilly, Wales	2016 from Cardiff Devils NIHL	21/22
45		Dean Skinns	L	(1984-10-03) 3 October 1984 (age 36)	Basingstoke, England	2021 from MK Lightning	21/22

Defencemen
No.	Nat.	Player	Shoots	Date of birth	Place of birth	Acquired	Contract
5		Tom Stephens	L	(2003-08-19) 19 August 2003 (age 18)	Milton Keynes, England	2021 from OHA UK U18	Two-Way
24		Tyler Plews	R	(1997-09-13) 13 September 1997 (age 23)	Kirkcaldy, Scotland	2018 from Edinburgh Capitals	21/22
28		Stevie Whitfield	R	(1990-10-12) 12 October 1990 (age 30)	Swindon, England	2007 from Swindon Cougars	21/22
44		Neil Liddiard	R	(1978-05-07) 7 May 1978 (age 43)	Swindon, England	2015 from Guildford Flames	21/22
61		Sam Godfrey	R	(1994-02-02) 2 February 1994 (age 27)	Swindon, England	2018 from Guildford Flames	21/22
73		Sam Smith	R	(2001-09-02) 2 September 2001 (age 20)	Cardiff, Wales	2018 from Cardiff Fire	21/22
77		Ben Nethersell	R	(1998-01-05) 5 January 1998 (age 23)	Worthing, England	2013 from Okanagan Hockey Academy UK	21/22

Forwards
No.	Nat.	Player	Shoots	Date of birth	Place of birth	Acquired	Contract
3		Bálint Pákozdi	L	(1999-05-03) 3 May 1999 (age 22)	Budapest, Hungary	2021 from New Hampshire Junior Monarchs	21/22
4		Jack Goodchild	R	(2002-10-14) 14 October 2002 (age 18)	England	2021 from Swindon Wildcats 2	21/22
11		Chris Jones	R	(1991-01-04) 4 January 1991 (age 30)	Cardiff, Wales	2017 from Cardiff Devils	21/22
12		Floyd Taylor	L	(1995-03-28) 28 March 1995 (age 26)	Swindon, England	2011 from Swindon Leopards	21/22
13		Sam Bullas	R	(1990-09-20) 20 September 1990 (age 30)	Nottingham, England	2010 from Nottingham Panthers	21/22
18		Reed Sayers	R	(2001-05-09) 9 May 2001 (age 20)	England	2018 from Okanagan Hockey Academy UK	21/22
19		Aaron Nell	L	(1989-10-22) 22 October 1989 (age 31)	Swindon, England	2011 from Coventry Blaze	21/22
22		Cain Russell	R	(2004-04-22) 22 April 2004 (age 17)	Portsmouth, England	2021 from OHA UK U18	Two-Way
34		Bailey Hind-Pitcher	R	(2003-07-09) 9 July 2003 (age 18)	England	2021 from Okanagan Hockey Academy UK	Two-Way
38		Emil Svec	L	(1994-07-12) 12 July 1994 (age 27)	Milevsko, Czech Republic	2021 from Podhale Nowy Targ	21/22
41		Oliver Endicott	L	(2004-06-10) 10 June 2004 (age 17)	England	2021 from Okanagan Hockey Academy UK	Two-Way
71		Edgars Bebris	L	(1991-08-07) 7 August 1991 (age 30)	Aizkraukle, Latvia	2021 from MK Lightning	21/22
89		Tomasz Malasinski*	L	(1986-08-23) 23 August 1986 (age 35)	Nowy Targ, Poland	2019 from KH GKS Katowice	21/22

(*) Non-EIHA trained player ("Import"). By gentleman's agreement, teams are restricted to dressing at most two such players per game, with only one being allowed "active" - on the ice, or serving a penalty on the game clock - at any one time.

Team Staff
No.	Nat.	Name	Position	Acquired	Place of birth	Joined From
N/A		Aaron Nell	General Manager & Player-Coach	2015	Swindon, England	Okanagan Hockey Academy U18
N/A		Stephen Nell	Managing Director	2016	England	Okanagan Hockey Academy U18
N/A		Robert Pamphilon	Assistant Coach	2013	England
N/A		Lee Richardson	Assistant Coach	2019	Swindon, England	Oxford City Stars, NIHL 2
N/A		Pete Bradford	Equipment Manager	2010	England
N/A		Steve Bradford	Equipment Manager	2014	England
N/A		Mark Thorne	Assistant Equipment Manager	2014	England

2021/22 Outgoing[]

Outgoing
No.	Nat.	Player	Shoots	Date of birth	Place of birth	Leaving For
12		Loris Taylor	L	(1993-08-01) 1 August 1993 (age 28)	Swindon, England	Bristol Pitbulls
62		Tyler Perre	L	(2000-07-30) 30 July 2000 (age 21)	Swindon, England	Bristol Pitbulls

Retired numbers[]

6 Lee Brathwaite, D, 1992–1997, 1998–2009

7 Bryan Larkin, D, 1991–2001

9 Gary Dickie, F, 1993–1997

10 Steve Nell, F, 1986-1988, 1990-1996, 1997-1998, General Manager 2004–2021 (Now Managing Director)

14 Daryl Lipsey, F, 1986–1995

15 Scott Koberinski, F, 1989–1993

17 Ian Richards, F, 1987–1999

See also[]

• Swindon Wildcats NIHL – amateur affiliated team playing in National Ice Hockey League South Division 2

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• Swindon Wildcats Academy