Jeff Glowa – May 2011

A popular first signing for the 2001/2012 campaign was Player of the Season Jeff Glowa who spared a few moments to share his thoughts with Twisted Sock’s Bob Hillier ……….

RETURNING TO PHANTOMS, THE NEW COACH ………..

“It was an easy decision to return. Last season I signed up with a view to being here for more than one season – I’m not a guy for jumping around teams. There were some offers made for me to join other teams but the signing of Chris (Allen) was a huge thing for me – we’ve become good friends over the last year or so and the chance to work with him next season was important to me.

Of course it was a shame to lose Curtis – I thought he had us going after Christmas and had us playing good hockey. Maybe he deserved another chance at it but I understand the opportunity to have a player-coach of the callibre of Chris is too good an opportunity for the club to pass up.

Chris will give us that extra strength on D that maybe we lacked last year and he’s got a big shot ….. that’s an NHL shot ! He also brings a wealth of experience having played at the highest level in the world and he’s been over here long enough to know how it works too. He’s an open guy too and I believe he’ll take on board ideas and input from players which I think will be good and keep the dressing room tight.

It seems right to stay in Peterborough and try to finish what we started in the second half of this year and I’d like to help this organisation get back up there and lift a trophy or two.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF STEPHEN WALL and MARIS ZIEDINS……..

“He’s the biggest key on this team ……. basically if you lose Wally then you have to go out and probably get yourselves an import goalie. He’s that good and he’s that big a signing for this team ! I may be biased but for me he is the best netminder in this league and you can’t afford to lose a guy like him. He knows everybody around here and they all know him and it will be reassuring to the fans that not too many big changes are going to happen.

For me, hockey here in Peterborough became a whole lot more enjoyable when I was teamed up with Zee. We have a good link up where maybe I’m more of a passer and he’s more of a shooter and it just seems to work and he’s a great guy off the ice too – a great guy to have in the dressing room and definitely another key signing and part of the important core of the team that has re-signed and if we can build around that core then we’ll be a tough team to beat again next season.”

THE FOURTH “IMPORT” SLOT ………

“At this point, with Chris back on D, it really has to be a forward and probably a forward that can anchor that second line and I’m a firm believer in two-way hockey players – a guy that can do it at both ends because I think the days are long gone where you just had a bunch of free-scoring imports and simply tried to outscore the other team. The league’s getting stronger, the game is changing and I think its important that your imports are ready and able to play D as well as forward.”

PROFESSIONALISM ………

“Hockey is my job – I get paid to play ice-hockey – and its a great job. I expect to come to the rink and give 100% and that’s who I am. I think I gave that at Hull for six years or so and even if we are losing bad, you still go out and give that 100% on every shift. Of course sometimes you are having a bad night – like I felt at Coventry when I don’t feel like I played well but I was still giving that effort and hopefully its something I can instill on the other guys because its always very tough to beat a side that are all working hard.”

BECOMING A “BRIT” ……….

“One of my best friends, Dru Burgess, who I’d played with in America for a few years, played in Basingstoke for a few seasons, came home and then went back and gave me a call and asked if I fancied coming over …… and that’s how it all started really. I’ve now had seven years over here in Britain and its been great – I’m settled here now and married to a British girl and we’re happy here.

I’m still enjoying playing the game but its a year-by-year thing and I’ll keep playing while I’m enjoying it and while I think I’m contributing something.”

THE SUMMER ……..

“Fitness wise, there’s no real break in the summer months – in fact I’ve already been in the gym a couple of times this week and that won’t change over the summer ! I’ll be looking to stay active, maybe play a few rounds of golf – I’m sure me, Wally, Dog and a few of the boys will get out and do a few rounds. I may even look to get out on the ice once a week – its not something I normally do but it will be good to get out skating a bit during the summer but I will find time to relax too !”

PLAYER OF THE SEASON AWARD………

“I did start of rather slow and I can understand a few people were maybe wondering what have we got ourselves into here but I knew it would come good sooner or later and it did. Coming down from the Elite League to the EPL was different – it is a different game and it took me a while to adjust to seeing what sort of player I could be down here but by the time we got to Christmas, the team seemed to start turning things around and that’s when I teamed up with Zee and things really got going.”

MAKING AN EARLY START NEXT SEASON ……..

“Getting it going out on the ice a little earlier can make a huge difference. You only have to look at Manchester last season to see how they took a lot of points off teams early on when other sides were still trying to figure out their identity. The key to winning the league is definitely getting out to a quick start which gives you chance to lose a few down the stretch, like Manchester did, and still win the title.

I’m already looking forward to getting back out on the ice with the guys we have and hopefully Chris can bring in a few more quality guys and we can set out to maybe get to Coventry again next season – only this time to win it !”