Milton Keynes Lightning head coach Doug McKay is expected to arrive in the country tomorrow, Sunday 2nd September, and take charge of the team’s pre-season fixture.
League-wide visa issues delayed coach McKay’s arrival in the United Kingdom.
As a result, Lewis Clifford, Head Coach of NIHL club Milton Keynes Thunder, ran the bench for Wednesday’s first pre-season fixture – a 6-5 loss away to the Coventry Blaze.
‘Cliff’, as he is affectionately known, will continue in that role for tonight’s (Saturday 1st September) home pre-season challenge match against the Guildford Flames.
Milton Keynes Lightning thanked their NIHL affiliates for their assistance with allowing Clifford to help take charge while the club waited for McKay’s visa to be processed.
Doug McKay, travelling from his home in Canada, is due to arrive on Sunday and will travel with the team to Guildford – taking charge of his first pre-season game in the process.
Coach McKay’s first home game leading his team will be this coming Wednesday when Lightning face the Coventry Blaze once again.
The start of the Elite League season is scheduled for Saturday 8th September, just one week away, where McKay’s men will take on the Sheffield Steelers at the FlyDSA Arena - with the likes of Tim Wallace, Eric Neiley and Andreas Valdix all facing off against their former team.
The team’s first competitive home game at Planet Ice MK Arena will be the very next day, Sunday 9th September, also against the Steelers.
