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Phoenix clinch former NHL goalie signing

Tuesday, 10th July 2007

Manchester Phoenix Director of Hockey Tony Hand has pulled off another sensational signing coup with the capture of former Atlanta Thrashers netminder Scott Fankhouser.

The thirty-two year old American hails from Bismarck, North Dakota and has a wealth of experience having played in the American, International and East Coast Hockey Leagues together with one season in Germany and two in Austria. And 23 appearances in the National Hockey League with the Atlanta Thrashers, where he still lives, add further pedigree to an impressive résumé.

Hand noted, "Goalies with Scott's credentials don't come along too often and when they do, you don't let them slip away. As is our normal practise, we took references and did a number of checks on him, and the information that came back confirmed we were on the right track. He's a big goalie and a surprising number of assists gives some testament to his ability to play the puck."

Married to Alexis with a young son Isaac, the 6ft 2ins shotstopper remarked, "We've really enjoyed our previous time in Europe, great scenery and a chance to learn a new language, it was a great all-round experience. Now though, we're looking forward to another exciting time in coming to Manchester. It's a new place for us, and I think it's a great choice. I spoke to Jeff MacMillan whom I played with in Vienna last year and the "big guy" is really excited, that enthused me even more to make the commitment."

Describing his style of netminding as "a hybrid of stand-up and butterfly," he added, "I'm not really bothered how I stop the puck as long as I stop it and if that means diving head first, so be it. My aim is to win games for the team so personal targets are not that important. If the team wins, we all win - that's what's important to me."

Speaking from his Edinburgh home, Hand added, "We've still got a couple of contract offers out and under consideration. A lot of people are sniffing around to see if they can find out whom we're interested in so we're being as guarded about these negotiations as we can. There is still plenty of time in which to finalise the squad, and we'll take that time to ensure we get the right guys. I'm very happy with the look of the roster so far and my intention is to make it even stronger."

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