Manchester Phoenix - 2010/11 Season

2010/11 Season

The off season saw a major squad restructuring by player/coach Tony Hand, with a significant number of new signings, such as Pavel Gomeniuk, Ben Morgan, and highly rated youngster Rob Farmer. Farmer however was later released from his contract after being drafted onto the roster of the Ottawa 67s in the Canadian Hockey League. The club also announced the return of a few popular players such as Steve Fone, and Luke Boothroyd.

However, this was tempered by the fact that longstanding club GM Andy Costigan was stepping aside from his role, which he had filled since the clubs inception, due to pressures in his personal life

Shortly after the start of the season, the team announced that one of the new signings from the summer, Dean Holland, was being released from his contract at his own request, and that they would begin to search for a replacement player with immediate effect. This search took until mid November, when they announced the signing of controversial former Sheffield Steelers and Edinburgh Capitals enforcer Andrew Sharp.

On 27 March 2011, Manchester Phoenix played Swindon Wildcats at home on the last day of the season. Going into the game, Manchester Phoenix needed a single point to secure the league title. They beat Swindon 5-2 picking up two points and therefore were crowned league champions, earning the club's first major trophy.