HAVING just missed out on the NIHL North Two play-offs last season, Bradford Bulldogs are not short of motivation as they prepare to kickstart their 2022-23 campaign this weekend.

Andy Brown’s team head to Coventry Blaze today for the first of 28 regular season games scheduled.

Brown heads to the SkyDome Arena with a much-changed roster, a number of players either having retired or moved on elsewhere. Others are on two-way deals that see them remain tied to the Bulldogs, although it remains to be seen how big a role they will play under Brown.

Among those to retire are veteran forward Matt Viney and long-serving defenceman Chris Butler, while last season’s first-choice netminder Phil Pearson has moved up a level to join Deesside Dragons in NIHL North One.

He has been joined there by defence Josh Richardson, returning to the club where he played from 2016-18.

Elsewhere, forwards Matty Barlow and Josh Reynolds have moved up a level to Widnes Wild - where they both spent part of last season on a two-way deal.

It makes for a generally more youthful line-up for the Bulldogs going forward which, while it may make their play-off hopes tougher, is a situation which Brown is comfortable with, the club finding itself in a similar situation every few years.

“We’ve lost quite a few bodies from last year which makes it more of a challenge in terms of trying to pick up silverware,” said Brown. “That’s not a reflection on the players that we do have in place this season at all, it’s just the reality of the situation.

“But I still believe we’ve got a competitive roster for the months ahead.

“We are a development club, essentially. Players come through our junior ranks on a regular basis and then, in many cases, go on to play at a higher level.

“That has happened again this summer, with a number of our younger guys playing up on two-way deals.

“Add to that the players that have moved up a level to the likes of Widnes and Deeside, as well as others who have retired and it means we’re very much in a rebuilding process this season.

“That doesn’t mean we’re not going to be competing for a play-off spot - I feel we can still do that - but every now and then we find ourselves in this situation as a club and we have to be a bit more patient.”

This season, three Under-18 players who would have been expected to play regularly for the seniors may not be around as much as Brown would have perhaps hoped.

Forward Damarni James and defence Matthew Cross could spend more time with Blackburn Hawks in NIHL One North, while the same could happen with Rhys Edwards, another youngster who has caught the eye of Widnes and signed a two-way deal there.

Other youngsters moving out of Under-16 level at Bradford could find themselves handed debut opportunities at senior level, an opportunity Brown has never been afraid to offer.

“It’s all part of the development ethos we have here at Bradford,” he added. “When we feel it is right for them, we bring players into the senior fold and, then, further down the line, if they have an opportunity to move up another level and we feel they are ready for it, we positively encourage them to do so.

“The fact three of our Under-18s will play in the division above this year is testament to what we do here - some of them may even get to play NIHL National hockey this year, too.

“We’ll be hoping they can continue to progress and play as high as they possibly can. It is our job here at Bradford to ensure we continue to bring through more and more players to follow in those footsteps.”