Coventry Blaze Ice Hockey Club have confirmed the signing of Great Britain defenceman David Phillips for the 2011/12 Elite League campaign.
The 23-year-old has spent the past two seasons in North America, splitting his time between the American Hockey League and the ECHL.
Phillips, who is currently with his older brother Kevin playing for Adelaide Adrenaline in Australia, returns to the Elite League after previous spells with Hull Stingrays and Belfast Giants.
Blaze coach Paul Thompson knows Phillips well from their time together with the GB programme and is delighted with his latest capture.
He said to the Blaze website: “Dave is a great signing for Coventry Blaze. He has had a couple of years away in North America, where he has totally developed his game.
“I have enjoyed working with him at GB level and I had a big influence in him going over to North America in the first place. I think he sees his future overseas but he is young enough to go back over there.
“He has massive upside, he is a big, strong, physical kid, he skates really well and he has a great stride. We feel we can develop his game offensively too and we hope to help make him an all-round player. He will be given a lot of responsibility next season and we expect him to deliver.
“Last season he played for three or four teams and he found it hard to get any rhythm but he moves the puck well, he is great one-on-one, he is a smart player and you don’t get to play in the AHL for no reason.
“His partnership with Jonathan Weaver in the GB side brought the best out of both players and they complimented each other very well.
“Davey is a character, something I want more of next season, he is a likeable kid and I am delighted and over the moon he has signed for Coventry Blaze.”
Having come through the Kingston junior programme in Hull, Phillips made his debut for Stingrays in the 2003/04 British National League season and enjoyed five years with his local team.
Phillips, who has also represented his country and Under-18 and Under-20 levels, then moved to Belfast in 2008, helping the Giants win the Challenge Cup and Knock-Out Cup.
Thompson then played a part in Phillips having a crack at North America, where he iced for Rockford IceHogs in the AHL as well as Toledo Walleye in the ECHL in 2009/10.
Last season he spent time with Toledo and Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL) and in the AHL at Chicago Wolves and Lake Erie Monsters.