PHIL CHARD, captain of the Gillingham-based Invicta Dynamos ice hockey club, has re-signed for another season and taken on the added responsibility of overseeing junior hockey development.

With 205 games under his belt for the Dynamos - more than any other player in the club's history - young players will be able to learn a lot from the big defenceman.

He said: “Basically no real programme has been in place for a while. I’m putting together a five-year plan and my main aim is to develop the children from under-10s up and get them through the programme and out the other end as future Dynamos players.

“As long as they mature more quickly, into the best players they can be, I’ll be happy and I’ll be focusing more on training rather than playing games.

“I feel too much emphasis is put on playing games and that under-10s get more from being shown how to play and practicing skills.”

Chard, 32, who last season lifted the English National Premier League and Play-off trophies, is also looking forward to his sixth season playing for the Mos and another challenging campaign.

He said: “For the third time I thought I was going to hang up my skates, but if I'm going to be around I know I would have missed it too much.

“I know it will be tough, hurt more, but it will also be fun. The league has more teams, which will make it very competitive and Milton Keynes will be hard to beat.

“But we have already made one great signing in Sami Mykkanen and we aim to build on last year’s success.”