THE clock is ticking down until Altrincham-based Manchester Storm kick-start preparations for the new Elite Ice Hockey League season with a challenge game against the Nottingham Panthers on August 29 – more than two months since being formed.

The original Manchester Storm side were folded in 2002 but in a whirlwind series of events, league officials contacted Altrincham Silver Blades owner Mark Johnson to see if they would find a team for the league as one of the sides were folding.

Johnson decided to bring back Storm.

Within the first month of being formed, the club have been able to secure some top end import players, including Canadian player-coach Omar Pacha, alongside signing two GB Internationals in Matty Davies and Davy Phillips.

Pacha has been meticulous in his recruiting, all of the players fit in with the idea for his team: quick and powerful.

Off the ice, the club have made a major coup by signing Neil Russell of the Belfast Giants as their new General Manager.

Neil, a keen fan of the sport, has been involved with the Giants organisation in some form or another for the last fifteen seasons, as well as being a presenter on Premier Sports, the Elite Leagues TV partner. Along with appointing Russell as GM, the club have already hosted a successful Volunteer Night at the Crest Court Hotel, where over 70 fans were in attendance and have also launched a successful Season Ticket campaign for the 2015/16 season.

The Storm will be playing out of the Altrincham Ice Rink, with its 2500 capacity and Russell has high hopes for the club; “This is an unbelievably exciting time for the Manchester Storm franchise and for ice hockey fans all across the North West. We will be playing in the top league in the country, so it promises to be a very high standard in terms of finesse, fast paced and physical hockey. What more could you want from a sport.

There has been a lot of hard work gone in over the past couple of months by all the staff in order to ensure we build a strong brand, and also have an exciting team for our fans to watch.

"Our aim is to ensure that everyone both young and old that come to our games, have a really enjoyable night out. Ice hockey is the best sport to watch LIVE, so I encourage everyone to come along and get behind the Storm.”

With all the change in such a short time at the ice in Altrincham, it’ll be interesting to see how much of a storm the Manchester Storm can produce on the ice. For ticket and fixture information, please visit the Storm website at www.manchesterstorm.com