Time to talk to Frank?

As the rumours surrounding Frank Doyle's proposed move to the Steelers gather pace, I ask myself whether I am the only person outraged by this lack of professionalism?

It was first announced that Doyle had signed for the Devils on 17th May. On 26th June only 40 days later, Doyle has decided he is no longer going to honour his contract because he can no longer study the course he wanted at Cardiff Uni.

Now don't get me wrong, I understand that for many American/Canadian Ice Hockey players the Elite League probably isn't their first choice and that clubs do need to offer something to entice players of a higher calibre and free education is one of those perks. The Panthers benefit from their link with the University of Derby and that almost certainly went someway to helping us sign Ling and Francis to name but a few.

But I am struggling to get my head around a few things. Firstly, what has occurred between the Devils and Cardiff Uni or just at Cardiff Uni in those 40 days which means Doyles course is no longer available? Doyle wouldn't have been the only one to suffer and it seems a bit late in the day to be withdrawing courses. Secondly and most importantly to me, Doyle has signed a contract with the Cardiff Devils and that is to play Ice Hockey, simple as that. The free education is just a perk. He therefore has a responsibility to the organisation, his team mates and their supporters and it frustrates the hell out of me when this responsibility is abused is this manner. Ok so the guy is 32 and reaching the end of his hockey career and needs to think about what he is going to do for the next 30 years, I understand that, but what sort of message does this send out to other players looking to sign contracts in our league? That's ok Jimmy D Man why don't you sign for the Devils because if you change your mind next month it won't matter one little bit.

So he'll probably sign for The Steelers. Not that you can necessarily blame them for this. He is now a free agent and they need a netminder after rightly deciding that Drop It DeCaro isn't the way to go this year. But you have to question Doyle's commitment. Is he here to play Ice Hockey or to get an education? The Devils organisation has conducted themselves with dignity throughout and for that they deserve credit. But something needs to be done to protect the integrity of the league and the contracts that are handed out. Personally I would like some sort of regulation that says he can't sign another contract in England this year but I am guessing that's too much to ask for.......

On another note, if the rumours are true and Marc Levers is to sign with Peterborough Phantoms for the new season then I want to wish him the best of luck. Whilst he never was the most productive forward in the league, his versatility and energy on the penalty kill were both to be admired. It can't have been easy for him getting so little ice time over the last few seasons and I was surprised he didn't leave last summer. But like any professional athlete, I suspect Marc just wants to play hockey and I wish him the best of luck at his new club should the rumours become reality.