Cardiff Devils: British players Mark Richardson, Josh Batch and Ben Davies sign for 2021-22
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Josh Batch has won two Elite League titles, two Challenge Cups and two Playoff Championships with Cardiff Devils over the previous six seasons
Cardiff Devils have signed British trio Mark Richardson, Josh Batch and Ben Davies for the 2021-22 season.
Defenceman Richardson returns for a 14th season with Devils, while Batch is back for his 10th with the club.
After six seasons away, Cardiff-born Davies returns to the club where he started his professional career, signing from Guildford Flames.
"Ben Davies is one of those players guys hate playing against," said Devils head coach Jarrod Skalde
"His feet are always moving, he gets in on the forecheck and makes things happen. I am pleased he has decided to come back to Cardiff and I think he is going to have a big year for us."
Forward Davies, 30, has spent the last three Elite League seasons with Guildford, scoring 17 goals and 23 assists in 2018-19 and 12 goals with 22 assists in 2019-20.
Richardson, 34, spent 2020-21 in Germany with EC Bad Nauheim in the DEL2 League and also led Team GB for ice time at the World Championships in Latvia earlier this summer.
"Richardson is one of the best defencemen in this league and has proven that every season," said Skalde of the Swindon-born player, who first played for Devils in 2005.
"I have watched a lot of his games and I love the way he plays. He is so consistent and makes simple plays that make him easy to play with. There is a reason his defence partners keep winning defenceman of the year awards in this league."
Versatile Batch, 30, can play either defence or attack and featured in every Devils game in 2019-20 before the season was curtailed by Covid-19.
With no Elite League for 2020-21 because of the pandemic, Batch played briefly for Swindon in the NIHL Streaming Series, before joining Manchester for the EIHL Series in April and May 2021.
"Batchy is a big, strong guy that I think will thrive in a bigger role on the blueline this season rather than playing up front," said Skalde.
"His versatility is great so he may jump up there at certain times, but we have signed him as a defenceman and that is where I expect him to flourish. He is a great penalty killer and takes pride in that role."