Josh Batch: Versatile player set to join Cardiff Devils legends with testimonial

Josh Batch has made 26 appearances for Great Britain

Josh Batch is poised to join an illustrious group of Cardiff Devils players as the club celebrates his contribution in a testimonial game at Ice Arena Wales in the city on Saturday, 27 May (19:00 BST).

As one of their longest serving players, the 32-year-old will join a host of club legends in being awarded such an occasion: Great Britain centurions such as Mark Richardson and Matthew Myers along with British hockey Hall of Famers and those who have had their Devils shirts retired - Stevie Lyle, Shannon Hope, Jason Stone and Doug McEwen.

They are amongst the very best to have played the game in the United Kingdom over the last 30 years.

This year it is the turn of the versatile Batch to join that rarefied group - a servant of the club since 2011 where he has experienced the best times and worst of times.

'You can't play ice hockey; we live in England!'

It all started for Batch when he was seven years old, watching television at home with his family in Essex when they came across a Disney movie that many consider to be their favourite ice hockey film.

Batch says: "We were flicking through the channels and the Mighty Ducks came on and I loved it.

"I said 'dad I want to play ice hockey' and he said 'you can't play ice hockey; we live in England!'

"As it happened there was an ice rink in Chelmsford 15 minutes away from where we lived.

"So, the following weekend my dad took me there and eventually I had lessons, joined the junior team and worked my way up through the ranks.

"Luckily Chelmsford had a great system with one of the coaches, Martin Parfitt, also involved with the England junior national team programme. So he was obviously a good guiding figure, and it just went from there."

Batch progressed to Chelmsford's first team, the Chieftains in the English Premier Ice Hockey League [EPIHL] by the age of 15 and a year later, after finishing his GCSEs, he crossed the Atlantic to play for Colorado junior team the Rocky Mountain Wranglers.

From there he switched to California Titans Under-18s and for the 2010-11 campaign moved to Massachusetts team Bay State Breakers. However, that season was cut short abruptly.

"I caught glandular fever and had to come home at Christmas," said Batch.

"I made the decision to stay in the UK and at the time I was speaking to the Basingstoke Bisons who were coached by the Cardiff Devils legendary forward, Steve Moria.

"But I also had a couple of friends who were playing for the Devils - Ben Davies and Sam Smith - who let me know that Cardiff were looking for a new British defenceman.

"Neil Francis and Gerad Adams invited me down for a quick trial and they saw enough to offer me a contract.

"We ended up in the 2012 EIHL [Elite Ice Hockey League] play-off final which was quite surreal for me coming from an obscure league in the USA, Junior B in Boston.

"Playing in front of a sold-out national ice centre in Nottingham was a great experience.

"And then the third year, the organisation fell apart."

That 2013-14 season was possibly the worst in Devils' history, churning through three coaches and 40-plus players.

Coach Adams was let go during his testimonial season along with GB international Phil Hill and goalscorer Chris Blight.

All three joined Sheffield Steelers with whom they won the 2015 EIHL title while Devils finished ninth, missing out on a quarter-final play-off.

In the summer of 2015, the club was taken over by the current ownership group of Steve King, Brian Parker, Kelly Hughes and Craig Shostak, who installed Todd Kelman as managing director.

Under player-coach Andrew Lord the Devils went on to win the club's first trophy in eight years - the Challenge Cup.

The victory marked the start of one of the most successful periods for the club as they went on to win five more titles in four years.

Batch said: "We managed to come together and to win the Challenge Cup that year was a huge moment for the club.

"That win always sticks out for me because of how much it meant to the fans and how many people were in Sheffield for the game.

"It was just a complete turnaround in the club."

'Up and down relationship with GB'

Capable of playing as a forward and in defence, Batch has represented Great Britain 26 times, but it is a slot he has had to fight hard for.

"Every kid has a dream of playing in the NHL [National Hockey League], but after that it's playing for your country.

"It took me a few seasons to make it and there have been a few years that I didn't make the team as well.

"So, it's been a bit of an up and down relationship with the national team you could say," said Batch.

That repeated itself this year when Batch was released by Devils' newly-appointed head coach Pete Russell from the GB squad that won promotion back to the top level of the World Championships.

Batch said: "I knew there was a lot of competition with the defence this year because there were a few players who became eligible to play for GB from around the league.

"I was kind of prepared that it might happen, so it didn't come as a surprise.

"But that doesn't really take the sting out of it, especially knowing that the tournament was in Nottingham and with the way the group was set up that GB would have a really good chance to get promotion and win gold.

"So it was definitely tough not being there (while) watching all the celebrations, but at the same time you're happy for your team-mates.

"It gives me an opportunity to make the team next year and play in the top division again, which would be amazing.

"It's definitely something to fuel the fire for the upcoming season."

'It'll be fun to relive some of those past championship wins'

Twelve years on from arriving in Wales, Batch's testimonial weekend will see old friends and colleagues meet up again.

Past players who will attend include Andrew Hotham, Sean Bentivoglio, Evan Mosey and Joey Haddad.

"It'll be fun to be with your old team-mates and relive some of those past championship wins," said Batch.

Former head coach Lord will also be presented to the Devils fans for the first time since he announced his emotional departure in the summer of 2020 to join Greenville Swamp Rabbits in the ECHL [East Coast Hockey League].

"I'd be surprised if it wasn't sold out because of that," said Batch.

"Given what he gave to the club and the success he brought I think it's only fair to ask for a sell-out and obviously it'll benefit me!"

But how does Batch reflect on his time in Cardiff?

"It's all I know really. It's where my wife and I call home. It's where our first child will be born soon as well.

"It's a club with so much history and such passionate fans. I've managed to do just enough to stick around for all these years.

"Hopefully, I think I've got some of my best years ahead of me. But ultimately the club has given me everything in my career."