PLAYER INTERVIEW: Auzins not interested in any other EPL club

Star netminder Janis Auzins insists he will never leave Phantoms for another English Premier League side.
Janis Auzins makes a save against the Bison. Picture: Tom ScottJanis Auzins makes a save against the Bison. Picture: Tom Scott
Janis Auzins makes a save against the Bison. Picture: Tom Scott

The city club lost four key men to fellow second-tier sides last summer with Milan Baranyk and Craig Scott switching to fierce rivals Milton Keynes, and Greg Pick and Edgars Bebris moving to Manchester. Fringe player Brad Moore also went to Hull.

Latvian ace Auzins was also in demand during the close season, but he was happy to extend his stay at Phantoms into a third EPL campaign.

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The 25 year-old is happy at Planet ice and hopes the new campaign could come complete with silverware even though Phantoms are an import down on their rivals.

Auzins said: “There are some good guys in the locker room and I enjoy being part of this club.

“I like it in Peterborough. The fans are good, the place is nice and I am happy here. That is why I decided to come back again.

“I do not want to play for any other team in this league. If I get the chance in the future to go into the Elite League, I will have to think about it.

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“But right now I hope we can win a trophy this season if we carry on working hard.

“I spoke with Slava (coach, Koulikov) in the summer and he said it might be tougher at first this season because we made a lot of changes to the roster, but I am enjoying it.”

Auzins, who was part of the club’s play-off winning team of 2014/15, admits he has been particularly impressed with the determination of the players in front of him so far this season.

Now he is calling for improved consistency as Phantoms attempt to bring their away performances up to the standard of those produced on their own ice.

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He added: “The guys are already showing that we can pick up good results at home. We have done very well to beat Swindon and Basingstoke.

“We were fantastic in those games. Against Basingstoke we had people putting their bodies on the line and throwing themselves in front of the puck.

“As a netminder, it is great to see the guys working so hard and hopefully we can start looking to win both games in a weekend.

“We have played badly in the two away games so far and we all know we have to make some improvements.”