An exciting young forward and two goaltenders sign on again for Phantoms

And the club have finalised their goaltending department for the 2025-26 season with Ryan Bainborough returning to the club to join young Luke Clark as back-up to number one Hayden Lavigne.

Barni, a Hungarian youth international, scored 5 points in his debut season with Phantoms which included a derby day goal against local rival MK Lightning.

Barni told the Phantoms website: “I’m very excited to be back as it’s a special team to be around. Last season gave me a solid foundation and I’m determined to build on that and make a bigger impact on the ice next season.”

Phantoms’ head coach, Ashley Tait, said: “This could be a big year for Barni. He started to show signs of what he’s capable of last year so I’m looking forward to seeing that develop further.”

Bainborough and Clark will rotate in the Phantoms’ National League line-ups, with the other taking the start for the successful NIHL2 Phantoms side.

Bainborough is no stranger to hockey in Peterborough, with the 32-year-old playing his entire junior career in the city. He joined the senior Phantoms tin 2018, forming a strong partnership with fellow goalie, Jordan Marr, in a spell which saw him play his part in Phantoms’ Autumn Cup, South Cup, South Playoff and NIHL Cup winning teams.

He rejoined the NIHL2 Phantoms for 2023/24, where he finished with the best save percentage in the division with 93.3%, but didn’t play last season.

Bainborough said: “Once again, really excited to be back with the Phantoms. Even though I took last year off from playing, I still found myself training regularly with the team as it’s hard to stay away from the game and the group. I’ve missed being around the guys, and I’m looking forward to being fully involved this season.

"I’m also excited to take on more of a mentoring role with the younger goalies coming through the ranks. Hopefully, we can put ourselves in a strong position to compete for silverware again like we’ve done in recent seasons.”

Clark split his time in 2024/25 between Phantoms’ two teams and was instrumental in the Phantoms NIHL2 treble success, producing a sublime pair of performances at the Play-off Finals as Nathan Pollard’s side returned with the trophy.

Clark said: “I’m really happy and excited to back for another season. Playing in Peterborough is something very special to me having grown up in the rink so it’s an honour to be asked to wear the Phantoms colours.”

Tait added: “Having two capable back ups is definitely a plus, and being able to give Hayden a rest when necessary is going to help as the season progresses. I fully expect them to push each other along and that competition is good for us.”