StormCast Episode 14 | Brad Jenion reflects on “unforgettable” night

Manchester Storm defenceman Brad Jenion says Sunday’s opening night at the AO Arena was unforgettable as he looked back on a special moment in his career.

The boyhood Storm fan, who sat in the stands as a young boy, lived his dream and delivered the perfect way for the team’s return home with a fight in the opening 30 seconds.

And Jenion, speaking on the latest episode of StormCast, paid tribute to his sparring partner, Sheffield Steelers’ Macoy Erkamps for indulging him.

It was absolutely amazing,

he said.

When you experience that first hand - and I’d been thinking about it all summer long - I had so much excitement so to actually get to be in it, it was a night I’ll never forget.

Playing in the arena surpassed my expectations for sure.  Every time I had the chance to go there over the summer I was there and seeing it getting built up, step by step, I just wanted to get my nose in there.

I have to give Macoy Erkamps a lot of respect.  He knew what I wanted to get out of the situation.  He was very cooperative so was more than happy to do it.

The city of Manchester waited a long time for this so what better way to start it off.  There was no need to make them wait.  We wanted to see what the decibel level was there and I think we got it.

The skate to the penalty box was amazing and I tried to take in as much as I could.  The adrenaline was pumping and it felt like a surreal moment as I looked up at the stands.

Attention now turns to the Challenge Cup double header with Nottingham Panthers this weekend, with Storm starting off with a trip to the Motorpoint Arena before both teams complete the fixtures at the AO Arena on Sunday.

Jenion insists that, despite not winning in pre-season, the team is coming together and keen to show they are more than what they seem.

He added:

We’ve got two big games coming up this weekend and hopefully we can hit the ground running and really show we’re not just a team with a new, big arena.  We’re a team with expectations.

Although the results in pre-season haven’t gone well for us, you learn the most from your mistakes.  I think we’re starting to come together and click.

The Panthers have brought in some players, new goaltending and you always expect them to be a fast team who work off their momentum in their own rink.

We’ve got to slow them down, play our game and hopes it works in our favour.  Going to Nottingham is a good place to start it off and we want to get the first win to get on a roll.

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By: Craig Anderson