Lure of London captured Leslie

Bob Leslie only signed on the dotted line as London Knights' new head coach last Tuesday, but he is already working on his line-up for the new season, which starts in September.

The 51-year-old has the daunting task of replacing Chris McSorley, who quit the club for Swiss side Geneva but will remain as Great Britain coach for the next three years.

Leslie, who has been coaching for more than a quarter of a century, parted company with Cologne Sharks at the beginning of the year but Germany is one of the countries from which the Canadian is looking to recruit players.

"We've got a great start because Trevor Robins is a great goalie. It is so important to have good netminding because without it you just don't win the title," said Leslie, who was drafted by National Hockey League side Los Angeles Kings but played for most of his career in North America's minor leagues.

He added: "There are a lot of players on the market and I've contacted a few players in the German League. We'll get a good team. We'll just have to have a little patience.

"The most important things I'll be looking for in the players are character and commitment. I'll take a guy with slightly less ability, but who shows more character and commitment to the team.

"We'll be looking to get a good team spirit going and to do that you have to check the references of the players you're bringing in. Sometimes guys don't fit in.

"We'd also like to bring in some players from the International and American Hockey Leagues in North America who are going to amalgamate. But our own players deserve the first offer."

Leslie first saw the Knights play in the end-of-season play-offs in Nottingham last April. London lost 2-1 in the final to the Sheffield Steelers, but made an immediate impression on the coach.

He admitted: "The players played hard and the crowds were enthusiastic.

"It's a different kind of hockey than they play in Germany. That weekend in Nottingham kind of made an impression on me. It was a lot of fun."

Family ties also helped him make the decision to join the Knights. He added: "My father was born in Scotland and my wife's father was born in England.

"I never really thought about working in Britain that much until the last couple of years.

"However, my wife really likes London and when the opportunity came it gave us the chance to come back and experience things first hand."