Everyone Active Raiders forward JJ Pitchley celebrates his 27th birthday today (January 28), but without any hockey for once.
The home-grown star has become used to his big day falling during the season, but with the 2020-21 campaign on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic he was able to reflect on his career to date.
Pitchley, son of long-serving Raiders defenceman Ben, said: "Growing up at Rom Valley Way I will always tell people I knew that place inside out as I'm pretty sure I was there from a few days old as some of the older Raiders fans tell me!
"My earliest memories are from when dad was playing and being able to be in the room with him during games and then fist bumping them all as they went on and off the ice!
"And sitting in the stands on practice nights to being sat at centre ice as a baby straight after dad finished work and leaving me there until I learnt how to get up and skate to get myself off!
"I think it paid off, as once I was old enough to play for the juniors it pretty much became an obsession and one at now age 27 I’ve still got!"
Pitchley came up through the junior ranks at the old ice rink in Romford, appearing in teams from under-10s upwards and going on to play in national finals and for national teams.
He added: "I remember my first game as a kid for the under-10s, my first goal at Rom Valley Way as a kid and as a Raider and my first goal at the Sapphire to playing at the nationals, trips away with England and Great Britain and of course my first game for the Raiders aged 16. We won the league that year too!
"That place will always hold a place in my heart as I’ve been around hockey and the Raiders since birth. Fast forward 27 years and I’m proud to still be a Raider and call the new rink home."
Pitchley has scored 81 goals and 71 assists for an overall total of 152 points (31st highest all time) in 244 appearances (18th highest) in a gold and blue Raiders jersey to date and was named the supporters' player of the year in 2016-17.
And he might well have closed in on dad Ben's 21st-highest total of 219 points (59 goals, 160 assists) in 582 appearances (second highest all time) in recent months were it not for the season being suspended.
He added: "The last 10 months of course have been very odd with the Covid situation and being away from the rink for so long has been tough.
"But hopefully it won’t be too much longer and things should return to some kind or normality. In the meantime, I appreciate all the birthday wishes and pictures!"
JJ Pitchley Raiders statistics
2011-12: 47 games, 7 goals, 8 assists, 32 penalty minutes
2013-14: 16 games, 6 goals, 6 assists, 16 penalty minutes
2016-17: 39 games, 26 goals, 26 assists, 26 penalty minutes
2017-18: 45 games, 19 goals, 13 assists, 32 penalty minutes
2018-19: 47 games, 16 goals 8 assists, 41 penalty minutes
2019-20: 50 games, 7 goals, 10 assists, 48 penalty minutes
Total: 244 games, 81 goals, 71 assists, 195 penalty minutes
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