NINETEEN-year-old netminder Jordan Hedley is ready to step up to the responsibility of being the Swindon Wildcats new number one, according to general manager Steve Nell.

Following the departure of Stevie Lyle yesterday, the duty of keeping the opposition at bay will now fall on the shoulders of the teenager.

When Lyle recruited Hedley in the summer he always stated that he wanted to mould the young netminder into the next Cats’ first-choice, but that has come sooner than planned.

While Nell searches for a new net-minder to replace Lyle he has every faith in Hedley coping with the pressure.

“I will be making a few phone calls and obviously we are looking for another goalie,” said Nell.

“We are very lucky - and I told the team on Thursday night - to have a goalie like Jordan.

“Generally in these situations your second goalie isn’t good enough to be your first goalie.

“With Jordan, we are in a different situation. He has played a few games already and he has played really well.

“A lot of that is down to Stevie and Stevie believes he will be a starter in this league, and it just so happens that he will get his chance to be a starter on Saturday against Guildford.

“Hopefully he will step up, and I am sure he will.”

Nell says a stopper from the Cats’ National Hockey League side will be on the bench for this weekend’s games with Guildford Flames and Basingstoke Bison.

Sami Ryhanen, who has been given his 60 days’ notice after the arrival of Jonas Hoog, will be available for selection but, with only four imports allowed in the line-up, it will be a decision left to new player/coach Aaron Nell, whether he is selected ahead of the Swede.

The Wildcats had a team bonding session yesterday and Steve Nell is not expecting the recent upheaval to affect the players.

“They’re players at the end of the day and the captain Jan Kostal spoke in front of the dressing room and our job is to focus on the hockey,” he added.

“They don’t want to be thinking about what has gone on around them.

“Jan is the most professional person we have ever had at this club and his attitude is that he will go through the wall for Stevie and he’ll go through the wall for Aaron and Kenton (Smith, assistant coach) and anybody else.

“I think the boys will just get on with it.”