OLLIE Stone says the arrival of Edgars Bebris could prove to be a pivotal moment in Swindon Wildcats’ season.

With a tough trip to Peterborough Phantoms around the corner this evening, Stone believes the newest arrival could put a spring in the step of his teammates.

Stone is more familiar than most with the Cats’ latest recruit, having trained with him on numerous occasions at Coventry Blaze.

Having watched him closely in those sessions, the teenager says the club have bagged a great talent in Bebris.

“He is a great player, a phenomenal player and a great guy,” he said.

“I’ve not played any games with him, but I have trained with him a lot while I have been in Coventry and I can’t fault him as a player.

“He’s going to be a great addition to the side.

"It’s good to see that the club are looking to improve when they can and he is going to be a great help up front.”

The Cats return to action after a weekend off, something Stone says can be both beneficial and detrimental to the club as they approach a hectic Christmas schedule.

“Being a hockey player over Christmas is always busy, especially this year.

"We have a very busy schedule, which is good because there are lots of home games for the fans,'' he added.

“(Peterborough) is a massive game for us. They are ahead of us and for us to take the point off of them would really help us out and we need it at this stage.

“When you have a weekend off you do lose a little bit of the rhythm you get from playing every weekend.

“You’re in our routine and you know exactly what you are doing. It’s nice to have time off to recover and recuperate.

“For some guys they might find it strange coming back from a break and being busier than what they were before the break.”

The Wildcats will play the first leg of their Autumn Trophy semi final against the Peterborough Phantoms on Thursday, January 11 (7.45pm).

The match is included in season ticket holders’ package, using ticket number 28 in their booklets.