Leader of the Pack calls it a day!

THE Altrincham Aces have now completed their 1998/99 ice hockey season and have turned their attention to a well-earned summer break.

But for one important Ace however the end of the season marks the end of an era, as the Pack's player/manager Ari-Pekka Mikkola has announced his retirement from the game at the age of 32.

Ari certainly possesses an excellent hockey pedigree, learning to play the game in his hometown of Helsinki at the tender age of four before progressing through the junior ranks to land a scholarship at the highly regarded Military Academy.

His first port of call in the UK was an ill-fated stop in Lee Valley in East London, but then in October 1992 he moved north to Altrincham to sign for the Trafford Metros.

A contract dispute saw Ari take his skills elsewhere for the next two seasons, putting in equally productive campaigns in Oxford and Blackburn, before the re-launch of the Altrincham Aces in 1995/96 drew him back to Devonshire Road.

Now settled in the North-West with his English wife Michelle and an off ice career at Manchester Airport, Ari took on the role of Aces player/manager, and he proved to be an excellent leader of the Pack, as he led his charges to back-to-back appearances in the English Division One Semi-Finals.

Unfortunately, a knee injury that occurred during the summer of 1997 threatened to jeopardise Ari's career, and he was sidelined for several months.

He was back to his best though in 1998/99, finishing third on the team in scoring.

His knee condition often caused him to limp for several days after a match, however, and he took the brave decision to retire whilst still at the top.

Fittingly Ari's last game in an Aces shirt was one of his best as he scored an excellent individual goal in the dying minutes to lead his side to a 4-3 victory over local rivals the Flintshire Freeze.

Ari said, "It is with mixed feelings that I've announced my retirement, sadness in that I'll miss the competitive nature of a sport that I've been playing for almost thirty years.

I've thoroughly enjoyed my time at Altrincham, it's a great set up here, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the fans and players for their excellent support over the years."

The Aces will be back in action on Monday 30th August 1999 when they host the annual Altrincham Bank Holiday Tournament.

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