Johnny Oxley started his National League career at Wembley Monarchs as a 16-year-old in 1939-40 when he worked as an assistant chemist, and after the War moved to Wembley Lions. Following the 1948 Olympics, when he was Great Britain’s second highest scorer (after Frankie Green) with seven goals, he moved to the successful Brighton Tigers. He spent nine seasons with the south-coast team. In 1955 Oxley was appointed the first home-grown coach of the British team, normally a position reserved for Canadian coaches. He retired in 1957-58 after a career spanning nearly 20 years, in which he scored over 100 goals in nearly 550 games. Oxley subsequently ran the Boatman’s Club in Brighton, before taking over the Stirling Arms in 1961, where he stayed until his death in 1976. His wife Muriel, known as Midge, became a professional figure skater after leaving school at the age of 15. In 2007-08 Oxley was inducted into the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.
Great Britain