The 21 year old started his second season with his hometown club last year in good form - registering 20 points in 34 games - however his form dipped in December and January and as a result his ice-time diminished.
Naturally frustrated by drop in playing time, it is thought Davies confronted coach Sylvain Cloutier part way through the Rays game against Edinburgh in January, walking out halfway through the 10-2 romp, and he was promptly released for breaching club discipline.
He was quickly replaced by Sheffield Steeldog Andy Hirst before going on to join English Premier League Peterborough Phantoms, where he recorded five goals and 21 points in 19 games. The young Brit now returns to the club with coach Cloutier insisting the issue was resolved nearly as quickly as it arose:
"Everything was resolved the week after he left. Matty knows what he did and has learned his lesson and now he wants to prove himself. He was having a good season last year, and it's too bad the situation happened. But we've moved on."It is thought he had initially agreed to return to the EPL with the Slough this summer, however, following coach Pete Russell's acrimonious departure from the Jets and with a spot on the Rays roster free following the departure of a number of Brits, including Lee Esders, a surprised Davies jumped at the chance to return. He said:
"I am delighted to be back and am looking forward to the new season. I spoke with Clouts early in the summer and he asked me if I wanted to come back. I did not expect it and I was getting ready to play in the EPL again. But I want to play in the top league and hopefully impress enough to get into the Great Britain squad and you have to play in the Elite League to do that."Davies has registered 30 points in 88 games in the top flight, all with the Stingrays, but as a relatively small forward has struggled to find consistency over the full season in both of his senior season's in Hull. In 09/10 the Beverley born forward struggled for ice-time after beginning the year as the club's 10th forward but eventually fought his way into the squad in place of Shaun Thompson after an injury to Lee Mitchell handed him an opportunity, going on to register one goal and ten points in 51 games.
To the contrary he began last season as one of the club's most consistent performers, netting points in the majority of the club's games, before that form dramatically fell away in late 2010, in turn leading to the disagreement with Cloutier and his subsequent departure.
Nevertheless, the Rays coach has forgiven and forgotten and will welcome the 21 year old back as his 11th forward and, more than likely, his final major signing of the summer. He said:
"I don’t hold grudges and I believe in giving people second chances. I am really happy to have Matty back. He brings depth to the line-up and brings more offence to the team. He is a local kid and he should be playing for his local team. He was putting up some good numbers for us before he left so he will have something to prove this year. Matty is a great kid, he is a year older and more mature."After several three-and-a-half years in the EPL - in which he racked up 128 points in 143 games - as well as a season-and-a-half in the EIHL, Davies has proven he can play a valuable role going forward and his signing so late in the summer is another boost to an offensive unit that has gone through a noticeable upgrade this off-season, particularly with British players so scarce.
Davies joins forwards Tristan Cameron-Harper, Ryan Lake, Jack Watkins and Bobby Chamberlain on a brand new and fairly inexperienced but youthful British forward line-up.
Those five are effectively vying for two roster spots and with a number of two-way players also likely to be thrown into the mix before the beginning of the campaign, the Rays boss has a good problem on his hands heading into pre-season and training camp.
The Rays begin their longest ever pre-season with a home and away challenge double header against the Coventry Blaze on 27 and 28 August, before taking on Tilburg Trappers, Geleen Eaters and Sheffield Steeldogs, ahead of their sixth season in the EIHL which commences on Friday 9 September in Belfast and continues on Sunday 11 September in Hull with a fixture against Yorkshire rivals the Sheffield Steelers.
