Philadelphia’s Spectrum is one of the most famous buildings in sports history, as this arena hosted some of the biggest teams, athletes, and events in Philadelphia and international sports during its run from 1967 to 2009. For hockey fans, this venue will always be associated with some of the greatest Philadelphia Flyers teams in franchise history. Two Stanley Cup-winning teams, with names like Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent, and Bill Barber played before roaring crowds of Philadelphians.
Over 3,500 miles away, “across the pond,” there stands another Spectrum. Although far less famous than its American cousin, the Guildford Spectrum is adored in its own right by hockey fans in the small English city of Guildford. The arena is home to the Guildford Flames of the United Kingdom’s Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL).
Pursuing a Dream
Founded in 1992, the Flames are one of ten teams in the EIHL. Over the course of their history, they have attracted their fair share of foreign-born players. The majority of this season’s 24-man roster are players born outside of the British Isles, with seven having been born in the United States. One of these American-born players is Bucks County, Pennsylvania native and starting goaltender Eamon McAdam.
McAdam’s hockey journey, much like many other North American professional hockey players, has made stops at several levels of the game in various parts of the world. While embracing the opportunity to experience different cultures, cuisines, and places, McAdam’s career has become a true testament to pursuing a dream no matter where it takes you.
Waterloo Black Hawks
The Philadelphia-area native first left home to play hockey as a teenager. McAdam experienced a significant culture shock when he left his home state and moved to Iowa to play junior hockey for the Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League (USHL). He played parts of three seasons in the USHL, recording a 3.45 goals-against average (GAA) and .896 save percentage (SV%) in 31 appearances during his final season, the 2012-13 campaign. That season, he also played in two playoff games for the franchise recording a quality .922 SV%. His strong performance in the juniors led to his transition to the ranks of division one college hockey with Pennsylvania State University during the 2013-14 season.
McAdam’s time in Waterloo also led to the establishment of a lifelong friendship with then-teammate, and current San Jose Sharks defenseman, Jacob MacDonald. MacDonald, a member of the 2021-22 Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche, and McAdam were teammates in Waterloo during the 2010-11 season. “He [MacDonald] was my first roommate when I was away from home. I moved out to Waterloo to play for the Black Hawks when I was 15 to play in the juniors. He and I lived together with our billet family. We grew pretty close that year. It was a pretty crazy year, and he was like an older brother to me,” McAdam told The Hockey Writers (THW).
Experience in North America
Following parts of three seasons with Penn State, McAdam was drafted by the New York Islanders 70th overall in the third round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. He was assigned to the Islanders’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, where he appeared in one game in goal before the end of the season. Over the next five seasons, he played in the ECHL and AHL.
During the 2018-19 season, McAdam split time between the Toronto Maple Leafs AHL and ECHL affiliates, the Toronto Marlies and Newfoundland Growlers. Nineteen of his appearances in the Maple Leafs organization that season were with the Growlers. His ten victories, 2.62 GAA, and .911 SV% helped the team reach and capture their first and only Kelly Cup championship in franchise history. Over the course of the following two seasons, he appeared in 48 games in the ECHL for the Adirondack Thunder and Jacksonville Icemen.
Move to Europe
McAdam’s North American contract expired following the 2020-21 season, leaving him with limited options. At that point, he headed to Europe where he joined the Metal Ligaen (also known as the Superisligaen), Denmark’s highest-level ice hockey league. In his only season in Denmark, he appeared in 17 games, recording a 2.88 GAA and .914 SV% for the Esbjerg Energy. His numbers in goal that season revealed that he had adjusted well to factors such as the larger ice, less physical play, more skill-based competition, and overall slightly different rules that North Americans encounter when transitioning to European professional leagues.
Leading up to the 2022-23 season, McAdam headed to England and signed with the Guildford Flames. With a franchise history dating back to 1992, the Flames moved from the disbanded English Premier Ice Hockey League (EPIHL) to the EIHL leading up to the 2017-18 season. According to McAdam, “the EIHL can best be described as a middle ground league between the physical North American hockey and mainland European super flowy and free game.”
McAdam explained to THW that this is in large part due to the history of professional hockey in the United Kingdom. “It has a lot to do with the way in which the English League recruited professional players from North America in the late 1990s and early 2000s. These weren’t the top caliber guys in the NHL, but they became stars over in England. They brought with them the physicality from the North American game to a European league.”
When asked what made him decide to play in the United Kingdom, McAdam told THW, “There were a lot of factors. You have to keep in mind that players have so little control in these situations unless you are one of these top-tier NHL caliber talent guys. The UK was always on my mind since it is an English-speaking country. When the opportunity arose, it seemed like a good fit for me.”
During his inaugural season in the EIHL, McAdam appeared in 32 games, winning 21, and recorded a 2.99 GAA and .907 SV%. Following last season’s playoff run that resulted in EIHL runners-up honors, he signed on for another two seasons with the Flames. “I liked the way things went last year and it felt like a good fit,” McAdam said to THW regarding his decision to remain with the franchise.
3ICE and Team Murphy
The creation of the three-on-three professional hockey league, 3ICE, opened the door for hockey players from leagues around the world to continue playing competitive and organized hockey during the summer months. The league operates on an annual draft model to decide who plays for which team. Teams are named for their respective head coach, an NHL legend.
McAdam joined the league during its 2022 inaugural season and was selected to play for four-time Stanley Cup champion and Hockey Hall of Famer, Larry Murphy. “No one really knew what to expect coming into 3ICE. My agent just threw it out to me. He was like, hey, if you feel like doing this it could be a cool opportunity. If you want to be a part of it, you can throw your name in the ring and see what happens,” McAdam told THW.
Related: Introducing 3ICE: The Best Part of Hockey
During the 2022 season, Team Murphy finished the campaign with eight wins and nine losses. McAdam, impressed by how well the league was run, decided to return to 3ICE during the 2023 season. Again, drafted by Team Murphy, he was a key part of the team capturing the league championship, the Patrick Cup, in front of family and friends in a hometown crowd at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center. He also won a Goalie of the Year award for his outstanding play between the pipes. The goaltender, who believes the quality of the league continues to improve each season, is already signed up to return to 3ICE for this summer’s 2024 season.
“My team won a lot of games last season and had a great time doing it. We ended up winning the whole thing. That was kind of a cherry on top of the whole great experience. I signed up for another year because I like to keep playing hockey during the offseason with some pretty good players. I always enjoyed playing against the best guys I can. That makes it all a little more rewarding,” McAdam said to THW regarding the 2023 3ICE season.
A Lifelong Fan of the Flyers
A lifelong fan of the Flyers, McAdam grew up in a household in the Philadelphia suburbs that watched every game. He continues to follow the NHL from the United Kingdom. “It’s tough with the time difference here. Even the games on the East Coast don’t start until very early in the morning. Every morning, I’ll sit down, eat breakfast, and watch the highlights. There are two highlights that I always make sure to watch, the Flyers and MacDonald and the Sharks,” McAdam said to THW.
McAdam lists Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, and Tyson Foerster as his favorite current Flyers players. Foerster, a former teammate from his brief stint with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, is one player in particular he keeps an eye on. “Foerster was about 17 years old during the 2020-21 season in Lehigh Valley, and even then, you could see just how skilled he was. Now to see him making an impact in the NHL is pretty cool. I always like to see his name mentioned and the opportunities he is getting in the NHL,” McAdam told THW.
Two Spectrums
When THW jokingly asked McAdam if he thought the Guildford Spectrum would ever gain the same ice hockey notoriety as the old Spectrum in Philadelphia, he replied with a chuckle, “It’s hard to say. I don’t think any stadium can match up to the Spectrum in Philly. There was too much history there. From a hockey standpoint, I can’t see the Guildford Spectrum ever reaching that same level of fame as Philly’s Spectrum.”
Although McAdam doesn’t think the Guildford Spectrum will ever be as famous as its Philadelphia cousin, he knows that the longtime home of the Guildford Flames is special in its own right. The throngs of passionate, hockey sweater-clad fans who cheer on the Flames at every home game make the experience of playing in the United Kingdom even more of a memorable experience for him.