NOTTINGHAM Panthers player-coach Corey Neilson is delighted to be adding another former NHL winger to his line-up and believes his four-man defensive unit will cope after axing Mario Larocque.

He has brought in ex-Boston Bruin Jay Henderson at the expense of the popular Johan Molin and defenceman Larocque, who played 21 games for six points since his arrival in November for Nick Toneys.

Molin has reverted to his stand-by contract, while Toneys is still being retained by the club, both able to be called up if injury strikes.

By releasing a fifth defenceman, it means Panthers can skate with seven import forwards and rotate three strong forward lines.

On the downside, Neilson only has four experienced defencemen per game – himself and Dominic D'Amour as imports, and Brits Danny Meyers, the team captain, and 19-year-old Stevie Lee.

Teenager Tom Norton will also be used sparingly.

But Neilson insists that with the versatile Kevin Bergin also able to play at the back, he is well-covered.

"It puts a lot of pressure on the D-corps by not having that fifth guy in there, but I have every confidence in them," said Neilson. "Danny is probably the best defensive defenceman in the league and Stevie has come a long way as a hockey player this season.

"We expect even more from him and I know he is committed to taking on the additional responsibility.

"When Matt Myers went to play in the US, it left us a big hole up front. The young boys aren't ready yet and Ross (Dalgleish) has had a long-standing shoulder injury.

"So recently we've used five defencemen but with one of them playing up front, which just doesn't make sense.

"Look what we did to Newcastle last weekend with three forward lines. I know they didn't play very well but, realistically, we could have scored even more than ten against them.

"Now we are in a much stronger position and with a player like Bergy – who started his career as a defenceman and can play there when necessary – it's a luxury no other team has.

"The thing is, by having Molin and Toneys waiting for the call, it puts pressure on the players to perform every night and the fans get to see a product, too.

"Never in the past have players of the calibre of Bergin, D'Amour, Larocque or Gascon, who have been left out in recent weeks, been healthy scratches from a line-up in this league.

"But it sends out a message that everyone must play well, otherwise they will sit out."

Neilson says he had looked at signing Henderson in the summer, but the winger was still hoping for another season in the American Hockey League, which is one rung below the NHL.

Henderson has recently been playing in the Central Hockey League for Wichita Thunder who he apparently describes as "the worst team in pro hockey," as they have won just three out of 34 games this season.

Neilson said: "Jay has been playing for Wichita to stay fit while looking for a better job to come along.

"But he's been following us this season. He knows some of the guys on the team and is really keen to show us what he can do.

"You look at his record. He's rarely played on a losing team throughout his career.

"He's a winner and will basically do whatever it takes to win a game.

"He hits, he gets to the net, he'll stick his face in to block a shot. He's exactly what we need."

Back in 2004, Henderson's Milwaukee Admirals team won the Calder Cup – the AHL equivalent of the Stanley Cup. It was the third time he'd achieved the feat, and at three different clubs.

At the time, only three other players had done that in the 68-year-old history of the league.

It's just unfortunate he is unlikely to be here this weekend when Panthers tackle Sheffield at the NIC on Saturday, before Sunday's top-of-the-table clash with Coventry at the Skydome.

But Sheffield will have new defenceman Jonathan Zion in their line-up and are also believed to be re-signing D-man Steve Munn on loan from a team in China.