BASINGSTOKE Buffalo forwards Paul Petts, Janne Virtanen and Cam Buckle have all joined new clubs as the Herd sit out the 2024/25 campaign.

Petts was one of the Buffs' player/coaches last season, guiding them to play-off glory. He has now joined the current South Two league champions, the Guildford Phoenix.

The 27-year-old led the Buffs last season with assists, returning 40 from 21 regular season games and also added 16 goals.

Before this, he played five seasons for the Bison and is an excellent addition for the Phoenix.

READ MORE: Compton and Anda become the latest to move from The Buffalo

Popular Finnish forward Virtanen was the Buffalos' Players' Player last term and has moved to the Solent Devils 2, which also includes fellow Buffalo Sam Compton.

The 42-year-old was born in Helsinki and after playing 10 years in Bristol, joined the Buffalo for the 2022/23 season. Last term, he scored twice in a six-point haul.

He is a great team player and will bring a wealth of experience to the Devils.

Buckle was a double winner at the end of season awards for the Buffs, winning both the Coaches' Player and Best Forward.

He has moved up a level and joined the Solent Devils senior team, which includes a number of former Bison and Buffalo players.

He finished third in the Buffs scoring race last term, as he scored 15 times and returned 19 assists in a points total of 34.

He also added four more points in the play-offs, split evenly between goals and assists.

The 24-year-old Basingstoke-born player played seven seasons for the Buffalo, scoring 188 points, and also made a number of appearances for the Bison. He will be a useful addition to the Solent side based in Gosport.