NIHL Signing News

NIHL News

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

As the NIHL signing news continues, Whitley Warriors have today announced that last season’s captain Dean Holland and superb blue liner Harry Harley are the latest players to re-sign for the club. An experienced, hardworking and skilful leader, Holland is set to join Whitley for a third consecutive season. After finishing as his team’s top points scorer with forty one points in his last campaign, Holland will once again be a key component in David Longstaff’s line-up when he takes to the ice with the Warriors in September. Likewise, ‘D’ man Harley continues to be a reliable member of Longstaff’s defensive unit and last season contributed nine goals and thirteen assists in the twenty one games he featured. Establishing himself as one of the team’s greatest assets, Harley will once again look forward to icing for his home town club alongside Holland as the duo embrace the challenge of new opposition in the already competitive atmosphere of the NIHL.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

In other news, Sheffield Steeldogs have confirmed that left winger Ashley Calvert will embark on a seventh campaign for the club after featuring in fifty three games for the side last season in which he managed twenty one points, tallying five goals and sixteen assists. With a great deal of EPL experience and even some Elite League appearances, Calvert will take on the role of alternate captain next season as player-coach Ben Morgan recognises his loyalty to the club.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Meanwhile, the Dragons have announced that captain James Parsons will again fulfil his role with the Welsh outfit for another season as he returns to Scott McKenzie’s side for his 2017-18 campaign. Starting out with Flintshire Freeze in 2004, Parsons continued to play for the side when they rebranded to become the Dragons in 2012 and remained loyal to the club through their battles in the NIHL’s Laidler Conference to facilitate the side’s promotion to Division One. Whilst loan spells to Telford Tigers and Manchester Phoenix in the EPL demonstrate Parsons’ high standard of play, the right winger also exhibited his goal scoring prowess in the NIHL last season, tallying thirty five points in twenty seven games, a feat which the Dragons will hope to be repeated next season as their captain resumes his role in September.

Last but not least, netminder Stephen Fone has joined Steven Duncombe’s Blackburn Hawks as the two-time Elite League champion links up with former Manchester Phoenix team mate Luke Boothroyd. The first shot stopper on the Hawks’ roster, Fone boasts an excellent save percentage rate over the course of his career and, besides playing eight seasons for the Phoenix in the EPL, he also featured for Coventry Blaze and Basingstoke Bison in the Elite League. With this wealth of experience, it is clear that the Hawks have acquired an outstanding netminder who will no doubt be eager to demonstrate his ability when he takes his place between the pipes in September. 

For more photos from IceHockeyMedia, please visit: http://www.icehockeymedia.co.uk/.