NIHL North News

Moralee beckons for Bennett as Tigers secure signing of fan favourite

Telford Tigers have announced the signing of forward and fan favourite Owen Bennett who returns to his hometown club after a successful season with Deeside Dragons. Starting out with Telford Rockets in 2002, it quickly became clear that Bennett would be no stranger to the sin bin, the forward racking up two hundred and twenty three penalty minutes during his 2006-07 campaign for the Trojans.

Breaking into Telford’s senior team in 2007, Bennett played for the club at ENL and NIHL level for six seasons before progressing to Tigers’ EPL line-up. Achieving league and playoff success with Deeside Dragons in his last campaign, Bennett now returns to Telford’s NIHL club in the hope that he can bring similar success to the Shropshire-based outfit. His reputation as an enforcer preceding him, and always a great character on the ice, Bennett’s return is likely to be an entertaining affair for all as the forward makes his return to the Moralee Conference. 

NIHL North News

NIHL North Bulletin

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Having already made substantial progress in assembling their roster this summer, Billingham Stars have today revealed the signing of Swedish imports Dennis Boström and Daniel Palmebjörk. Whilst right winger Boström featured in thirty one league games for the Stars last season to become Billingham’s highest points scorer with thirty three goals and seventeen assists, Palmebjörk joins the Teesside outfit after four seasons playing in Sweden’s Division One with Tegs SK. Accumulating eighty one points during his time at the club, Palmebjörk began his ice hockey career with IF Björklöven, progressing through the junior ranks to eventually play for the team at senior level. A move to Tegs SK in 2012 however, allowed Palmebjörk to demonstrate his ability in front of goal and it was here that he played some of his best senior ice hockey to become the team’s second highest points scorer last season. With Billingham’s offence becoming increasingly strong, it is clear that the Stars will be a force to be reckoned with as they take to the ice in September.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Meanwhile, Whitley Warriors’ player-coach David Longstaff has secured the signings of defenceman Scott Cooper and netminder Jordan Boyle. Making the switch to the Hillheads outfit in 2014 after three seasons with Slough Jets, Cooper chipped in with one goal and four assists whilst icing on Whitley’s blue line. Continuing to contribute offensively where he could last season, Cooper’s campaign was unfortunately cut short when he suffered a serious injury which prevented the ‘D’ man from icing in Whitley’s remaining fixtures. His recovery ongoing, Cooper has re-signed for the club with hopes that he can train over the next few weeks in preparation for the season ahead. Also returning to Whitley Bay is shot stopper Jordan Boyle who linked up with the Warriors’ senior team last September after a short spell with Solway Sharks. Previously icing between the pipes for Newcastle Vipers’ Under 16 and Under 18 teams, Boyle also played in Whitley’s junior setup from 2010 to 2014. Usually featuring as a backup netminder, Boyle will be a valuable member of Whitley’s squad next season, particularly with the recent departure of Mark Turnbull who was often Longstaff’s second choice behind shot stopper Richie Lawson. 

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NIHL North News

NIHL North Bulletin

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Continuing to release signing news on a regular basis, Billingham Stars have confirmed that forwards Michael Elder and James Moss will remain at the club for another season. Deemed the side’s Best Forward, Elder’s points production in his previous campaign was his best to date, having picked up twenty one goals and fourteen assists. Contributing pace and power, Elder is a superb signing for the Stars and will no doubt link up with line mates Chris Sykes and Callum Davies next season as the Teesside club sets its sights on silverware once more. Likewise, returning forward James Moss heads into his sixth season with the Stars on the back of his best campaign yet. Tallying thirty points in twenty nine league games, Moss enhances Billingham’s offensive line up which already includes three of the outfit’s top players in player-assistant coach Michael Bowman, Sykes and Davies. Meanwhile, experienced defenceman and alternate captain Andy Munroe will not sign for the Stars next season, the blue liner taking a job in Peterborough instead. Whether or not Munroe will play ice hockey next season remains to be seen but it is clear that the ‘D’ man has been an asset on Teesside since he signed for the outfit in 2013 and will certainly be missed by the Stars as they prepare to confront a new set of challenges in their upcoming campaign.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Further to this news, Whitley Warriors have added their fifteenth signing to their roster in the form of forward Shaun Kippin who joins the Hillheads outfit for a second consecutive season. Having previously iced for the club between 2002 and 2012, Kippin went on to sign for Deeside Dragons where he was eventually made alternate captain. Unable to ice for the Dragons in their 2014-15 campaign due to a shoulder injury, Kippin made his return to Tyneside last season and slotted seamlessly into Whitley’s line-up. Chipping in with goals where possible and playing in all but one league game for the side, the reliable fan-favourite is a welcome addition to David Longstaff’s roster. By contrast, it has been confirmed that young forward Callum Queenan will leave the Warriors this summer to further his ice hockey career in North America. Offered a fantastic opportunity to advance in the sport, Queenan leaves the Warriors having enjoyed three fruitful seasons at Whitley in which his skill in front of goal quickly became apparent and his progression a certainty.

In other news, Deeside player-coach Scott McKenzie has appointed the versatile Marc Lovell as player-assistant coach, the captain stepping into the role on the back of the Dragons’ promotion to the Moralee Conference. Making the switch from Widnes Wild along with McKenzie are Chris Gee and Geoff Wigglesworth who collectively contributed sixty seven points to enhance their side’s chances of promotion last season. With much experience in the lower tiers of British Ice Hockey, both Gee and Wigglesworth will be valuable members of Deeside’s roster as McKenzie begins to assemble his squad for September. 

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Adding to their line-up this week, Billingham Stars have confirmed the signing of last season’s Under 20s captain, Luke Brown. Fulfilling the duties of his captaincy alongside his role in Billingham’s NIHL outfit, Brown was named the Stars’ Most Improved Player at the end of his 2015-16 campaign having guided Teesside’s Under 20s team to league success. Whilst Brown collected twenty eight points in eleven games for the Under 20s, it is also clear that the forward is no stranger to the sin bin. Accumulating fifty four penalty minutes across the thirty one games he featured in for the Stars at senior level, Brown often involves himself in the physical aspect of the sport which may provide Billingham with an additional edge to their game as they take to the ice in September.

Besides the signing of Brown, Billingham have added a new Star to their roster in the form of forward Jack Watkins. Starting out with Newcastle Vipers junior development setup in 2005, Watkins went on to feature for the Warriors before making the switch to Coventry where he has since made appearances for both the Blaze’s ENL and EIHL outfits. More recently playing for Milton Keynes Lightning in the EPL, Watkins played in forty games for the side, snatching two goals and three assists. As a result, Watkins’ wide-ranging experience suggests that the forward will be a refreshing addition to the Stars’ line-up. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Likewise, Whitley Warriors have also managed to strengthen their squad with the signing of forward Jamie Tinsley, and defencemen Josh Maddock and Joe Stamp. Captaining the Warriors last season, Tinsley tallied fourteen goals and ten assists to help Whitley achieve a top four finish and an all-important playoff spot. Offering experience to the younger members of Whitley’s roster, Tinsley’s strength and skill will be crucial in their next campaign. Meanwhile, player-coach David Longstaff has also acquired the services of Stamp, who excelled last season after a fourteen-year spell away from the sport, and Maddock who made his first debut with the Warriors during the side’s 2009-10 campaign and has since flourished as one of Whitley’s most reliable blue liners. Snatching four goals and three assists, Maddock’s last term in a Warriors’ shirt was his most successful to date and the defenceman will look to better his personal points production further as he takes to the ice in September. 

In other news, former Widnes Wild player-coach Scott McKenzie has been appointed Head Coach of the newly promoted Deeside Dragons. With plans for McKenzie to also take charge of Deeside’s junior setup, the Dragons have acquired the leadership of a player whose experience of British Ice Hockey spans fifteen seasons, the coach having started out in 2003 with EPL outfit Chelmsford Chieftains. Finishing last season as the Laidler Conference’s highest points scorer, McKenzie has a lot to offer the Dragons and it is expected that the forward will develop Deeside’s youth to seek strong foundations for the future.

Also enhancing their roster, Solihull Barons have signed versatile defenceman Dale White from Telford Tigers’ EPL side. Though he started out with Solihull’s junior teams, White joined Oxford City Stars in 2009 before moving up to the Elite League with Coventry Blaze. Last season, White dropped down from the EIHL to play for the Tigers, tallying six goals and eight assists in the fifty four games he featured. With thirteen seasons of experience behind him, White appears to be a great addition to Perry Doyle’s squad and time will surely tell as he lines up with the Barons in September.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Further to this news, young netminder Denis Bell has chosen to leave Telford Tigers after two years at the club following an opportunity of further development. Pulling off some standout performances last season to give the Tigers the best possible chance of success in Division One, Bell will now switch clubs with the hope of playing at a higher level. Replacing Bell between the pipes will be former Hawks’ shot stopper Daniel Brittle who returns to his hometown club alongside his brother Adam Brittle, the forward having tallied eighty four points for Blackburn in his previous campaign to become the league’s top points scorer last season. 

Meanwhile, former Hawks’ defenceman Andy Dunn has signed for Laidler Conference side Altrincham Aces, having left Blackburn earlier in the season with the intention of moving to Australia. These plans now cast aside, Dunn will line up for the aces next season, hoping to avoid the injury woes he endured in his previous campaign which saw the blue liner play only seventeen games from a possible thirty two.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Away from signing news, and perhaps most important of all, word has spread through the ice hockey community this week that Sheffield Spartans have sadly folded. It would seem that the Spartans have encountered an issue over funding and ice time which would prevent the team from competing next season and, as a result, the club were left little choice other than to fold. Fighting for their place in the Moralee Conference last season, the Spartans encountered Widnes Wild in a league placement playoff in April and emerged from the clash triumphant. Just weeks after this fixture, Sutton Sting’s John Ross replaced Martin White as Head Coach of the Spartans in the hope that he could take the team forward in their 2016-17 campaign. However, recent developments confirm that the Spartans are regrettably no longer active as a club and will not ice a team in the NIHL this season.  Understandably, this decision is not only devastating for the Spartans but for the ice hockey community as a whole and the team’s absence from the Moralee Conference will certainly be felt next season. For the Spartans’ official statement on this matter, please visit: http://www.sheffieldspartans.co.uk/team-news/sheffield-spartans-nihl-statement/. 

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NIHL North News

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Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Continuing to add to their roster in recent days, Whitley Warriors have strengthened both their offence and defence with the signing of forward Ben Richards, and blue liners Dan Pye and Liam Smedley. Though Richards’ last campaign in a Warriors’ shirt was somewhat disrupted through injury, the forward demonstrated his skill on several occasions, scoring eight goals and snatching a further five assists to challenge some of the strongest defences in the Moralee Conference. Also re-signing for the Hillheads outfit, experienced ‘D’ man Dan Pye links up with Whitley for a third consecutive season hoping to repeat the calm and collected performances of his last term with the Warriors. Previously taking on the role of away alternate captain alongside Joe Stamp, Pye became one of Longstaff’s on-ice leaders; reliable, consistent and strong. Joining Pye on the Warriors’ blue line is promising youngster Liam Smedley who has made the transition from Whitley’s junior setup in recent seasons to gain regular ice time with the senior outfit. Chipping in with goals when offensive opportunities arise, Smedley will seek to cement his place in Longstaff’s line up as he takes to the ice in September.

Meanwhile, Billingham have announced the signing of forward Jack Emerson who joins the Teesside club for a fifth NIHL campaign, having divided his time between the Stars’ Under 20s outfit and the senior team last season. Whilst Emerson tallied one goal and four assists for the Stars in his previous spell, the forward also racked up forty five points as alternate captain of Billingham’s Under 20s side to become the team’s top points scorer in this league. Voted Player’s Player of the Year for his performances with the Under 20s, it is clear that Emerson has a lot to offer the Stars as they embark on yet another quest for silverware.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

In other news, Solihull Barons have enhanced their squad with the addition of youngsters Stephen Heape, Matt Maurice and Jacob Smith. Whilst Heape is a familiar face in Barons’ line up, having recorded seventy penalty minutes in just thirteen games for the side, forward Maurice and defenceman Smith debuted with Solihull last season, the duo featuring for the side alongside commitments to both Coventry’s NIHL outfit and the club’s Under 18s. The addition of this trio takes the total number of players on Barons’ roster to eighteen which, boasting a balance of youth and experience, further suggests that Perry Doyle’s team will be a force to be reckoned with next season. 

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NIHL North News

Warriors secure signing of Lawson and Harley

Following yesterday’s signing news from Hillheads, Whitley Warriors have confirmed that netminder Richie Lawson and sturdy defenceman Harry Harley will remain at the club for another season.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

With a save percentage of 92.6%, Lawson was one of the NIHL’s standout shot stoppers in his last campaign, pulling off high quality saves to ensure his teammates remained in with a chance of taking two points from as many fixtures as possible. Being first choice netminder at the club meant that Lawson starred in twenty nine games for the Warriors last season and he now heads into his sixth consecutive spell with the outfit, hoping to build on the success experienced by the team in their last outing.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Likewise, defenceman Harry Harley has signed up for another season with the Warriors. This news follows Harley’s successful 2015-16 campaign which saw the ‘D’ man tally ten goals and eighteen assists whilst putting in consistently strong displays on Whitley’s blue line. Starting out at Hillheads in 2007, Harley progressed from Whitley’s junior setup to play for EPL outfit Peterborough Phantoms in 2013 and it is perhaps this experience which has enhanced Harley’s versatility, the blue liner adapting from his previous role of forward to assume a new position in the Warriors’ defensive zone.

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NIHL North News

NIHL North Bulletin

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Whitley Warriors have confirmed that player-coach David Longstaff will take charge of the Hillheads outfit for a second consecutive season. Battling to avoid relegation just months before Longstaff’s appointment at the club, the Warriors were transformed by the coach to such a degree that they were able to contend with the NIHL’s strongest teams and subsequently earn themselves a playoff place. With nineteen goals and thirty assists, Longstaff was the club’s highest points scorer last season and, with a wealth of experience, he has much advice and guidance to offer Whitley’s younger prospects.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Already adding to his roster, Longstaff has secured the signings of forwards Jordan Barnes, Martin Crammond and Dean Holland along with blue liner Craig Johnson. Whilst Barnes continues to fulfil the role of power forward and is often involved in the more physical aspects of the game, both Crammond and Holland seek to trouble their oppositions’ defence on a regular basis, tallying thirty four points in their most recent campaign. As one of Whitley’s longest serving players, Crammond will look to provide the Warriors with the consistency he has shown in recent seasons whilst Holland, still recovering from a pre-season injury sustained in his last campaign, will surely star in Longstaff’s line up as his own fitness levels continue to improve. Johnson, on the other hand, featured on Whitley’s blue line for just thirteen games in his previous term, having been ruled out through injury before further dividing his ice time between the senior team and the Braves. The young defenceman was able to make an impact as the season progressed however, building on offensive opportunities to snatch a goal and create openings for his teammates. Though releasing news of these signings, it has also been confirmed that netminder Mark Turnbull and forward Kyle Hindmarsh-Ross have parted company with the Hillheads outfit as the pair make the switch to Wiarton Rock in the GMHL. Speaking to NIHL Northern Trio, Longstaff noted: “I am pleased with the signings we have made so far and we have a few more to announce but are waiting on several players to decide if they want to carry on playing next season.”

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Likewise, Billingham Stars have boosted their defence with the addition of Andy Finn and Tom Keeley. Starting out with the Northern Stars in 2010 following a move from EPL side Swindon Wildcats, Finn amassed seventy penalty minutes in his last campaign, spending far more time in the sin bin than any of his team mates. Whilst the physical aspect of the game appears to be one that Finn does not shy away from, he is also capable of assisting the Stars’ offensive efforts. Meanwhile, Keeley returns for a third consecutive season, having enjoyed spells in the Ontario East Minor Hockey League and the USPHL Elite which allowed the blue liner to build on his ice hockey experience following ice time with junior setups in the North East of England. Scoring on eight occasions in twenty two games, Keeley has the ability to snatch points; however a chest injury sustained mid-season saw the defenceman miss out on several fixtures for the Stars. Seeking a more positive start to his 2016-17 campaign, Keeley is the fifth ‘D’ man to sign for Billingham as the Stars’ roster gradually begins to take shape.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Also enhancing their roster this week, Solihull Barons have announced the re-signing of ‘D’ men Dave Rogers and Kieran Papps, and forward Andrew Whitehouse. Whilst Whitehouse goes into his sixth term with the club, both Rogers and Papps joined the side three seasons ago; the former breaking through the ranks of Solihull’s Under 18s team whilst the latter made the switch from Coventry Blaze in 2013. The Barons’ squad growing considerably over the last few days, it appears that Solihull will once again be a force to be reckoned with in September. In other news, Blackburn Hawks’ alternate captain Matt Viney and forward Ben Simister have joined the lengthy list of players who have opted to leave the Lancashire outfit, following their NIHL title and playoff victories last season. In addition, Widnes Wild player-coach Scott McKenzie has made the decision to leave the club, having worked incredibly hard to develop the team. Tallying one hundred and twenty eight points to become top points scorer of the Laidler Conference in his last term, McKenzie also iced in the Elite League with Manchester Storm on six occasions to reach the highest level of British Ice Hockey once more, and his absence will surely be felt by all those involved with the club. 

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