NIHL Signing News

NIHL News

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

After yesterday’s signing news which saw Chris Sykes return to Billingham Stars for another season, the club has today announced the re-signing of forward Jack Emerson. Having started out with the Northern Stars’ Under 16s team in 2010, Emerson heads into his sixth campaign on Teesside with hopes to build on last season’s efforts which saw him contribute just three goals and four assists in twenty six games. Though this is his highest points tally in senior ice hockey to date, Emerson was able to produce forty five points in fourteen games for the Stars’ Under 20s team in his 2015-16 campaign and also showed real potential in the NIHL last season when relied upon to play in place of absent team mates. A consistent member of the Stars’ setup, Emerson will now prepare to continue his development at Billingham with hopes that he will benefit from more ice time at this level.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

In other news, Solihull Barons have today added defenceman Ryan Selwood, netminder Josh Nicholls and forwards Richard Slater and Thomas Soar to their roster. Heading into his fifth consecutive term at Hobs Moat Road, Selwood fulfilled the role of alternate captain for his team last season, providing the Barons with leadership from the blue line and contributing to the side’s offensive abilities where possible to notch twelve points in twenty five games. Also signing up for a fifth season, netminder Nicholls makes his return having shared netminding duties with fellow shot stopper Sam Hewitt in his previous outing with the club. Recording a save percentage of 90.3% from nineteen games in the NIHL’s Moralee Conference, Nicholls has an excellent record with the Barons and, first choice in Perry Doyle’s playoff line-up in April, is sure to contend again for his place between the pipes next season, though this will not be against Hewitt who, like defencemen Phil Knight and Kieran Papps, will not return to play for the club in September.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Meanwhile, Solihull have also strengthened their offensive line-up with the re-signings of forwards Slater and Soar. First icing for the side in the English Premier League in their 2005-06 campaign, Slater’s next season will be his twelfth with the Barons having played in Solihull throughout his career with the exception of two games for EPL outfit Peterborough Phantoms. Returning to the sport after a season out, Slater earned himself seventeen points from twenty four games in his latest term at the club and will surely go from strength to strength when he ices again in September. Likewise, the Barons have also secured the services of Soar who finished as Solihull’s top goal scorer in his previous campaign with eighteen goals and sixteen assists tallied in twenty five league games. A standout player for the Barons in recent seasons, Soar made his debut for the team in their 2014-15 campaign, racking up eighty seven points in the NIHL’s Laidler Conference before hammering thirty five goals and twenty six assists home for his side following their promotion to Division One. With EPL experience, Soar’s goal scoring prowess is undeniable and he is certainly a player who will make a difference for MacKriel’s men next season. Kindly speaking to NIHL Northern Trio, Soar shared: “The main reason for returning was down to the closeness of the changing room and the willingness of the guys to battle for each other week after week. I’m most looking forward to the new challenge that the league restructure will bring and seeing old faces in our new league.”

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