NIHL News
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Sheffield Steeldogs have announced the
signing of versatile forward Lloyd Gibson who makes the switch from Sutton
Sting to play a second consecutive season in the NIHL’s Division One. Parting
company with Sheffield Steeldogs early last season, Gibson iced in twenty four
games for the Sting during which time he accumulated an impressive nineteen
goals and eighteen assists to surpass the points production of his team mates. Having
played in the EPL for the most part of his career, including a five-season
spell with the Steeldogs and a particularly successful campaign with
Peterborough Phantoms, Gibson has a wealth of knowledge and an aptitude for
finding the back of the net which will no doubt be evidenced when the forward
takes to the ice for Ben Morgan’s team next season.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Ian Hanlon
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Further to this news, Blackburn Hawks have
confirmed the signing of former Sheffield Spartan Tom Parkinson who is now
preparing for a second season in Steven Duncombe’s line-up after making his
debut with the Lancashire outfit in September 2016. Playing twenty five games
for the Hawks, forward Parkinson chipped in with points where possible in what
was a difficult campaign for Blackburn following their success in recent
seasons. Meanwhile, the Hawks have also announced that blue liner Nick Oliver
will not return to play a second season at Blackburn following the defenceman’s
decision to fulfil a lifelong ambition to live and work in Canada.
Also this week, after playing two seasons
with Blackburn Eagles from September 2015, former Dragon Chris Jones has made
his return to Deeside. Starting out with Flintshire Freeze in the
English National League in 2002, Jones remained at the club for nine seasons
across Divisions One and Two before switching to the then-named Telford Titans in
his 2011-12 campaign. Two further seasons with the Dragons saw Jones named
alternate captain in 2014, a role he was also able to fulfil with the Eagles in
his first season with the side. Contributing more than thirty points per season in
the NIHL’s Laidler Conference over the last four seasons, Jones returns to Division One with the hope that he can achieve the same feat; a
difficult challenge but one he will surely embrace.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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In addition, Telford Tigers Two have appointed
Callum Bowley as player-coach for their 2017-18 season. Though only twenty
three, Bowley is an experienced and incredibly skilful on-ice leader who played
four seasons with the Tigers’ EPL team between 2011 and 2015 before later dividing
his ice time between the side’s EPL and NIHL outfits.
Following the relegation of the Tigers’ NIHL team last season and league
restructuring, Bowley will now aim to build a successful squad over the summer months in the hope that his side can contend with their new competition in Division
Two. Likewise, Telford Tigers One have also made their first signings this week as Head
Coach Tom Watkins re-signed versatile defenceman Danny Rose before acquiring the services of returning Tiger Macaulay Halford. Set to head into his
sixth campaign with the club, Rose remains a dedicated member of Watkins’
line-up and will no doubt continue to exhibit his usual reliability on Telford’s
blue line when he takes to the ice in September. Halford, meanwhile, makes his return to his home town club from
Sheffield Steeldogs where he achieved twenty nine points from twenty nine games
last season, having previously divided his ice time between Telford’s NIHL and
EPL teams since embarking on a senior playing career in 2012. Joining Rose on
Watkins’ roster, Halford is the first forward to be named in the Tigers’ squad and will surely prove to be another great asset when
he ices for Telford next season.
Last but not least, Widnes Wild
launched their new radio show Time to go
Wild this week with the announcement of three signings. It was confirmed
that captain Shaun Dippnall and forwards Stuart Brittle and Bobby Caunce would all
return to the side after a successful campaign in which the club achieved
second place and playoff silverware. Time to go Wild’s weekly radio
shows can be heard on Monday evenings from 7-8pm on Halton Community Radio on
92.3FM, online or via the TuneIn app. Alternatively, podcasts will be produced
after each show has aired. For those fans who missed out on Monday, this week’s podcast is available to listen to here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L7uodQMtIc&feature=youtu.be
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