NIHL Signing News

NIHL News

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Continuing to add to their roster, Solway Sharks have confirmed the re-signing of influential alternate captain Ross Murray this evening. A strong forward as well as an excellent leader, Murray proved impressive last season, almost halving the number of penalty minutes he served in his 2016-17 campaign whilst more than doubling his points production. Achieving fourteen goals and twenty four assists in thirty four league games, the forward completed his most recent season as his team’s fourth highest points scorer and is yet another fantastic acquisition for the Sharks.

Speaking to NIHL Northern Trio, Murray shared: “Last year we knew it was going to be tough to break the ex-EPL teams up so we gave ourselves realistic goals of being the best of the old NIHL. Hopefully we’ve learned a lot from the past season and aiming to finish in that top three spot gives ourselves a real chance of silverware at the end of the season. I love the fact Solway are wanting to be a top team in the league and don’t just take part. We’ve always found a way in Solway to step up when we need to and hopefully we can this year. I’m excited for the season ahead. Big changes have been happening up here, on and off the ice, and I’m glad I can be part of it.”

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Meanwhile, Billingham Stars have re-signed young defenceman James Hellens who will prepare for his second season at the club, having demonstrated his ability on the blue line in his previous outing. Featuring in twenty six league games for the Stars in his most recent campaign, Hellens bagged himself three assists whilst also fulfilling the role of alternate captain for both Billingham’s Under 18s and Under 20s teams. Racking up twenty six points in fourteen league games for the Under 18s, and claiming five points from five league games for the Under 20s, Hellens will once again prove to be a valuable member of Billingham’s defensive unit as he continues his development with the Teesside club.

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NIHL Signing News

NIHL News

Billingham Stars have tonight announced the appointment of Head Coach Tom Brown who joins the club after recently coaching in Canada. A former Billingham Eagle, Brown is no stranger to Teesside, playing for the club during their 1995-96 campaign before dividing his time between the Eagles and EPL outfit Peterborough Pirates in the season that followed. Continuing to play for Billingham from 1997 to 2000, Brown accumulated a further two hundred and thirty eight points for the side to prove an impressive forward over the course of his playing career. Taking up the role of Head Coach with Essa Stallions in the CPJHL in 2016 and more recently fulfilling the role of assistant coach with Stayner Siskins in the PJCHL last season, Brown now returns to his former club as Head Coach as his team prepares to contend with the difficult competition in NIHL North next season. 

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Meanwhile, Billingham have also confirmed that young forward Ethan Hehir has re-signed for the club ahead of their 2018-19 campaign. Making a huge impact in his debut season with the Stars, Hehir notched two goals and seven assists in sixteen games besides captaining Billingham’s Under 18s team and icing as alternate captain for the club’s Under 20s outfit. An important prospect, Hehir will undoubtedly impress again when he returns with the aim to gain more ice time with the senior side next season.

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NIHL Signing News

NIHL News

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Billingham Stars have confirmed that forward Jack Emerson has re-signed to play a seventh season at the Teesside club after accumulating eighteen points from thirty one league games in his most recent campaign. Having started out with the Northern Stars’ junior setup in 2010, Emerson remained with the side when they moved to The Forum in the season that followed, playing for both Billingham’s Under 16s and Under 18s outfits prior to making his debut with the senior team in 2012. Featuring for the Stars’ junior teams whilst icing with Billingham, Emerson became alternate captain of the club’s Under 20s team for their 2015-16 season, notching twenty three goals and twenty two assists in forty five league games. A hardworking individual, Emerson will again seek to be effective in offence when he returns to the ice for the Stars.  

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NIHL Signing News

NIHL News

Continuing to add to their roster, Solway Sharks have today announced the signing of Slovakian left winger Peter Gápa who joins the Dumfries outfit from Finnish club Hokki in Suomi-sarja. Initially breaking through the junior ranks at HK Poprad, Gápa was particularly successful for the club’s Under 20s team, finishing his 2012-13 campaign with sixty two points, making him the league’s third highest points scorer that season. Since then, Gápa has played for HK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas prior to dividing his 2016-17 campaign between HC Presov in Slovakia 2 and Swedish outfit Ǻsele IK. With much experience, skill and speed, Gápa appears to be another impressive addition to Solway’s roster and will no doubt show what he is capable of when he makes his debut with the Sharks in September.

Meanwhile, Whitley Warriors have announced that defenceman Craig Johnson will return to their blue line after taking time away from the team last season to instead ice for Under 20s side Whitley Renegades. Having played three consecutive seasons for the Warriors from 2014 to 2017, and having also captained both the Tomahawks and the Braves in the past, Johnson is a welcome addition to Whitley’s defensive unit and will no doubt remind fans of his ability when he ices with the outfit again.

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Last but not least, Billingham Stars have confirmed that forward Alex Preston has re-signed to play a second consecutive season at the club. Captaining the Under 20s outfit in his last campaign besides icing for the Stars, Preston achieved seven goals in thirty one league games for the Teesside outfit and he will no doubt look to build on his recent points production for the senior side when the season gets underway.

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NIHL Signing News

NIHL News

Whitley Warriors have announced the signing of defenceman Ross Connolly who joins the Hillheads outfit after short spell at Invicta Dynamos where he played nine games following a season with Casper Coyotes in the WSHL last season. Starting out with North Ayrshire Devils’ Under 18s side in their 2012-13 campaign, Connolly then progressed to the NIHL with Solway Sharks, besides icing for the club’s SNL and Under 20s outfits. After a season in Dumfries, Connolly then travelled to Canada to primarily feature for Temiscaming Titans in the GMHL where he tallied twelve assists in twenty five appearances during the side’s 2015-16 campaign. Continuing to ice for the Titans in the season that followed, Connolly then returned to Britain to play for London Raiders in the NIHL, notching a goal and six assists in eleven games before leaving to play in the Western States Hockey League last season. Gaining experience and knowledge whilst icing for these clubs, Connolly will look to make a positive impact on Whitley’s blue line when he makes his debut with the Warriors in September.

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Meanwhile, Billingham Stars have confirmed that alternate captain Chris Sykes has re-signed to play a fourth consecutive season on Teesside having finished his most recent campaign with seventy one points from thirty three league games to find himself NIHL North Division One’s sixth highest points scorer last season; an outstanding achievement during a difficult season for the Stars. With a strong work ethic, skill and an eye for goal, Sykes is a fantastic asset to his club and he will certainly demonstrate his ability to find the back of the net when he returns to the ice with Billingham this coming season.

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NIHL Signing News

NIHL News

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Billingham Stars have tonight announced their first signing this summer with the news that captain Michael Elder will return for an eighth campaign with the Teesside club. Tallying forty points in thirty one league games for the Stars last season, Elder continued to be an important member of Billingham’s roster, offering leadership, experience and consistency in what was a largely difficult campaign for his side. Hoping to overcome the disappointment of his team’s most recent outing in NIHL North’s Division One, Elder will aim to lead his team to success when the ice hockey gets underway in September. 

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NIHL Signing News

NIHL News

Whitley Warriors have today announced the re-signing of defensive duo Josh Maddock and Liam Smedley as the Hillheads club continue to assemble their roster for their 2018-19 campaign. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Heading into his tenth season as a Warrior, Maddock was a reliable member of Whitley’s defence in their most recent campaign, working hard on the blue line and chipping in offensively to contribute a goal and nine assists. Calm and composed whilst under pressure, Maddock will no doubt prove to be effective once again when he takes to the ice in September. Meanwhile, committed ‘D’ man Smedley will prepare to play a fifth season at Whitley on the back of a successful campaign which saw him feature in every game for the Warriors, the youngster tallying nine assists whilst presenting himself as a figure of consistency on the blue line. Both valuable members of Whitley’s defence, the duo are the Warriors’ latest re-signings as the club continues to build on the foundations of last season’s roster.  

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

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