NIHL
News
Solway Sharks have
today announced their second signing as the club confirms that fan-favourite Ross Murray will play a sixth consecutive season for the Dumfries outfit. Not
one to shy away from the physical aspect of the game, Murray was NIHL North’s
most penalised player during his 2014-15 campaign but he continues to collect
points as well as penalty minutes, last season tallying three goals and
thirteen assists in twenty two games. Fulfilling the role of alternate captain
at Solway since September 2015, Murray is one of the team’s most dedicated
leaders and often excels at making life difficult for his opposition. Another
strong signing for the Sharks, Murray joins netminder Calum Hepburn on Solway’s
roster as the team look to follow up their title-winning season with further
success in the NIHL North’s Division One (Moralee).
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Kindly speaking to NIHL
Northern Trio, Murray shared his thoughts ahead of his latest campaign with Solway: “I’m happy to be back with the Sharks for the up and coming season. I’m
really looking forward to it. The league looks like it’s going to be a lot
better and that’s good. Last year was too easy. This year I’m looking forward
for teams to really challenge us and for us to prove that this is our league
and it doesn’t belong to the new teams. It gives us boys up here a chance to
prove we belong in a second tier league and why a lot of us don’t play higher
is because we are tied down to jobs etc. I would like us to win everything in
the North again - that might be an aim too high but we’ve always aimed high
here at Solway so why not? I like the fact that teams are making good signings. It
keeps the league interesting and fun to be in but we’re the big boys in this
league and we won’t let any other team come in and take our titles.”
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Meanwhile, it has also
been confirmed that Solway Sharks’ young prospect Duncan Speirs has opted to
leave the club to join Edinburgh Capitals’ Academy with hopes to play in the
Elite League. Having played for Solway Sharks’ Under 18s team in 2012, Speirs
quickly progressed to play for their Under 20s side as well as their SNL and
NIHL outfits. Besides playing in the lower tiers of British Ice Hockey, Speirs
was presented with the opportunity to feature twice for Braehead Clan in his
2015-16 campaign and he soon found the back of the net for the side to impress at
this level. Last season, Speirs continued his hard work for the Sharks,
tallying twenty seven points in nineteen games whilst also icing with Team GB’s
Under 20s line-up at the World Junior Championships where he was able to
achieve a goal and an assist in five games. Whilst Solway’s loss is surely Edinburgh’s
gain, Speirs will aim to continue his development with the Capitals’ academy in
the hope that he will be provided with an opportunity to establish himself in
the highest tier of British Ice Hockey.
Further to this,
Billingham Stars have confirmed the signing of a second Latvian import as
forward Deniss Baškatovs prepares to make his debut in British Ice Hockey from September.
After playing for Under 18s outfits HS Prizma/Pardaugava 93 and Daugavapils
Ledus Skola, Baškatovs went on to ice
with DHK Latgale in 2010 before playing for Prizma Riga both in the Latvian
Hockey League and in Russia’s MHL B. From here, the forward then progressed to
play two seasons in the MHL for Olimpiya Kirovo-Chepetsk and MHK Yunost Minsk
respectively. More recently icing in the BeNeLiga, the highest tier of ice
hockey in Belgium and the Netherlands, Baškatovs racked up forty five points
for Dutch team Eindhoven Kemphanen before tallying fifteen goals and twenty two
assists in nineteen games for Belgian outfit Chiefs Leuven. Yet to play ice
hockey in Britain, it is hoped that Baškatovs can produce as many points in the
NIHL as frequently as he has in his last two seasons, particularly as
Billingham aim to compete with the National Ice Hockey League’s strengthened
competition next season.
In other news,
Nottingham Lions continue to build their roster with the announcement that
forward Paul Stanley has signed up for a second consecutive season with the
side, having first iced with the team in 2000. Playing just two seasons with
the then EPL outfit, Team GB speed skater Stanley moved away from the sport
following a call-up to the GB Short Track World Cup team during his 2001-02
campaign. Making a seamless return to ice hockey last season, Stanley played
twenty eight league games in which he recorded an impressive seventeen goals
and sixteen assists to finish the season as the Lions’ second highest points
scorer. An excellent signing, it is clear that Stanley’s return to Nottingham
will certainly be welcomed when Matt Bradbury’s side take to the ice in
September. Also joining the Lions’ roster are Hovell brothers Thomas and Jamie who
will both return to their hometown club for another season. After progressing
through the junior ranks, Thomas Hovell first took his place between the pipes
for the Lions in 2011 and is now heading into his seventh consecutive season
with the club. Recording a save percentage of 91.9% last season, the shot stopper
appears to have a good record to date and he will no doubt aim to develop
further if he is to keep the strong opposition of NIHL North’s Division One at
bay. Meanwhile, defenceman Jamie Hovell is heading into his sixth season at
Nottingham, having taken a break from ice hockey between 2008 and 2012 after
working his way through the junior ranks to play for Nottingham Jaguars in the Under
18s league. Set to be his first season in the NIHL’s Division One as a result, ‘D’
man Hovell will seek to stand his ground against Nottingham’s new competition
whilst chipping in with points where he can. As the duo assume their places on
the Lions’ roster, Bradbury’s team is gradually beginning to take shape,
his squad now consisting of one netminder, three defencemen and three forwards
with more to follow soon.
Also, Dragons’ Head Coach Scott
McKenzie has re-signed forward Alex Parry who heads into his third consecutive
season with the side after taking time away from the sport between 2013 and
2015. Starting out with Deeside Avalanche in the Under 16s league in 2005,
Parry has continued to play his ice hockey in Flintshire, enduring the rebranding of
the club and also enjoying the side’s promotion to the Moralee Conference in
2016. Playing just fourteen games for The Dragons last season after suffering
an injury, Parry will be hoping to return to his usual form which saw him
average a point per game in his 2015-16 campaign. Similarly,
forward Jordan Bannon has also re-signed for The Dragons after playing eleven
games for the team last season. Although unable to play for the club
immediately in September due to his alternate sporting commitments, Bannon will
link up with the team a little later in their campaign in the hope that he can
again make an impact in the latter stages of the season by involving himself in
the side’s offensive play, contributing goals and assists where possible.
