Tuesday 20 December 2016

Christmas Special

Christmas Cracker

With Christmas almost here and 2016 almost at an end, NIHL Northern Trio caught up with a few familiar faces in NIHL North who shared this year’s highs and lows before revealing their hopes for the New Year.


Whitley Warriors

Jordan Barnes

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

Spending time with my family.

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

Blackburn being the worst team in the league!

My New Year’s resolution is…

To be happy and healthy.

Top of my Christmas list is…

Clothes.

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

Win the Euromillions!

Richie Lawson

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
The highs and lows of this year have been…

The high: a fantastic winning stretch after our disappointing start in those four opening games of the yearThe low has to be the 5-0 away defeat against TelfordNot to take anything away from Telford who were exceptional that night and beat us pillar to post, I have never witnessed nor been a part of such a farcical match night fixture. Without physically calling out what had occurred (and risking more absolutely absurd and ridiculous team fines, suspensions and game bans for non-incidents) I’m completely appalled by the outcome and handling by the league. I have never witnessed anything quite like that in my time in this sport.

This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

Spending time with my family, friends, dog and a surprise city escape to look forward to before the New Year.

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

Andre Payette’s red hot goal scoring form, grabbing the eleventh goal in a tight 11-4 victory, he celebrated as hard as he made it look!

My New Year’s resolution is…

Hockey-to be more composed and get back to the form I’m capable of playing.
Life-to get a better work/life/dog/new home/hockey/social life balance!

Top of my Christmas list is…

New goal sticks (as we have to pay for our own equipment at Whitley)…Any offers? Ha, ha! But seriously?

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

Happiness, a good life balance and good health. Sticking it back to the powers that be after being docked two points would be up there too!

Andre Payette

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

Wearing my Santa suit and having my fiancée Sheena sit on my knee.

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

Getting an eight game ban for doing nothing.

My New Year’s resolution is…

To try to score more goals than pretty boy Jordan Barnes.

Top of my Christmas list is…

To win the playoffs this year.

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

To get married to my beautiful fiancée Sheena Croft.

Shaun Kippin

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
The highs and lows of this year have been…

The highs: making the playoffs. The lows: losing lifelong fan, Bobby Dixon.

This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

Watching everyone else open their presents.

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

Andre Payette’s eight game ban.

My New Year’s resolution is…

My baby boy is due in February so to be the best Dad I can be.

Top of my Christmas list is…

NHL 17 on Xbox One.

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

To make the playoffs.

Photographer Colin Lawson

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
The highs and lows of this year have been…

The highs, I suppose, are the team playing and competing as well as they are, considering we have lost influential players and every other team in the league have improved their teams (on paper) with some of them signing another import. Also, the faith they appear to have in themselves, coming from behind the way they have, when previously they might have allowed their heads to drop and lost the gameThe lows include Alex getting injured and not being able to play this season and also starting the season without any preparation which left us totally disadvantaged compared to the rest of the league.  

This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

As always, spending time with my family who are my life!

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

The performance of Blackburn.

My New Year’s resolution is…

I don’t believe in them as they are almost inevitably broken.

Top of my Christmas list is…

Santa being kind and making friends and family happy.

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

Work related, going down to three days a weekHockey related, having a great time in Gangneung, Korea at the end of March when I’m away photographing two World Championships, GB Women and GB U18s Men.


Billingham Stars

Chris Sykes

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

Spending time with family, having time off work and relaxing with everyone.

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

How many goals I’ve scored!

My New Year’s resolution is…

Stop biting my nails and keep eating pies.

Top of my Christmas list is…

Presents! LOADS!

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

To have a good year and hopefully win a title. (Hockey related, I know!)

Jack Watkins

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

Spending time with friends and family.

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

For me, Ben Davison going end to end and scoring.

My New Year’s resolution is…

To see Cal Davies score a hat trick.

Top of my Christmas list…

has to be some new golf clubs!

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

Winning that league title.


Solway Sharks

Struan Tonnar

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
The highs and lows of this year have been…

The highs, spending some good quality time with the guys, bus trips, nights in hotels. Most people would hate hanging about with the horrible bunch of creatures we have on the team but it’s fantastic. The lows would obviously have to be the games that we lost. Not good to see so many guys have to pull out through injuries as well so hopefully we can use the Christmas break for some much needed recovery.

This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

Our traditional Boxing Day out where most of the guys meet up with a lot of the guys who used to play with the Sharks; that’s always fun. It’s nice to hang out with guys you don’t always get to.

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

The amount of young talent some of the teams in the league are playing, particularly ourselves. It’s refreshing to see and hopefully we can get some better established rules in the British leagues that will help to develop this talent.  

My New Year’s resolution is…

Just to try and continue the New Year with some of same work ethic we’ve shown. Don’t really make resolutions. They never stick!

Top of my Christmas list is…

Some decent banter; mine is lacking somewhat.

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

Obviously, to lift some silverware. It’s been too long, in my opinion, since we lifted some major silverware

Tonnar’s Top Tip…

I always look forward to November every year because I love growing a moustache. I think I have one of the best in the league. It’s for a great cause and I think it makes any man’s face more masculine…


Marc Fowley

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
The highs and lows of this year have been…

Our unbeaten league run at the start of the year was my high. Breaking my jaw was my low point

This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

Spending time with my family.

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

The mixed results in the league. Some teams who were having good wins at the start of the season haven’t maintained that quality. Also, the higher score lines that have gone either way when some teams have met

My New Year’s resolution is…

To duck whenever Kim Miettinen gets the puck on the PK

Top of my Christmas list is…

My two front teeth!

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

Continued health and happiness to my friends and family. Winning the treble would be nice too!


Telford Tigers



Assistant Coach Jason Parry

The highs and lows of this year have been…

The high: some good friends in [Daniel] MacKriel, Addie [Adam Brittle] and Dangie [Daniel Brittle] returning home to play for Telford. The Low: the losing streak we’ve been on.

This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

Spending time at home with family this Christmas.

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

Although I don’t agree with things he does on the ice, off the ice, how helpful Andre Payette can be.

My New Year’s resolution is…

I don’t have one. I never do them!

Top of my Christmas list is…

Points, points and some more points.

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

To make the playoffs.

Player-Coach Daniel MacKriel

The highs and lows of this year have been…

The high for me has been coming back to Telford. I’ve been away from my home club for a while now so when the opportunity presented itself, it was a no brainer. Blackburn is a great place to play and coach but having your family at games each week and not getting home at 2:30am on a Friday morning is a real plus! The low for our team is seeing us throw away points when we’ve been in a strong position. We’re learning though!

This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

From a personal level, spending time with my family. We had a new addition to the family three months ago so it’ll be Ellis’ first Christmas and Eleanor’s first as a big sister! It’ll be hectic but good fun! 

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

How well the hockey community group comes together when tough times arise. I know the hockey folk are a tight group but some things have really hit home of late

My New Year’s resolution is…

I don’t really make them to be honest…I always say each year I’d like to improve on what I’ve done from the previous year though

Top of my Christmas list is…

Tough one…

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

Hockey related is for a league structure to be in place where hockey is attractive but sustainable with clear pathways for development. The likes of Billingham, Whitley, Blackburn and Solihull have a good model in our league and the so called bigger teams in the EPL could learn a thing from these guys


The Dragons

Marc Lovell

The highs and lows of this year have been…

The highs have been winning the games we have won because a lot of people thought we wouldn’t win any and the lows have been the games we have lost when we could have won.

This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

Having some time off from work and hockey.

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

Scott [McKenzie] taking over at The Dragons after the rivalry we had with Widnes last year…ha,ha!

My New Year’s resolution is…

To win as many games as we can.

Top of my Christmas list is…

No more socks!

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

To pick up as many points as we can and hopefully make the playoffs.


Solihull Barons

Thomas Soar

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

Sitting on a beach with a beer in Thailand.

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

Perry Doyle’s shock retirement.        

My New Year’s resolution is…

Save more, drink less!

Top of my Christmas list is…

The Barons finishing in the top three and a few more Ralph Lauren shirts.

Sutton Sting

Lloyd Gibson

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

Not having to play an EPL game on Boxing Day!

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

Seeing that James Goodman, before home games on a Sunday, somehow manages to play a full ninety minutes of Sunday league football before our game and you can barely tell until we get into the third and he’s crawling onto the ice!

My New Year’s resolution is…

To try my very best to get the Sting into the playoffs

Top of my Christmas list is…

A new set of hands to improve my dangles on the ice. I’ve been asking for a few years with no response. I’m starting to think there is obviously no solution

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

That Simon Butterworth, our coach, gets his kit on and winds back the years to the glory days to guide us to a playoff win!


Blackburn Hawks

Aaron Davies

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
The highs and lows of this year have been…

Being able to play another year at Blackburn is a high even though some readers might say that’s a low! And my low is being in the slump we went into but we seemed to get ourselves back to how we should be playing.

This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

The break! Just being able to spend time with friends, family and loved ones.

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

Nothing really surprises me! Been around it too long

My New Year’s resolution is…

No point really having them as I tend to break them within a week! But just to stay healthy, enjoy life and keep playing hard.

Top of my Christmas list is…

For my family, friends and everyone to enjoy it

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

To finish the season strong and hope we make the top four but mainly, to keep enjoying the game


NIHL Radio’s Oz Phillips

This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

My now annual pilgrimage to Berlin to see the Eisbären. I follow New Jersey Devils, I love Blackburn Hawks but I worship the Eisbären and I can’t sleep for weeks leading up to seeing them. For me, it’s the best atmosphere I’ve ever experienced in hockey.

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

For me, it was Brian McGrattan signing for the Nottingham Panthers. That came out of nowhere! As for our league, I was shocked at the demise of the Spartans-they were a great team and they will be missed.

My New Year’s resolution is…

To try and relax more, especially with hockey taking over my weekends. I’m never at home. I need to make more time for myself.

Top of my Christmas list is…

This season’s Eisbären shirt-I grab it every season when I’m over there.

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

For Hawks to make the playoffs. We’ve made it to the final for five consecutive seasons, winning three of them, including the last two. It will be a devastating blow for the club if it is not at least in a position to defend the title


And from the NIHL North Laidler Conference...


Nottingham Lions

Adz Andrews

Photo Credit: UrbanScot Photography

The highs and lows of this year have been…

Highs have to be teaming up with my line mates, the lows have to be teaming up with my team mates! 

This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

Having quality family time and beers with friends.

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

For me, it has to be Hull Pirates. The team they have and the results they are getting no one would have imagined. Great achievement so far.

My New Year’s resolution is…

Ask me in the New Year!

Top of my Christmas list is…

For my family to enjoy the festive season and seeing my boys’ smiles on Christmas Day.

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

For Nottingham Lions to make the playoffs and win the playoffs so I can finally retire!


Sheffield Senators

Mark Hartley

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
The highs and lows of this year have been…

The high has been being second in the league after a horrendous year last year. The low has been being injured and out for a month.

This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

Christmas dinner, of course!

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

Blackburn Eagles doing so well.

My New Year’s resolution is…

To keep playing the way we are.

Top of my Christmas list is…

Some new gear if anyone is interested in buying me some!

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

To win the league title and gain promotion.


Blackburn Eagles


Scott Barnett

The highs and lows of this year have been…

High: our winning streak at the beginning of the season. Low: the end of the streak.

This Christmas, I am most looking forward to…

A break from freezing in ice rinks, drinks and time with my family.

The biggest surprise in ice hockey this year was…

Teams in both leagues over-performing and some struggling to find form.

Top of my Christmas list is…

New skates!

My greatest hope for the New Year is…

Something that has been a long time coming!
  
  
A big thank you to everyone who contributed! NIHL Northern Trio would like to wish all coaches, players, fans and readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


For more photos from IceHockeyMedia, please visit: http://www.icehockeymedia.co.uk/.