Lee Valley Lions

Having announced one set of brothers yesterday, how about we go a step further and announce another set today?

We’re delighted to welcome back forwards Connor Daly and Luther Daly, with the two Hong Kong natives having both joined the Lions at the registration deadline in February 2026.

19-year-old Luther, who’ll wear #88 this season, played junior ice hockey in Cardiff for several seasons as well as playing for the Cardiff Fire at NIHL South 1 level.

He represented Hong Kong under 18s at the 2024 World Junior Championship Division 3B, and Hong Kong under 20s at the 2026 World Junior Championship Division 3B, scoring a combined six points in eight total games at those tournaments.

After returning from the 2026 edition, he signed for the Lions and made an immediate impact when he bagged two goals on debut to lead us to a 4-2 home win over Oxford; he also laced up for four further games as Lions fans caught only a brief glimpse of his talents.

Lions head coach Simon Jones on Luther signing up for the new season: “Luther added quality and enthusiasm after making his debut last season. He has a great all-round game that means he can play in all situations and be impactful. I’m looking forward to seeing lots of celebrations from Luther this season, he definitely has an eye for goal and certainly enjoys hitting the back of the net.”

26-year-old Connor, meanwhile, has split the last ten years between playing for various teams in Hong Kong and Macau, and playing university ice hockey in the UK for the London Dragons, Oxford University Blues, and Oxford Vikings.

He played 3 games for the Lions after signing at last season’s deadline, picking up a goal in our last home game of the season against Invicta – and now, like his brother, he looks forward to a full season in Lions colours, where he’ll wear the #29 jersey.

Simon Jones on Connor’s re-signing: “Connor is a high-IQ player and you can’t have enough of them in the team at this level. Connor builds relationships with line mates quickly and makes subtle adjustments that make everyone’s life easier. He is extremely coachable and his love for the game has an impact on and off the ice. I know Connor is looking forward to building on a positive start last season.”

We’re keeping it in the family as brothers Zion Felician and Zuriel Ramsey both re-sign with us for the upcoming season.

22-year old blueliner Zion, who can also play as a forward, was a Lee Valley junior at our old rink until 2018, before making the transition to Romford where he played at under 18 and NIHL South 1 level.

He joined the Lions senior side in 2023 when our new rink opened, and will go into his fourth season with the club this time around.

Lions head coach Simon Jones said this about our #13: “Zion has been one of my favourite players to work with since stepping into coaching. Zion has a really high ceiling and is very coachable. He attitude and ability make him a candidate to be a difference-maker for us this year. Last season was disrupted by injury and I am looking forward to Zion taking a big step forward this season as a key contributor.”

Meanwhile, forward Zuriel – who scored 29 points in 12 games for Lee Valley under 16s in the 2024-25 season – is the first Lee Valley junior graduate since our new rink opened in 2023 to make it to the Lions senior side.

He made his debut at NIHL South 2 level in January 2026 at home against the Milton Keynes Thunder, and followed that up with an Eddie Joseph Memorial Cup road game in Slough two weeks later where he bagged his first senior assist; all in all, he iced in ten games for the senior Lions side in the second half of last season.

Simon Jones on our young #10: “Zuriel made his debut last season and took great strides as a player. He undoubtedly has ability and will continue to develop this season both in terms of his ability but also hockey IQ. I’m looking forward to seeing Zuriel develop into a regular contributor this season.”

Two more defencemen have re-signed for the 2026-27 season, as both Josh Freeman and Nick Gonzalez will be part of the Lions once again.

Our #3 Josh Freeman heads into his fourth season with the club, having signed in the summer of 2023 when the new Lee Valley Ice Centre opened.

The former Telford and Nottingham junior is a popular member of the roster, and showed his versatility last season when he filled in as a forward on many occasions when required.

Lions head coach Simon Jones on Josh’s return: “Josh has emerged as a leader on and off the ice in the last 18 months and I am delighted to have him back this season. Alongside an excellent pedigree from the Telford junior system Josh, is extremely coachable and has a team-first mentality, demonstrated by the various roles he filled last season. I’m looking forward to him being a key contributor in every sense this season.”

Meanwhile former Lee Valley junior, #85 Nick Gonzalez, heads into his third senior campaign with the Lions having signed in the summer of 2024.

Alongside forward Antonio Espinosa, Nick forms the Lions’ Colombian contingent, and has pulled on the yellow jersey of the Colombia national team on several occasions already in his young career.

Coach Simon Jones on Nick coming back for another season: “I’m very pleased to have Nick back with the team this season. Nick’s game has come on leaps and bounds over the last two seasons and this season will be a key year for his development into a consistent performer. Nick made many difference-making plays last year and I look forward to many more of them this year.”

We’re delighted to welcome back blueliner Matt Hamilton for his sixth consecutive season in a Lions jersey, and his seventh at the club overall.

Matt first played for the Lions in the 2017-18 season, before playing for Romford Raiders 2 between 2018 and 2020. He then returned to the Lions in 2021, and he’s been in a Lee Valley jersey ever since.

He’s racked up over 125 games for the Lions in all competitions, and was club captain in the last two campaigns.

Lions head coach Simon Jones commented: “Matt has been a fixture in Lee Valley squads and brings invaluable experience having played at a higher level. He brings a calm assuredness to all situations and this translates to the team on and off the ice. After picking up one or two minor knocks last season I know Matt will be looking forward to an uninterrupted season to put his and the team’s best foot forward!”

We’re delighted to welcome back forward Cole McCluskey, who joins us on a two-way deal with Romford Buccaneers of NIHL South 1 for the second consecutive season.

Cole played 13 combined League and Eddie Joseph Memorial Cup games for the Lions last season when his Buccaneers commitments allowed, scoring eight goals and adding a further two assists for 10 points in a Lee Valley jersey. He also played 28 games for Romford in NIHL South 1, scoring six points.

Now he’s back for a second campaign at both clubs and will look to add to the above tallies.

Lions head coach Simon Jones had this to say: “I’m thrilled to have Cole on board again this season. He has huge experience, which given his age shows the quality that he has. Cole is great in the dressing room and sets a great example both on and off the ice. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with Cole and I’m sure he will continue to be a standout player for us as well as for Romford in NIHL 1 South”.