Lee Valley Lions

British forward Seb Downing joins the Lions, adding a wealth of knowledge and talent from both NIHL 2, as well as NIHL 1 and Canada.

We can’t wait to see him in action away to Haringey on September 14th – see you there!

Coach Jonesy’s comments: “Seb is a huge addition for us as a team.

He is a very strong player in terms of talent and another player that has played at a higher level.

Seb is capable of making an impact at both ends of the ice and having someone of his ability in the dressing room gives us a huge range of options.

Seb is happy to talk hockey with anyone and his hockey IQ will be invaluable for our younger guys on the team.

I’m looking forward to working with Seb and seeing him at work in a Lions jersey.”

Seb will wear the #69 jersey for the Lions.

Photo: John Scott

#23 Joe Miller returns for what will be his 10th consecutive season in a Lee Valley jersey, from Under 15s all the way up to the senior team.

Welcome back Joe!

Coach Jonesy’s comments: “Joe has been with the Lions for as long as I can remember and is certainly committed to the cause.

He is dedicated, hard-working and eager to contribute to the team’s success.

Joe has an uncanny ability to score goals at crucial times and I hope he continues to do that this season.

Joe has worked hard on his game in the last few years and I expect another step forward from him this season to make key contributions at both ends of the ice.”

Photo: Kim Jones

Clubs of the NIHL North and South regional divisions were in Milton Keynes and Sheffield last weekend for meetings to compile the 2024/25 fixture lists.

After agreeing the format of competitions at their section meetings last month, the clubs worked collaboratively to pull together the playing schedule, with puck drop set for the end of August this year.

NIHL general manager Haydn Hunter said: “These were the first in-person fixtures meetings for a while in these divisions, and I’d like to thank clubs for their support and working together to get the dates in their respective diaries.

“From our point of view, the meetings were a great success and something we’d certainly look to do again next summer.”

The meetings also confirmed the cup groups for each division, with qualifying games to be completed by Christmas. This will be followed by home and away semi-finals in January and the cup finals, also home and away over two legs, set for February 2025.

The full fixtures for the NIHL North and South will be published by England Ice Hockey and clubs at 6pm on Friday 19 July.

Our Cup group is as follows:

The imposing 6’9 defenceman Daniel Tamasauskas stays on for another year with the green and blue.

Daniel wore the #55 jersey last season but switches to #21 this time around.

Coach Jonesy’s comments: “Daniel offers so much to the team and has the potential to be a standout defenceman across the league.

He has played at a higher level and I am looking for him to be a lynchpin within our defensive core.

Daniel is always looking to develop and I have been impressed by his dedication to improving this offseason.

As a physically imposing player Daniel’s skillset on the puck can often be overlooked and that makes him an asset for us and a danger for opponents.”

Photo: Phil Hutchinson