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Left
to right: Cody Ogden, Henry Phillips and Daniels Fadejevs will all play for
the Deeside Ducks this season (Photo by Dragons IHC)
The idea of the Ducks team
is to offer a stepping stone between the Deeside Junior development system and
the senior Dragons team who play in the NIHL Moralee Division and regulations
in place from the sport’s governing body - England Ice Hockey – allow for
players under the age of 23 to “play up” for different teams in order to gain
more experience and help with their development.
This arrangement means that
promising Deeside junior players will be able to gain experience of regular
senior hockey with the Ducks on a regular basis and also train and play with
the senior Dragons team on suitable occasions.
The first of this trio of Ducks player signings is 17
year old Cody Ogden, who is a former Widnes Wild junior but switched to the
Dragons U18s last season. He also made
one appearance for the senior Dragons in the Moralee Division.
Cody said:
“Last year [making my senior Dragons debut] was a really big opportunity for
me. I was nervous, but everyone was really encouraging, and I seemed to fit in
pretty well. I felt really welcomed to the team. This season I feel great, I’m
really excited for it. I can’t wait!”
16 year old Daniels Fadejevs played
at U16 and U18 level for both the Deeside juniors and Manchester Storm Academy last
season and was captain of the Storm U16 team.
He said: “I
can’t wait to play this season, there’s going to be a mix of games, Dragons and
Ducks.I’m really excited for the opportunity!”
16 year old defenceman Henry Phillips also played
for both Deeside and Manchester at U16 and U18 level last season. He was also selected to play in the Longstaff
U16 team at this year’s national Showcase tournament.
Looking ahead to the new season, Phillips said:
“I really appreciate the opportunity and am so
grateful for it. Being on a two-way contract with the Ducks also gives me a
chance to develop with the Ducks and translate that to the Dragons. It’s a
massive opportunity for me and the atmosphere around the team is great to be
around. Everyone’s been so supportive and welcoming, I can’t wait to get
started!”
You can follow
the progress of the new Deeside Ducks team as they prepare for their debut
season in the NIHL Laidler Division on their Facebook page HERE
