Monday, 27 January 2025

Match Report: Telford Tigers 11 - Deeside Ducks 2 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Dalton (DJ) Thompson scored within 22 seconds of his Deeside Ducks' debut away at Telford (photo by Keith & Jenny Davies)


Sunday 26th January 2025 – NIHL Laidler Division: 
Telford Tigers 11 - Deeside Ducks 2

The Deeside Ducks slumped to an 11-2 defeat away to league title challengers Telford Tigers on Sunday.

The game saw a Ducks debut for Dalton (DJ) Thompson, a former Altrincham Aces and Deeside Dragons NIHL player who has spent the earlier part of this season playing Junior A hockey in the Greater Metro Hockey League (GMHL) in Ontario, Canada.  

Thompson’s arrival had an immediate effect as he fired the Ducks into an early lead with a goal after just 22 seconds of the first period.

The lead didn’t last long, however, and two goals from Telford’s new signing – experienced Czech forward Vladimir Luka - on 4 and 9 minutes put the Tigers ahead.

Deeside hit back again with a goal from Stewart Cutting with 27 seconds left on the clock and the Ducks were able to go into the first interval on level terms at 2-2

That was as good as things got for the Deeside team, however, as Telford fired in 6 unanswered goals in the second period and 3 more in the third to cruise to a comprehensive 11-2 victory.

Much of the damage was done by Luka, who scored 5 goals overall in the game and also added 1 assist.  His arrival in the Tigers 2 camp has raised a few eyebrows after he dropped down two divisions from the National Division to play in what many view as a development league.

So, in view of the strength of the opposition – and the fact that Deeside conceded 24 goals on their previous visit to Shropshire earlier in the season - Sunday’s result would have to be considered an improvement.  

The Ducks have another tough game this Saturday 1st February when they take on league leaders Sutton Sting at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5pm face off.

Match Report: Widnes Wild Women 5 – Telford Wrekin Raiders 4 (WNIHL Div 2 N)

Katie Fairclough was the Wild
Women’s MVP against Telford 
(Photo by Paul Breeze)
Sunday 26th January 2025 – WNIHL Div 2 N: Widnes Wild Women 5 – Telford Wrekin Raiders 4

The Widnes Wild women’s team moved back to the top of the Division 2 North table after a close-fought and highly entertaining 5-4 victory over erstwhile league leaders Telford Wrekin Raiders at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday.

The division’s top two teams had played out a fascinating chess-match like 2-2 draw down in Shropshire two weeks earlier and this game was just as nerve-wracking and finely poised - and the result could easily have gone either way right until the final seconds.

Telford took the lead in the 7th minute and, despite Widnes out-shooting the visitors by more than 2 to 1, the score remained 0-1 at the first period break.

The continued Wild pressure was eventually rewarded in the 24th minute when Leen de Decker fired in a delayed penalty goal punishing a Telford holding call. 

Telford edged ahead again just 90 seconds later but the Wild Women levelled once more three minutes after that with a goal from Lise Gillen. A further Raiders goal on 35 minutes put Telford noses back in front and the score stood at 2-3 at the second interval.

The third period saw Telford on top in terms of shots on goal and they scored a fourth goal 4 minutes in to open up a two-goal lead.

Ellen Tyrer pulled a goal back for Widnes two minutes later and this sparked a late fight back by the home side.  De Decker fired home on a powerplay on 52 minutes to level the score once again and the Wild took the lead for the first time in the game with Gillen’s second goal of the night on 56 minutes. 

The Wild women held on in the last few minutes to secure a 5-4 victory - which could be highly significant for the league title race. Having drawn the away game with Telford 2-2, this win means that, should the two teams finish level on points in the league table at the end of the season, Widnes would take the higher position based on results between the two teams.

The Wild Women travel to Sheffield this Sunday 2nd February for a cup game and are then at home to Telford in a cup game on Sunday 16th February at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off. 


Match Report: Widnes Wild 2 – Blackburn Hawks 6 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Bez Hughes scored his first Wild goal of the season against Blackburn (Photo by Keith & Jenny Davies) 

Saturday 25th January 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Widnes Wild 2 – Blackburn Hawks 6

The Widnes Wild NIHL team put in a battling performance against north west rivals Blackburn Hawks but ultimately lost out 2-6 at Planet Ice Widnes on Saturday.

Games between Widnes and Blackburn are always keenly contested affairs but, with the Wild struggling to draw clear of the cellar regions of the Moralee Division league table and second place Blackburn still in with an outside chance of the league title, this was always going to be a bit of a tough test.

Despite missing a few key players, Widnes gave as good as they got and it was a very close 0-1 at the end of the first period. The score was 0-4 at the end of the second - due mainly to a hat-trick from former Wild player Adam Barnes - and he added his fourth goal in the third period to bring the Hawks’ tally to 6 for the night.

A short-handed goal from Dani Haid and a strike from Bez Hughes – his first goal of the season - gave the final score a more respectable look and the Wild need not be too disheartened with their overall performance against one of the top teams in the division.

Widnes’s former Hawks player Ben McLellan was missing from the game after he was handed a 3-game suspension by the sport’s governing body for a check to the head in the away game at Nottingham the week before. Damarni James – another ex- Hawk - is also suspended with a 6-game ban for having reached the threshold of 15 disciplinary points after being thrown out of the away game against Leeds. 

With fellow strugglers Sheffield losing 9-1 at Billingham over the weekend and Leeds losing 6-3 at Blackburn, Widnes remain in 9th place in the Moralee Division table, within sniffing distance of a play off spot with 11 regular season games left to play.

Borderline strugglers Nottingham Lions shocked Deeside with a 10-5 win on Sunday night that draws them clear in 7th place from the melee below them with a 12 point cushion   

The Wild are next in action this Saturday 1st February when they take on Hull Jets at Planet Ice Widnes, 7pm face off.


Saturday, 25 January 2025

Blackburn Hawks Women's Team Looking For Sponsors

The Blackburn Hawks women’s ice hockey team are preparing to enter England's national league for the 2025/26 WNIHL league season. 

The team was set up from scratch two years ago and is run and coached by volunteers. Everything is self-funded by the players – from registrations to refereeing costs, playing equipment and ice time to travel costs for away games - and they are now looking for local businesses and individuals to help cover the increased expenditure involved as they embark on their first competitive season 

The 2025/26 season will run from September until the end of May and will see the fledgling Blackburn team travelling far and wide across the country, facing opposition from such places as Hull, Sheffield, Leeds, Telford, Whitley Bay, Widnes and Edinburgh.

There are a number of sponsorship package options available to suit the largest and smallest of budgets, such as:

  • Company logo on playing jerseys
  • Company logo on helmets 
  • Display of company banner around the Blackburn rink for exposure during games and public skate sessions
  • Ceremonial puck drops & MVP presentations
  • Regular social media coverage
  • Company announcements on match days

Another sponsorship option is an individual player sponsorship, the benefits of which include: 

  • Company logo on the player’s home and away jerseys
  • Company name announcements at every home game, and when your player scores or is awarded MVP
  • Tagged in social media posts about the player

Interested parties are requested to contact the Blackburn Hawks Women’s team in the first instance via Email to Head Coach Darren Wilson - darren@blackburnhawks.com or tel: 07968093856.


Monday, 20 January 2025

Wild Women Aim To Top Table in Crunch Encounter

Widnes Wild Women's team (Photo by Wil Evans)

The Widnes Wild women’s team have the chance to go back to the top of the WNIHL Division 2 North table this weekend as they take on current league leaders Telford Wrekin Raiders this Sunday 26th January at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off.

The two teams drew 2-2 in a very close and nail biting encounter in Shropshire two weeks ago – the first time that the Wild women have ever taken a point away to Telford – and they will be keen to go one better on Sunday.

A win for the Wild women would see them leapfrog the Raiders and take a narrow 1 point lead at the top. With just 2 points being awarded for a win in the women’s leagues  – as opposed to three for a regulation time victory in the men’s NIHL – the league positions are very close with just three points separating the top 5 teams.

Telford currently lead the table with 9 points from their 6 games to date while Widnes are second with 8 points from 6 games. Kingston Diamonds have also played 6 games and are in third place with 7 points, while Leeds and Sheffield are close behind with 6 points each from 5 games played.

The Wild women previously won the league title at this level back in the 2019/20 season, when it was known as Division 1 North.


Wild NIHL Player News

Flynn Massie has rejoined the Wild for the rest of the season (Photo by Steve Cunningham)

The Wild team away at Nottingham was boosted by the return of two former players after Dani Haid and Flynne Massie rejoined the club for the remainder of the NIHL season.

German national Haid played 86 games for Widnes between 2019 and 2023 and was part of the Wild team that won the North21 cup, the Division 1 National Championship and the 2021/22 Moralee Cup, scoring 40 goals, 23 assists and picking up just 15 penalty minutes. He has spent the last season and a half playing for Solihull Barons, scoring 10+7 in 47 games. 

Scottish junior international Massie played 14 games for the Wild last season as part of a two way deal with SNL team North Ayrshire Wild, scoring two goals and 4 assists.  He has spent this season in Germany, playing in the Under 20s league for Frankfurt Lions, scoring 4+3 in 26 games. 


Will Daley in his farewell game for the Wild - with Head Coach Tom Jackson (Photo by Keith & Jenny Davies)

The Wild team have announced that defenceman Will Daley has left the club. 16 year old Daley joined Widnes as his first senior NIHL club after playing junior hockey with Whitley Bay, Billingham and Solway and has played 21 games for Widnes this season.

Wild Head Coach, Tom Jackson said of Daley’s departure: “Will called me last week and I spoke with him and his dad, Chris at length about Will’s situation with the club and unfortunately as a family, they have chosen to request his release.”

“I would like to take this opportunity to wish Will and his family all the best for the future. Will came in from day one and earned his spot on the team as one of the mainstays this season, his competitiveness and ability will certainly be missed. He was a young kid who asked the right questions, rarely made mistakes and was a pleasure to coach. If he continues playing like he can, he will be an asset on any team he plays for.”

“Despite the short time he spent at Widnes he wanted to leave the right way and asked to play one more time with the guys (last weekend - against Solihull ) and say his goodbyes to the team. For me this shows great character and the door for his return will remain open while I’m in this role.”

Talking about leaving the Wild, Daley said: “I would like to thank everyone involved at the club and the fans for the opportunity that has been given to me this season. I’ve really loved my time at Widnes and would like to thank TJ and the coaching staff for having me as part of the team, I have made friends for life within the squad. Due to travel and college commitments, I can’t continue with the club unfortunately.” 

Following his departure from Widnes, Daley was immediately snapped up by fellow Moralee Division team Whitley Warriors.

*****

Damarni James missed the game at Nottingham after having been been handed a 6-game suspension by the governing body’s Department of Player Safety (DOPS).

He picked up a 5 plus game penalty in the match away at Leeds for an illegal check to the head which resulted in a 3-game suspension and has also been given an extra 3 games for reaching the threshold of 15 disciplinary points for the season.

The EIH has a system which involves the accumulation of disciplinary points for committing offences and receiving penalties prior to, during and after games, and when a player or team has accrued a certain number of points – according to a fixed scale – sanctions such as suspensions or fines can be imposed.


Match Report: Nottingham Lions 3 – Widnes Wild 5 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Dani Haid scored in his first game back for the Wild (Photo by Keith & Jenny Davies)

Saturday 18th January 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Nottingham Lions 3 – Widnes Wild 5

The Widnes Wild NIHL team gave their play off hopes a boost with a highly important 3-5 win away to Nottingham Lions on Saturday.

The first period played out goal-less and it remained goal-less until Nottingham finally broke the deadlock with the opening goal in the 28th minute.

4 minutes later, the score was 2-0 to the Lions and it looked as if the Wild could be in trouble. However, they rallied from this and a goal late in the period from Bailey Thomson kept Widnes in contention, and the score stood at 2-1 at the second interval.

Nottingham edged further ahead on 45 minutes but a Wild goal from Ben McLellan 40 seconds later reduced the deficit back to just one 

Widnes were on a roll by now and Luke Alston fired in the equalising goal on 49 minutes but received a heavy challenge for his trouble.  McLellan piled in to stick up for his team-mate and was subsequently banished from the game for a check to the head on the perpetrator.

The Wild dug deep and managed to weather the ensuing 5 minute powerplay and Dani Haid fired them into the lead for the first time in the game with a goal on 56 minutes.

Nottingham withdrew their netminder in favour of an extra attacker in the hope of salvaging something from the game but Bailey Thomson scored an Empty Net Goal with 56 seconds left on the clock to seal the win for Widnes.

With Sheffield Scimitars not playing at the weekend, Saturday’s win sees the Wild leapfrog them off the bottom of the Moralee Division table into 9th place, three points behind Leeds Knights whom occupy the final play off spot. 

The Widnes Wild NIHL team are next in action on Saturday 25th January when they entertain high-flying north-west rivals Blackburn Hawks at Planet Ice Widnes, 7pm face off.


Monday, 13 January 2025

Match Report: Telford Wrekin Raiders 2 – Widnes Wild Women 2 (WNIHL Division 2 North)

Widnes Wild Women's Lise Gillen (Photo by Wil Evans)

Sunday 12th January 2025 – WNIHL Division 2 North: Telford Wrekin Raiders 2 – Widnes Wild Women 2

The Widnes Wild women’s team put in a superb performance in their top of the table clash away to Telford Wrekin Raiders to come home from Shropshire with a creditable 2-2 on Sunday.

It is the first time in 4 attempts that the Wild women have ever picked up a point away to the perennial title contenders and it will stand them in good stead should the teams finish locked on points at the end of the season, when league positions are decided by results between the two teams.

Telford opened the scoring with just 18 seconds on the clock but Widnes equalised 51 seconds later with a goal from Leen de Decker and the score remained 1-1 at the first period break.

The Wild Women took the lead 47 seconds into the second period with a Lise Gillen strike and it took Telford until the 35th minute to manage a reply. There was absolutely nothing to choose between the two teams as they went into the third period at a finely balanced 2-2.

Despite numerous chances at both ends, neither side was able to break the deadlock and the game finished as a draw.

The situation at the top of the Women’s Division 2 North is extremely close after the weekend’s games. Telford remain top with 9 points from 6 games and Widnes are second with 8 points from 6.

Kingston Diamonds are just one point behind them and Leeds and Sheffield both follow on 6 points each.

The fascinating title battle will continue when the Wild women play host to Telford at home on Sunday 26th January at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off. 


Widnes Wild NIHL Weekend Report - 11th & 12th January

Widnes captain Andrew Hopkins scored three goals over the weekend (Photo by Keith & Jenny Davies)

Saturday 11th January 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Leeds Knights 7 – Widnes Wild 2

Sunday 12th January 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Widnes Wild 5 – Solihull Barons 7

The Widnes Wild NIHL team got 2025 off to a losing start with a 7-2 defeat away to Leeds Knights on Saturday and then a narrow 5-7 loss at home to Solihull Barons at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday 

A win on Saturday would have seen Widnes overtake Leeds in the Moralee Division table and move up to the dizzy heights of 8th place and a play off spot. But it was not to be and goals from Owen Rae and Andrew Hopkins were not enough to stave off a 7-2 defeat.

Unfortunately, the loss – the Wild’s third of the season at the hands of the Moralee Division's newest team – was instead compounded by a surprise win for fellow strugglers Sheffield Scimitars, who beat Hull Jets on penalty shots on Saturday. That win lifted Sheffield back above Widnes in the table, leaving them rock bottom in 10th position.

The Wild put up a much better fight against the visiting Barons on Sunday and, had they had the rub of the green, they might well have got something out of the game. 

The score was 3-3 at the end of the closely contested first period, with the Widnes goals coming from Tomas Vyrostek, Matty Barlow and a Penalty Shot from team captain Andrew Hopkins  

Hopkins and Barlow both scored again in the second period but three goals for Solihull – who had been boosted by the signing of talented player Zach Yokoyama - took a 5-6 lead into the second interval.  Despite numerous chances at both ends, the only goal of the third period fell to Solihull and they were able to celebrate a 5-7 victory.

Despite the defeat, Harry Campbell was impressive in the Widnes goal, keeping out 49 of the 56 shots that he faced  - and Will Daley received the MVP (Most Valuable Player) Award for the Wild.

The Widnes Wild NIHL team are next in action this Saturday 18th January when they travel away to face the Nottingham Lions, 1pm face off.  They are next at home the week after when they entertain high-flying north-west rivals Blackburn Hawks on Saturday 25th January at Planet Ice Widnes, 7pm face off.

*****

The Halton Huskies team have announced their first game of the new year. They will play the Beighton Bombers from Sheffield in a challenge match on Sunday 2nd February at Planet Ice Widnes, 6pm face off. Admission is free for all spectators.


Match Report: Bradford Bulldogs 9 - Deeside Ducks 1 (NIHL Laidler Division)


Sunday 12th January 2025 – NIHL Laidler Division: Bradford Bulldogs 9 - Deeside Ducks 1

The Deeside Ducks slumped to their second defeat of the New Year with a 9-1 loss away to Bradford Bulldogs on Sunday.

Bradford took the lead on 3 minutes and the score was 2-0 by the time Chris Jones pulled a goal back for the Ducks on a tripping powerplay on 16 minutes.

Deeside still looked pretty much in contention at 2-1 down at the end of the first period and visibly upped their game in the second

Unfortunately, 4 unanswered goals in the period saw Bradford pull away and three more goals in the third handed the Bulldogs a convincing win.

Deeside have dropped to the bottom of the Laidler Division table after erstwhile wooden-spoon contenders Nottingham Lions put together a run of three straight wins to lift themselves into a play-off spot.

The Ducks still have an outside chance of catching them however, as they have two games to come against the Lions and two games in hand.

The Deeside Ducks are next in action away to Telford Tigers on 26th January and are then at home on Saturday 1st February when they take on Sutton Sting at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5pm face off.

Tuesday, 7 January 2025

Match Report: Connah’s Quay Cobras 14 – Riverside Raiders 15 (Challenge Match)

Alex Mason (left) and George Kelly (right) were the MVPs in the Cobras v Raiders 29-goal thriller (Photos by Scott Dutton) 


Sunday 5th January 2025 – Challenge Match: Connah’s Quay Cobras 14 – Riverside Raiders 15 

The Connah’s Quay Cobras shook off any lingering new year cobwebs with a rigorous work out against the Riverside Raiders, only narrowly losing out 14-15 at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

Deeside v Widnes clashes are always passionate affairs – irrespective of the level that they are played at – and this game was no exception, with end to end action, plenty of goals but surprisingly few penalties handed out.

Both teams iced a number of new players, with the Cobras’ squad having been boosted by the signings of Sam Hunt from Flintshire Phantoms, George Kelly from the Chester Road Reapers and former Deeside Dragon Mike Jones.

The Raiders took the lead on 4 minutes with a goal from Kai Gennoe but Connah’s Quay equalised 80 seconds later with a strike from Martin Rybka.

The visitors edged back into the lead with a second goal from Gennoe, only for the Cobras to equalise again through Louie Bailey 21 seconds later. Connah’s Quay briefly took the lead in the 10th minute through Sam Plant, only for Preston Gennoe (former Widnes Wild women’s team player, and Kai’s elder sister) to draw the Raiders level once more.

Further Cobras goals – from Arthur Podracki and Bailey again – and a single Raiders strike from Kai Gennoe for a first period hat trick – saw the home side go into the first break with a narrow 5-4 lead.

And so it continued all the way through the game with lots of goals for both teams and the lead changing hands several times - but with neither side being able to build up a clear advantage.

Connah’s Quay had slightly more of the play overall and fired in an eye watering 96 shots on Raiders netminder James Allet over the course of the game – 82 of which he kept out  - while Andy Teece faced a “mere” 49 shots in the Cobras goal.

The Cobras scored three goals in the second period – from Mike Filek, Rybka and Sam Kennedy – but five goals for the Raiders – from Josh Hartwon, Kai Gennoe, Preston Gennoe and Alex Mason - saw the visitors leading 8-9 at the second interval.

The third period was even closer with yet more goal mouth action and 6 goals for each team – from Mike Jones on his debut, Filek, Rybka, Plant and Ken Valyear for the Cobras and Mike Durbin, Hartwon (2), Ben Donkin, Kai Gennoe and Preston Gennoe for the Raiders.

The score was actually level at 12-12 with 4 minutes left to play and a dramatic finale then ensued.  Three straight goals for the Raiders put some daylight between the two teams for the first time but the Cobras fiercely fought back. A goal with just 65 seconds left on the clock narrowed the deficit to two and then a strike with 1 second left to go brought the final score to a “so near, yet so far”, quite incredible 14-15.  

The Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards went to Alex Mason for the Riverside Raiders and George Kelly for the Connah’s Quay Cobras.


Monday, 6 January 2025

Wild Women In Top Of The Table Clash

Widnes Wild women's team (Photo by Paul Breeze)

The Widnes Wild women’s team will be hoping that the weather has improved enough for them to be able to travel to Telford on Sunday 12th January for a top of the table clash against the Wrekin Raiders in their first match of the new year.

The Wild women topped the Division 2 North table over the festive period but a narrow 2-1 win for Telford over Whitley Bay Beacons on Saturday saw them leapfrog them into top spot and they now head the table by 1 point, having played the same number of games.

The Wild women are then at home to Telford on Sunday 26th January at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off. 


Match Report: Deeside Ducks 2 - Altrincham Aces 4 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Ducks MVP against Altrincham Dan Fadejevs – presented by Junior Dragons Jacob and Frankie Shelly (Photo by Maxine Roscoe)

Sunday 5th January 2025 – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside Ducks 2 – Altrincham Aces 4

With widespread snowfall across the north of England overnight on Saturday – and severe weather warnings remaining in place from the Met Office for all day Sunday - a number of NIHL games were called off as teams decided not to risk travelling.

Luckily, Sunday’s visitors to the “Pond” – the Altrincham Aces - had an easier journey than most and that game went ahead as scheduled.

After a very tense opening, the Aces eventually opened the scoring on 18 minutes and took a 0-1 lead into the first break - but a Cody Ogden goal in the 25th minute saw the Ducks draw level.

The Aces retook the lead 4 minutes later and then a penalty shot for a tripping call with just 80 seconds left on the clock made it 1-3 at the second interval.  Deeside hopes were raised, however, by a Dan Fadejevs strike 76 seconds into the third period that narrowed the deficit to just one goal to set up a barnstorming finale.  

Unfortunately the Ducks were unable to build on this and an Altrincham powerplay goal on 51 minutes saw the Aces end up with a 2-4 victory.

The Ducks now have two away games – at Bradford Bulldogs this Sunday 12th January and then at Telford on 26th January. They are next at home on Saturday 1st February when they take on Sutton Sting at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5pm face off.


Widnes Wild NIHL Weekend Games Postponed

Wild's former Nottingham Lion Joe Howie (Photo by Keith & Jenny Davies) 

Despite being a winter sport, ice hockey fell victim to the weather this weekend and the Widnes Wild NIHL team found themselves without a game.

They had been due to play a juicy double header against Nottingham Lions - away in the Lace City on Saturday and then at home at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday - in a pair of games where victories might have seen them pull further away from the bottom of the Moralee Division table, following their timely win over Sheffield Scimitars in the last game of 2024.

Unfortunately, the away game on Saturday was called off due to issues in the Nottingham camp and then with heavy snowfall across the country over Saturday night,  and an amber weather warning  from the Met Office remaining in place throughout Sunday, it was deemed unwise for Nottingham to undertake the journey across the Pennines and, indeed, a number of games in NIHL North were postponed on safety grounds.

It is hoped that alternative dates can be found for these two games later in the season – especially as Nottingham are one of the teams that Widnes have a chance of overtaking in the league table, if results go their way.  

However, with a number of teams now needing to re-arrange unplayed games, this will have a knock-on effect across the league. Also, with ice time being difficult to secure at Nottingham’s home rink due to the number of other teams that also play there, it could become a scheduling nightmare for the sport’s governing body, England Ice Hockey.

Because of a quirk in the fixture list, Widnes haven’t played Nottingham yet this season, meaning that 4 of their remaining 15 league games will be against the Lions, twice home and twice away. Former Lions player Joe Howie joined the Wild in the summer and the weekend postponements mean that he will have to wait a little longer to come up against his former team-mates.

Weather permitting, Widnes will be back in action this weekend with a visit on Saturday 11th January to Leeds Knights – who are just above them in the league table, occupying the last play off spot - and then at home to Solihull Barons on Sunday at Planet Ice Widnes.  


Sunday, 5 January 2025

Deeside Ducks Game Away At Sutton Sting Postponed Due to Weather Concerns


The Deeside Ducks game away at Laidler Division leaders Sutton Sting on Saturday was postponed after Ducks officials decided not to travel amid concerns about worsening weather conditions.

With the game not scheduled to face off until 7pm, extreme weather warnings in place from the Met Office and widespread snow forecast, it was felt that a late night drive home from Sheffield across the Pennines would represent potential safety risks to the travelling players.

Speaking of the decision, Ducks Head Coach Gary Shaw said:

“The Ducks game against Sutton was called off by the Ducks management for safety reasons, with the players driving themselves to the game and with a lot of our players inexperienced drivers in bad weather.”

“The forecast for heavy snow on the high ground and the late finish of the game, we decided that, with the risk of the players safety driving in these conditions, it was more important than fulfilling the game.”

“As a person that has driven for a living, it was an easy decision to make for the protection of the players. I understand the frustration from Sutton as it is a nightmare trying to rearrange a game at the Sheffield Rink due to the amount of teams playing there but the decision was not made lightly.”

“Looking after our players is paramount and, if the decision was reversed, I would support and respect it.”

Attempts will now be made to try and reschedule the game for another date – although that might be difficult with the amount of teams that use the ice at the iceSheffield venue.  

If that is not possible and the game can’t be fitted in before the end of the season, the sport’s governing body – England Ice Hockey – will have to decide whether to award it as a forfeit win or a non-fault draw in the league standings.