Matthew Wainwright at his 400th game presentation (Photo by Dragons IHC)
Long
term Deeside favourite Matthew Wainwright was presented with a special award at
the Dragons’ home game against Solihull Barons on Sunday evening to mark his
400th game for the club.
The
popular defenceman is a former Deeside junior player and made his senior debut
with the erstwhile Flintshire Freeze in ENL Division 2 in the 2010/11 season.
A
veteran of 16 seasons at NIHL level, Wainwright has played pretty much his
whole career at Deeside – apart from the 2014/15 season when he briefly joined local
rivals Widnes Wild, and the 2021/22 season when the Queensferry rink remained closed
following the Coronavirus pandemic and he played with Blackburn Hawks.
He
was a member of the Dragons team that won the Laidler Division league and play
off double in 2015/16 and has won two Welsh Cups and the Moralee Cup in the
post-Covid period.
In
his 400 games for Deeside, he has scored 64 goals from his mainly defensive role
and contributed 210 assists across all competitions, picking up 224 penalty
minutes.
Talking
about Wainwright’s contribution to the Deeside club over the years, Dragons
Head Coach Mike Clancy said:
“Reaching 400 games for one club is a
fantastic achievement and something Wainy should be incredibly proud of. As
Head Coach, I know how important players like Wainy are to the fabric of this
hockey club. Playing 400 games in a Dragons jersey takes commitment, loyalty,
resilience and a genuine passion for representing the badge.
Milestones
like this don’t happen by accident. They’re earned through years of hard work,
sacrifice and dedication. Wainy has been part of the journey of this club, and
reaching 400 appearances is a testament to his commitment to the Dragons.
“On
behalf of myself, the coaching staff and everyone involved with the club, I’d
like to congratulate Wainy on this fantastic milestone. 400 games in a Dragons
jersey is something special. Congratulations, Wainy, and here’s to many more!”
