BANNER BATTENS DOWN THE BLUE LINE
Tonight, the Solent Devils continue to add to their new 2025/26 roster by announcing another player! This time around the Solent Devils add to their upcoming Blueline with the return of Defenceman Tom Banner!
The 2024/25 season saw Banner join the Devils after spending most of his career in the Basingstoke system. Banner’s return to the NIHL 1 level had him join a competitive team who pushed for silverware and he was a big reason they were able to do so taking on meaningful minutes on the Devils back end.
Tom blocked shots and cleared pucks to allow the Devils to finish 4th in goals allowed across the entire league! In addition to this, some time on the Devils PK saw him contribute to help the Devils rank 3rd best in the league for penalty killing, only missing the top team by 0.16%.
Now, Banner re-signs on the south coast to continue building off what he learned last season and to help in the teams drive for Silverware!
Tom Banner’s Full Signing Interview:
Tom, Last season was your first with the team, how do you think you fit in and what made you want to re-sign with the team?
It’s a good group of guys.
Everyone is so welcoming, and it really shows both on, and off the ice.
The team is competitive within the league by always pushing each other to improve and bring their best game.I really enjoyed playing for the Devils last season, so when I was asked to sign again, it was an easy decision.
We’ve got a strong team, and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead.
I’m excited to be back onboard, and ready to build on what we started last season!
Last season featured a lot of key moments which left the fans with something to remember, what was your personal highlight of the 2024/25 season?
Beating the Slough Jets in order to reach the Britton Cup Finals, especially when the odds were against us. That was the highlight of the season for me.
Looking ahead, I think we’ve got a real shot at winning silverware as we’re only going to get stronger.
Building off of this, we asked Tom to tell us what his personal focus is for the 2025/26 season:
My focus this season is on sharpening my defensive game and continuing to grow as a player. I’m looking to build on all of last year’s progress to keep pushing forward.
Banner concluded by reflecting on his experience with the passionate Devils supporters after his first season with the team,
The fans are amazing!
Their support means everything to us — thank you for being there every step of the way!
Tom Banner will wear #13 for the Solent Devils for the 2025/26 season.
His Jersey will be owned and loadned by Trident Specialist Soutions. Thank you Trident for your support!
Make sure to follow the Solent Devils Social Media pages to stay up to date with the latest 2025/26 season signings and news!
https://www.facebook.com/solentandgosportdevilshttps://
www.instagram.com/solentdevils?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
