The Solent Devils are happy to announce that Harry Cloutman will be joining the team on a two-way contract with Solent Junior Devils U18s

As this young player continues to learn, grow and develop.  This will be the second season with the Devils, as the seventeen year old defender joined the senior club for 20 games last season.

“This is a great place to develop my hockey skills and progress,” says Cloutman, “it is my home.”

“I was really impressed with how Harry settled into the team last season,” says Devils head coach, Alex Murray, “his performances were solid, and he did not let himself or the team down.”

Cloutman goes on to say,

“Last year, when I had the chance, I did the things that I should have – if I didn’t, I was told and then tried to improve from the feedback.”

With Cloutman on a two-way contract, Murray says

“Harry will have the opportunity to continue his development across the 18s, NIHL 2 and the senior Devils in NIHL 1.  Harry will need to be ready when called upon for the Devils and I expect him to adapt well to the new league.”

“Harry is lucky in the sense he has great coaching in all the teams he plays for at Solent,” states Murray.  “Harry knows what he needs to work on to develop his skill set, and I am confident he will continue to improve.”

Looking to next season, the young defender says

“I think the team is going to be competitive with the new league, and I don’t think we are going to do badly.  My goals for next season are to improve my skills both on and off the ice so that I can further myself.”

Murray adds to this by saying,

“We are not planning on having a difficult season.  We are expecting it to be competitive and this will be a true test for our younger players, including Harry!  Only time will tell how harry will do, but we will ensure we have given him every opportunity to be successful”

Cloutman is looking for a shirt sponsor for the upcoming season.  If you are interested in sponsoring a Devils shirt, or becoming a club sponsor, please contact devilssupporters@outlook.com.

Today, the Solent Devils are delighted to announce the return of Alternate captain, Mark Pitts.

Devils head coach, Alex Murray says

“Mark is a fantastic player and very much respected in our locker room, he is key on the power play, on the penalty kill and in the face off circle.”

This will be Pitts’ fourth season with the Devils, where last year he played 22 games, scoring 11 goals and earning 24 assists.

“Re-signing for Solent this year was a simple decision to make,” says Pitts.  “there has always been a great atmosphere in the dressing room from both the players and off ice team.  It makes Solent a very enjoyable place to play hockey.”

“Mark will be a crucial member of our line up next season,” states Murray, “and as usual will be expected to log big minutes in all the games, as well as be out on the ice during crunch times.”

“There’s no denying that this upcoming season will be a much tougher challenge than last season,” Pitts says.  “As one of the smaller clubs in the league set up, I expect us to have to battle and grind for every point.  It’s definitely a challenge I’m looking forward to.”

Pitts continues

“Having spent the first half of the season injured and only coming back properly in the new year, I really struggled to find rhythm and consistency.  This season I’m aiming on finding the consistency in my game that was missing, and hopefully help Solent into a playoff spot in the process.”

“Last season’s injury was unfortunate,” says Murray, “but Mark has overcome the injury and is now back to his best.  Mark will be expected to lead the team at both ends of the rink, he will tally points regardless, but it is his work both on and off the puck, doing jobs that most guys shy away from that are invaluable to the Devils.”

Pitts will be returning in shirt #5 next season.  If you are interested in sponsoring a Devils shirt, or becoming a club sponsor, please contact devilssupporters@outlook.com.

Today, the Solent Devils are delighted to announce the return of Mason Wild.

Wild returns for his sixth season at Solent, where he has spent 114 games as a stalwart defender, but still earning 17 goals and 30 assists.

“I was over the moon that Alex asked me to come back,” said Wild, “I have been here some time now, and it feels like home.  The crowd at Solent really gets behind the team, and there is such camaraderie with the guys I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.”

“Mason is a highly skilled defenceman,” Alex Murray, Devils head coach, says, “He could make the roster of most – if not all – of the NIHL 1 clubs!  His experience and ability on the puck are two of the main reasons I have brought him back as my alternate captain.”

 

“Mason is a calming influence on our defensive unit,” continues Murray, “He talks to all of the boys and keeps them focused throughout the game.  I allow him and Alex [Cole] to micromanage the defence, and I feel all of the group respect his views and his abilities.”

One of the quietest players on the team, when asked the key to his success on the ice Wild simply says

“I watch the puck, I watch the players.  I like being in defence, when I am on the ice I can be behind the Devils while they are attacking, contemplating where an attack would come from if the opposition made a breakaway, I try to anticipate that and get in the way.”

Laying out his expectations for the coming season early, Murray says

“Now Mason is fully recovered from the injuries he suffered last season, I will be looking for him to lead the defensive core.  His ability in both ends of the ice will mean he will be called upon regularly, and I expect him to produce points from the back as well as being tight on defence.”

Wild returns in shirt #41 next season.  If you are interested in sponsoring a Devils shirt, or becoming a club sponsor, please contact devilssupporters@outlook.com.

Today, the Solent Devils are delighted to announce the return of Coach’s player of the year, Alex Trendall.

This will be Trendall’s sixth season with the Devils, last year being his most productive season yet, 23 goals and 17 assists in the 30 games he played.  Last year brings Trendall’s stats as a Devil to 125 games with 40 goals and 41 assists.

“Alex’s performances last season were the accumulation of hard work by myself, the coaching team and him, for the last three years,” says Devils head coach, Alex Murray, “We have overcome many things with Alex, including his confidence and I was delighted with his maturity and output last season!”

Fan favourite Trendall says

“Solent is nice, the team atmosphere is amazing, there is so much banter with the rest of the guys in the changing room, and on the ice we are all in it together, it truly is a team, and it is amazing when the fans are chanting my name.”

 

“Next year will be hard, I think,” Trendall muses, “The teams will be playing harder, the competition will be much more fierce, and we are used to being in the top of the table after the last few years in NIHL 2.  We all need to work together, work hard, and hopefully we will be fighting for the top spot once more.”

Murray talks about how Trendall will need to carry on the work he was doing last season,

“Alex understands that he has to be consistent with his performances, and with no easy games in NIHL 1 he won’t be able to go missing in the game.  He has solidified his role in the top 6 forwards for our team, and as a result I will be expecting him to be producing points similar to last season.”

Trendall will be returning in shirt #10 next year.  If you are interested in sponsoring a Devils shirt, or becoming a club sponsor, please contact devilssupporters@outlook.com.

Today, the Solent Devils are pleased to announce the re-signing of Veteran forward, Drew Campbell.

This will be Campbell’s eighth season at Solent, having played 182 games as a Devil amassing 190 goals and 190 assists, with just 107 penalty minutes, in a career spanning 428 games, with an enormous 1022 points (545 G + 477 A).

“I love this team,” Campbell says, “I love being here, I love the guys, I love the atmosphere.  I have played with several other teams, and you don’t get the same sense of family anywhere else.  My own son is coming up through the junior programme, so this place really is family to me.”

Alex Murray, Devils head coach beamed,

“I’m delighted Drew has decided to play another season!  Drew has been a wonderful servant to the club and to the sport in England.  His natural ability to score is known across the league, but his knowledge, experience and attitude towards hockey is significant and vital as we enter this new league.”

Campbell’s Devils career sees him appear high in most stat sheets, fifth for all time games, second in all time assists and holding the record for both all time goals and all time assists.  Campbell is the first to say that he is getting older, and talks about the strain on his body.

“It takes longer to get up these days, when I take a hit, it hurts more than it used to, and I have definitely slowed down a lot on the ice.  It seems like the rink is longer than when I first started there, and when we go to one of the bigger rinks, they seem enormous.  You have to learn to compensate though, ten years ago I used speed and strength to get me to the goal, now it is all about puck control and stick handling, guys that I would have breezed past, now I have to negotiate my way around them, keeping the puck and helping the rest of the guys get in to space.”

Murray, too, talks about the aging striker,

“Drew’s role within the team changed last season, as a result of the demands the games were having on his body!  Drew knows his body best and lets me know what he can and can’t do, and I have slowly started to use him more sparingly, on the special teams and when the team need to win face offs.  Last season he provided some stability to our young third line, and I’ll be sure to find a role suitable for Drew again this year.”

“I don’t mind that I am getting older, I don’t mind that I am not as fast as I used to be, I would do anything for this club and this team, if Alex asked me to play in goal one week, I would stand between the pipes and try and block the puck, if the team needed a defender, I would stay back on the blue line and defend as needed.  I prefer scoring goals, but it isn’t about that anymore, and I am just happy I can still support the team, playing the game I love.”

“I expect Drew to help the younger players during this transition in leagues,” says Murray,  “I’m not asking him to put up the points he has done in the past, as that role will now be asked of some of the younger guys in the team.  His experience and decision making will be vital in key parts of games, and I expect him to be ready for any situation during the game, which I know he will be.”

Campbell will return in shirt #23 this season.  If you are interested in sponsoring a Devils shirt, or becoming a club sponsor, please contact devilssupporters@outlook.com.

The Solent Devils are today delighted to announce the return of defenceman, Calumn Perella-Fox.

“Calumn is a team first guy,” says Devils head coach, Alex Murray, “he is one of the hardest working members of the team.  Calumn settled back in to the club really well last season, and so it was a no brainer to ask him to return.”

Perella-Fox, obviously happy to be back for his second consecutive season and his fourth season in his senior career says

“The atmosphere in the dressing room was always great at Solent, which made the hockey fun.  The professionalism within the team and the support we get from our fans is something else, it makes Solent a great place to play.”

Perella-Fox played 30 games for the Devils last season, picking up the Shane Clacy Award at the Devils end of season presentation evening.

“Last season, I feel I started off slow,” Perella-Fox says, looking back on the previous year, “but I eventually found my feet.  I still feel I have a lot more I can bring to the team.  I need to continue building my confidence on the ice, but I am hopeful that I will bring something valuable on game days in the new season.”

Despite the reserved attitude from the defenceman, Murray seems to view him in a good light simply stating

“Calumn is a very strong defender who reads the game well, he trains hard and competes in every drill and shift.”

As the focus shifts towards the coming season and restructured league as the Devils head in to NIHL 1, Murray continues

“Calumn is ready for the step up in leagues and the challenge that faces all of us.  Calumn is determined and hardworking, and I will be looking for him to push on and play more regularly this season.”

“I think we will stand our ground,” Perella-Fox says of the future, “hopefully we will be pushing for the top spots again this year, and we can keep making the fans proud.”

Perella-Fox will be returning in shirt #44 this year.  If you are interested in sponsoring a Devils shirt, or becoming a club sponsor, please contact devilssupporters@outlook.com.