LIAM TO LIGHT THE LAMP

Tonight the Solent Devils are very excited to announce their second player signing for the upcoming 2025/26 season!

The Solent Devils keep the ball rolling with the re-signing of Clutch Scoring Forward Liam Coleman!

After a successful 2024/25 season which saw Coleman finish 3rd in the league for game winning goals and 2nd on the team in points, Liam now looks to re-join the south coast team to push again for silverware!

Coleman will be joining the team for his 4th season in September. His 2024/25 season saw him finish 2nd on the team in points with 46 points in just 29 regular season games! This was made up of 23 goals and 23 assists.

Coleman was also a key contributor when it mattered most, picking up 3 points across the 2 Solent Devils Playoff Games (1 goal 2 assists) and leading the team during their Britton Cup run with 7 points in just 4 games, made up from 6 goals and an assist!

We interviewed Coleman to get an insight into his thoughts on last season, re-signing with the Devils and his plans for the upcoming season:

You finished second on the Solent Devils in team scoring, what aspects of your game do you believe contributed most to this success?

I’d say my ability to read the game contributes a lot to my points output, knowing the spaces I need to occupy to give myself the best chances of scoring and creating those chances.

Liam begun last season closer to home with the new Swindon Wildcats 2 team before deciding to return to his former club in the Solent Devils. Reflecting on this Coleman said,

Returning for me was a no brainer, although not the closest team to me, I feel at home with Solent. I think it was the best suit to me and gets the best out of me as a player.

Building from this we discussed the Team Dynamic and Chemistry with him reuniting with former teammates in Buckle, Penny and Banner last season and how they impacted his and the teams performance,

It was great to play along side them again finally.
I think when hopping into a team with familiar faces, it helps settle any nerves or worries, allows us all to play freely and get the best out of ourselves.

Looking to the 2025/26 season, we asked Coleman about his personal goals and how he plans to have an impact on the teams overall success.

My personal goals for the year are just to try to better myself from the last season.
For the coming season, hopefully I’ll continue scoring some important goals for the team but this time with a trophy at the end of the campaign!

Finally, Liam concluded with a message to the fans,

Playing in front of the Devils fans is awesome, definitely spurs me on as a player when they’re doing their thing, being loud.
Hopefully next season we can provide them better home performances and give them lots to shout about!

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/solentandgosportdevils

https://www.instagram.com/solentdevils?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

https://x.com/SolentDevil

COACH MURRAY ON THE BENCH AND ON THE ICE

Tonight the Solent Devils are very excited to announce their first player signing for the upcoming 2025/26 season!

The Solent Devils kick off their signings with the return of Player Coach Alex Murray!

After a successful 2024/25 season which saw Murray lead a brand new rebuilding Solent Devils team to a 4th place league finish as well as a Britton Cup Final appearance whereby the team defeated the dominant Slough Jets in order to qualify for.

Murray will be joining the team for his 13th season in September. His 2024/25 season as a player saw him lead the league as the top point scoring defenceman with 40 points! This was made up from 15 goals and 28 assists in just 36 games! Alex also lead the Devils Powerplay with 7 goals!

Murray was also a key contributor on the ice during the teams push for silverware, posting 5 points in 4 games in their cup run (2 goals 3 assists) and putting up 3 points across the 2 Devils playoff games (2 goals 1 assist).

This season, Murray will look to build upon where he left off last season as player coach of the team.

We asked Alex Murray the following questions regarding his re-signing:

What are your thoughts on being back for the 2025/26 season,

I’m delighted to be back at Solent as head coach for another season.
I’m really excited and focused on the challenge ahead and we’ve already begun work on how we can continue to remain competitive at the NIHL 1 level.

We asked Coach Murray what his highlight was from the 2024/25 season, to which he said,

Last season, was such a refreshing change for me and the team.
It brought renewed energy and something a little different which I think helped us all.
The new players brought fresh life to an ageing core and it’s allowed us to integrate several players into our system whilst still remaining competitive!
Making the cup final was a particular high point of our season and this year, we will looking to get our hands on a trophy!

What is your focus for the upcoming season?

Next season we will continue to develop our younger players as they look to take on more responsibilities, I’m really pleased with how they are performing and I will be looking to add more youthful depth into our NIHL 2 team to allow for further progression.
We will be looking to have a similar squad this season to last so we want to remain competitive, competing for trophies.

When asked how the team will look for the 2025/26 season, Murray said:

The team is shaping up well with lots of returnees and hopefully a few new faces to go along with them.

Alex concluded with a message to the fans,

The support from our fan base has really helped the team the past few years so I’m excited to see what next year brings!

Alex Murray will continue to wear his iconic #73 for the Solent Devils and his shirt will be owned and loaned by “Learning for Life”

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/solentandgosportdevils

https://www.instagram.com/solentdevils?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

https://x.com/SolentDevil

NIHL 1 South Playoff Details explained

We are just over a week away from the beginning of the NIHL 1 South Post-Season Playoffs!

This weekend will be the conclusion of league play and will decide the final 2 league positions to see who will play who in the Playoff Quarter Finals.

Everyone’s position is locked in except 1st and 2nd with only a few points between the Slough Jets and Streatham Redhawks to see who will face the Cardiff Fire and who will face the Swindon Wildcats 2.

Playoff Format

The Playoffs will take place in multiple stages across several weeks.

The first stage is the Playoff Quarter Finals. This will take place at the end of the month over Saturday 29th March and Sunday 30th March. Similar to years prior, this will see the two teams face each other in 2 fixtures, one home and one away.
These games feature aggregate scoring with goals carrying over from the first night into the second.
The top 8 teams in the league will be competing in the Quarter Finals Stage of the Playoffs.

The Solent Devils sit in the 4th league position so will be facing the 5th place Invicta Dynamos in the Playoff Quarter Finals.

The aggregate winners of the Quarter Finals stage, advance to the Playoff Semi-Finals which will follow in the same format as the previous round.
Unlike years prior where the Semi-Finals were single legged fixtures on day one of the Finals weekend, the new format now means teams will have to come out on top after a home and away fixture with thier opponents, prior to advancing to the Playoff Finals weekend.
Only 4 teams will be competing in the Semi Finals stage.

Playoff Semi Finals will take place across Saturday 5th April and Sunday 6th April

Should the Solent Devils qualify, they will face the winner of the (1st place) VS Cardiff Fire series.

The Playoff Finals

To be crowned Division champion (NIHL 1 South Champion) a team must beat their opponent in a single game on the Saturday of the finals weekend.
This stage features just 2 teams to become the last team standing in a one game contest.
This stage will take place at Bauer Arena Ice, Sheffield as part of EIH’s NIHL Steel City Showdown!

The Britton Division (NIHL 1 South) Playoff Finals will take place in Sheffield on Saturday 12th April at 19:45.

This used to be the furthest a team could go in a Playoff season, however now the winner of the Division can then go on to win the National title, new for this season.
This game sees the Playoff Finals winner from the North take on the winner of the South for the Playoff title. This game will take place on Sunday 13th April.

More Details

The Solent Devils will face the Invicta Dynamos next weekend in the Playoff Quarter Finals!

The Devils will begin on the Road making the Trip to Planet Ice Gillingham on Saturday 29th March

Tickets are now available for the Away leg for those looking to make the journey.

Tickets can be purchased from the Dynamos via the link below

https://iceaccount.co.uk/invicta-dynamos/event/?event_id=7764

Information regarding the Home leg (Sunday 30th March) tickets will be announced over the coming days via Devils Social media pages. Be sure to follow to make sure you don’t miss out!

Playoff Semi Finals ticket details, should the Devils qualify, will be revealed closer to the dates, once match-ups have been confirmed.

Tickets for the Steel City Showdown (Britton Division Playoff Finals + National Champion Game) are available. Please note that if you purchase a ticket that your ticket covers all games across the weekend. There is also no guarantee that the Solent Devils will qualify to make an appearance in Sheffield for these games as it is result dependent.

Tickets for the Sheffield Steel City Showdown are available using the link below

https://eih.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/nihl_steelcity_showdown_2025

Devils D-Core *Locks* In

Tonight the Solent Devils are very excited to announce the return of Fan Favourite Shut-Down Defenceman Ben Lock!

The 30 year old will be joining the team for his ninth season after taking some time away from the sport, announcing his retirement in 2022-23.

This season, Lock’s role on the team will be to fill in as injury cover.
When the team’s D-Core is missing key players, Lock can step in and help out the team.

Lock has been a staple of the Devils D-Core in the past with his defensive mind putting his body on the line to shut down chances. After the Devils 2022-2023 Playoff run, alongside other Devils legends, Lock decided to hang his skates to focus on other aspects of his life.

Now Lock looks to return to the sport with familiar ground with the Devils!

When asked about his return to the Solent Devils, Lock had this to say,

I am very excited to be back and to help the club during an important time of the season.
The Devils is, and will always be, very special to me and hopefully I can support Muzza and the team till the end of the year.

Head Coach Alex Murray had this to say regarding his latest signing,

I’m really pleased to bring back a fan favourite like Locky during a period where we have a busy schedule!
Locky has been back in training for the past few weeks and will be available for selection from next weekend based on our needs.

Commenting on Ben Lock’s expected impact, Murray added,

He will add experience and size to our defensive line up and will be a valuable asset to utilise down the stretch.

Ben Lock will be wearing his iconic #71 for the Solent Devils for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.

Ben currently does not have an Own and Loan sponsor.
If you are interested in sponsoring Lock, please email Kerry at devilssupporters@outlook.com

The Solent Devils are back at home to Planet Ice Gosport tonight (Saturday 1st February) as they welcome the Streatham Redhawks

Some tickets are still available for tonights game, book online now to avoid missing out!

https://iceaccount.co.uk/solent-devils/event-tickets/?event_id=7703&stage=1&fbclid=IwY2xjawIK8X1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVN-BNAfsAEKo1JD9xvG7Skupo9gKbWbgtptvaQUsvDIU1wak7RfIc9_RA_aem_nLXc1qY3GhZ98HwwJwAh1A

Tonight, the Solent Devils are pleased to finally reveal our first Theme Night of 2025!

This will be our 3rd Theme night of the season, following on from the success and reception from our Halloween and Christmas Theme Nights.

This time around, we will be trying something a little different.

We invite you all to join us on Saturday the 25th of January when we face-off against the Swindon Wildcats 2 at the Gosport Saloon (Planet Ice Gosport.)

On this night we will be celebrating all things Country with Country music playing throughout the night.

On top of this we encourage those who will be joining us to dress up in country and Cowboy attire (while still trying your best to staying warm.)

Our off ice staff will be theme appropriately dressed and our players after the game will join them along with any fans in the country celebrations.

Live Music

Finally, the Solent Devils are delighted to announce that we have the pleasure of being joined by UK country singer, Alan Finlan!

Following his performance at the Long Road Festival in August of last year and ahead of his shows in February, Alan will be joining us on the ice for the singing of our National Anthem!

Score depending, we may just have another surprise in store also…

Final Details

This theme night will not feature any exclusive jersey or competitions like our other theme nights. This theme night is about using what you already own to come together and celebrate while enjoying the sport we all love.

Tickets are now available for our upcoming Country & Western theme night!
You can secure you spot using the link:

https://iceaccount.co.uk/solent-devils/event-tickets/?event_id=7702&stage=1

Remember to bring your Cowboy Hats and Belt Buckles Devils fans, we will see you all Saturday, Yee Haw!

JACK IS BACK!

Tonight the Solent Devils are happy to announce the return of British Forward Jack Peacock!

The 22 year old will be joining the team for his fourth season after beginning the season with the Oxford City Stars.

Peacock’s 2024/25 began with him signing with another NIHL 1 South team, the Oxford City Stars where he played at a point per game pace picking up 7 goals and 10 assists in 17 games.

Now Jack looks to return to familiar ground with his former team down in the Solent.

Peacock’s 2023/24 season saw him split his time in the Solent Devils system picking up 25 points in 13 games for the Solent Junior Devils and picking up 27 points in 25 games with the Solent Devils. Both instances playing at over a point a game.

Jack will not only be joining his pervious teammates from Solent Devils squads prior but will also be reuniting with Cameron Buckle, Travis Penny and Thomas Banner whom he played with at the Basingstoke Buffalo.

When asked about his return to the south coast, Jack had this to say,

I’m really exited to be returning to the Devils for the remainder of the season!
Already I can clearly see that this a great group of guys and I cannot wait to get going again.
See you all Saturday Devils fans!

Head Coach Alex Murray had this to say regarding his latest signing,

I’m really pleased to be able to add a player of Jack’s calibre at this point in the season.
With current injuries and availability to some of our top 9, it was crucial we added some experience and someone who can help offensively to add some fire power.

Reflecting on his return, Murray added,

Losing Jack to Oxford was frustrating, so I’m pleased he is now back and looking to help Solent achieve our goals.

Jack Peacock will be wearing #52 for the Solent Devils for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.

Jack currently does not have an Own and Loan sponsor. If you are interested in sponsoring Peacock, please email Kerry at devilssupporters@outlook.com

Catch Jack and the rest of the Solent Devils as they are back at home to Planet Ice Gosport tommorow night (Saturday 14th December) for their final home game of 2024 as they welcome the Streatham Redhawks in their Christmas Theme Night match-up!

Some tickets are still available for tommorow nights game, book online now to avoid missing out!

https://iceaccount.co.uk/solent-devils/event-tickets/?event_id=7636&stage=1&fbclid=IwY2xjawHH02lleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHXAj26-yvlUT9osEVq0nYCxFJ_XOPGj-51-WiW-DHvTFYuCMICVQvk3SUw_aem_qgzFiuIZRD6LYbHaLAHFig