Author: Laurence Thorn

The Lee Valley Lions are thrilled to announce the addition of defenceman Joe Trotter for the 2018-19 season.

Trotter returns to ice hockey after nine years away from the game, with the Lions hoping that the 6’0 tall blueliner can add some muscle to the defence corps.

Joe was a Lee Valley junior for many years, starting in the Under-12 side and making his way up through the age groups to the U19s. In his final season of U19 hockey, the hard-hitting defenceman tallied six assists as well as taking 75 penalty minutes.

After taking a year out of the game, Joe then graduated to senior hockey in the 2008-09 season with the Slough Harrier Hawks in ENL2, playing 22 games and scoring one assist. He came up against the Lions four times that season, with Lee Valley winning three of the four encounters between the sides.

To date, 2008-09 is Joe’s only season of senior hockey – until this season, as the Newham native returns to the Den to renew acquaintances with the sport.

Click here to view Joe’s career statistics courtesy of eliteprospects.com.

We will announce another addition to the blueline at 7pm tonight!

The Lee Valley Lions are delighted to welcome back netminder Aaron Mallet, who returns to the team after three years away.

30-year-old Mallet played junior hockey at Haringey and Milton Keynes before joining the Lions ahead of the 2012-13 campaign. He played 46 games for the Lions over three seasons before taking some time out of the game.

Aaron returned to hockey in the 2016-17 season with Haringey, playing 17 games, before again taking last year out of the sport.

He is now back in the Lions net and will form a goaltending tandem with James Andrew, who was announced earlier today.

Click here to view Aaron’s career statistics courtesy of eliteprospects.com.

We will announce the signings of two defencemen tomorrow – stay tuned!

Aaron Mallet in net during his first spell with the Lions (Photo © Julianne Bonner)

The Lee Valley Lions are delighted to confirm our first goaltender for this season, as James Andrew signs up for his third season with the club.

27-year-old Andrew started his junior career in Peterborough, before then playing two seasons for the University of London Dragons in BUIHA competition while studying in London.

James signed for the Lions ahead of the 2016-17 campaign and, despite playing his first full season of senior ice hockey, made impressive steps forward during the season and was named the club’s Most Improved Player.

He returned in 2017-18, splitting time in net with Brett Shepherd and Robyn Maby.

James now stays on for his third campaign for the Lions, and will partner another netminder who will be revealed at 7pm tonight – stay tuned!

Click here to view James’ career statistics courtesy of eliteprospects.com.

James Andrew returns to the Lions for his third consecutive campaign (Photo © Phil Hutchinson)

The Lee Valley Lions are delighted to announce our next new face for the 2018-19 season, as forward Jordan Sullivan joins the team.

However Jordan is not really a new face at the Den; he played junior hockey for the Lions from 2004 until 2014, starting off in the Under 12s before making his way up through the age groups to the U18s.

He then moved up north in the summer of 2014 to attend the University of Sheffield. Whilst there, Jordan played 45 games for the Sheffield Bears and Sheffield Bears ‘B’ sides in BUIHA (British Universities Ice Hockey Association) competition, scoring 14 goals and 19 assists for a total of 33 points. Jordan was a team-mate of former Lions forward Max Gerstein during his time there.

He also represented the University of Sheffield in their prestigious Varsity game against Sheffield Hallam University in 2015.

Jordan is now back in London and ready to make his senior bow with the Lions.

Click here to view Jordan’s university statistics courtesy of the BUIHA website.

The Lee Valley Lions are delighted to welcome back Joe Berry for the 2018-19 season, after two years away from the Den.

The combative 30-year-old forward has played 10 seasons in total for the Lions over two separate spells with the club; first from 2005 to 2009, and then from 2010 to 2016. He is one of only three players to spend 10 or more seasons at the Lions – the other two being club legend Eddie Joseph and current player-coach James Joseph.

After taking the 2016-17 season out of hockey, Joe returned to the sport last season with the Lions’ London rivals, the Haringey Huskies. Now he has returned to East London, becoming the Lions’ fourth new signing of the summer.

Berry has played 127 career league games in a Lions jersey, scoring 63 goals and assisting on a further 52 for a total of 115 points, while picking up 311 penalty minutes. These numbers put him in the club’s all-time top 20 lists for each of the above categories.

Click here to view Joe’s career statistics courtesy of eliteprospects.com.

The club also hopes to announce more signings in the next week – stay tuned for further announcements!

Joe Berry celebrating a goal during his second spell with the Lions.