Category: News

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.

The Lee Valley Lions are delighted to announce defenceman James O’Brien as the next addition to our squad for the upcoming season.

O’Brien, who will make his senior debut this season, was part of the Coventry Blaze U20 side that won the EIHA Under 20 league last year. James played all ten of his side’s games last season, tallying one assist and taking four penalty minutes.

All of James’ junior career prior to last season was spent at Milton Keynes, where he rose through the ranks from the U16 “B” side, up to the U16s and then to the U18s. He was captain of the Milton Keynes U18 side in the 2016-17 season, scoring one goal and one assist.

You can see James’ statistics here courtesy of eliteprospects.com.

James is the first of two signings to be revealed this weekend – keep an eye out for a returnee to the Lions who will be announced tomorrow!

The Lions are pleased to announce the signing of forward Michael Jacobs.

Michael has played most of his hockey career at Romford and quit the sport when the Rom Valley Way rink closed.

However the Hornchurch-born forward is now returning to hockey with Lee Valley, where he played between 2005 and 2009 – scoring 24 goals in 48 games in a Lions jersey.

Michael is an out-and-out goal scorer and will give the new-look team a cutting edge.

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

Michael Jacobs in action for the Lions during his first spell with the club.

Lee Valley Lions are pleased to announce the signing of Tom Hnilica as the club’s non-British trained player for the 2018/2019 season.

Tom, who is originally from the Czech Republic but who has played a number of seasons in the NIHL North, is going to help build a new-look Lions team for the coming season.

The 25-year-old Prague native tallied 42 points in 52 games in NIHL North Division 1 between 2012 and 2015, playing for the Trafford Metros and the Manchester Minotaurs.

Tom is the first of a number of new players who will be joining the Lions over the next few weeks – stay tuned for further announcements.

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

James Scott-Joseph, who has played every season with the Lions since they reformed in 2005, has stepped up his commitment to the team by taking over the helm from previous coach, George Alley.  With a coach now in place the Lions would like to invite players along to the Tuesday sessions to try out for the 2018/19 season.  Cost, contact details etc can be found in the posts below.