Darren has a lot of coaching experience in this division, having held the assistant coach position at the Invicta Mustangs for several seasons, and has helped out the Lions in the past.

He has now joined us full-time as our assistant coach and has already been instrumental in our two victories this season.

Lions head coach Simon Jones said: “Darren has been a great addition to the coaching team. Prior to joining

Darren has been a good source of support and advice so when he was keen to join in a more formal capacity we bit his hand off. Darren’s contribution goes beyond coaching on the ice and he has been crucial to building the resilience that has served us well so far this season.”

Welcome to the team (officially) Darren!

Born in the province of British Columbia in 2005, Aiden came through the junior ranks in the BC Elite Hockey League (BCEHL), playing for the Vancouver North East Chiefs at both U17 and U18 level.

He helped the Chiefs to the BCEHL U18 Championship in the 2021-22 season, with 11 points across 35 regular season and playoff games.

He returned for the 2022-23 season and led the entire BCEHL U18 league in points scored by a defenceman, tallying 7 goals and 31 assists for 38 points in 34 games – and was named in the BCEHL U18 All Star Team.

He also iced in two games for the West Kelowna Warriors in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) during that 2022-23 season.

After taking a few years out of the game, and now living in the UK, he returns to the ice as part of the Lions – and we couldn’t be happier to have him here.

He will wear the #51 jersey for the club – thank you to Sarah and David Harbinson who have already agreed to sponsor Aiden’s jerseys this season.

Lions head coach Simon Jones said: “Aiden contacted the club over the summer looking to get back into the game after a short period of not playing. Aiden offers a wealth of experience having played at a high level before joining us. His attitude has been fantastic and I am sure that fans will enjoy watching him play as he certainly brings excitement to every shift!”

Our jerseys will once again be manufactured by Cross Check Clothing, and will feature the logos of sponsor BarberSmiths and club charity Core Arts on the front.

A company or individual can sponsor one jersey (either home or away) for £60, or both jerseys of their chosen player for £99.

The sponsor’s name will be announced as that player’s sponsor during pre-game announcements at home games; will be listed as that player’s sponsor on our website; and the sponsor will get to collect the jersey after the season is over.

Sponsors from last season were given first refusal to continue sponsoring this season – we’d like to extend our gratitude to those sponsors – we value your ongoing support!

The list of jerseys still available to sponsor can be seen in the graphic below.

Anyone interested in sponsoring a player’s jersey this season can contact us via any of our social media channels, or by emailing leevalleylionscoaches@gmail.com.

Our jerseys will once again be manufactured by Cross Check Clothing, and will feature the logos of new club sponsor BarberSmiths and club charity Core Arts on the front.

They will also feature the name of club legend Eddie Joseph on the back.

As is traditional, our home jerseys will be white with green and blue trim, while our away jerseys will be green with white and blue trim.

We will be sharing details very soon of our own and loan jersey sponsorship scheme for this season – allowing individuals and companies to support both their favourite player, and the club, by sponsoring the jersey or jerseys of their choice.

Note that we expect the new jerseys to arrive in late September or early October, at which point we’ll post photographs of the final jerseys.

Matt played four seasons for the Lions between 2014 and 2018, scoring 43 points in 73 games in a Lee Valley uniform across all competitions. He also wore an “A” on his jersey in both the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns.

He then moved to Haringey where he spent six seasons, before taking a year out of league hockey.

He’s now back with the Lions and will add experience and leadership to the team this season, whilst wearing the #11 jersey.

Lions head coach Simon Jones on bringing Matt back: “I am delighted to have Matt on board for the season. Matt brings high-IQ and energy as well as ability to the team. His experience means that we have another leader within the room and on the ice. He will certainly be a player that sets the tone for us as a team this year.”

Photo: Phil Hutchinson