Lee Valley Lions

The Lee Valley Lions have completed their goaltending tandem for the new season with the addition of Steve Grout, who returns to the club after two years away.

Grout first joined the club in 2011 following a number of years with the Invicta Mustangs, as well as spells at the Chelmsford Warriors and Invicta Dynamos. In his first season as a Lion in 2011-12, Grout played 17 games between the pipes with a goals against average of 5.05 – and was voted as the club’s Leading Goalie at the end-of-season awards.

Steve started the following season with the Lions before switching to the Romford Fury during the season, and then played the 2013-14 season with the Basingstoke Buffalo.

He returned to the Lions in 2014-15, and served as back-up to starting netminder James Tipple over the next two campaigns.

Steve has now signed up with the Lions for the new season, and will provide goaltending competition for James Andrew between the pipes.

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

Goaltender Steve Grout returns to the Lions to provide goaltending competition for James Andrew.

The Lee Valley Lions can announce the next returnee to their roster for the 2018-19 season, as veteran forward Nicky Brathwaite comes back to the club after eight seasons away.

Leyton-born Brathwaite started his career with the original Lions way back in 1993, playing the final two seasons of the club’s existence in the old British Division 1 before the club folded in 1995. During this time he played 41 games, scoring one assist.

He then spent two seasons at Haringey in 1997-98 and 2004-05, after which he returned to the Lions when the club reformed in 2005. He played the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons with the Lions, playing a total of 34 games and scoring ten points (three goals and seven assists).

Nicky also played three games with the Lions at the start of the 2009-10 season before moving to the Romford Fury, where he spent the last two seasons of his career to date.

The wily veteran now returns to league hockey after seven years out of the game, and will hope to use his experience to help a new-look Lions squad move forward.

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

Veteran forward Nicky Brathwaite returns to the club after eight seasons away.

The Lee Valley Lions have added another defenceman to their roster for the 2018/19 season, as hard-hitting Joe Weare returns to the club for a third spell.

A former Romford and Chelmsford junior, the well-travelled Weare has also played in Finland as well as playing for the Streatham Redskins/Bruins, Slough Harrier Hawks and Romford Fury in ENL and ENL2.

Joe made his Lions debut in the 2014/15 campaign, playing 10 games and collecting 16 penalty minutes. He returned in 2016/17 after a year out of the game, pulling on a Lions jersey in six games, before again taking some time away from the sport.

He is now back at the Den and ready to help the team this season by bringing physicality and experience to the blueline.

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

Defenceman Joe Weare returns for his third spell with the Lions (Photo © Phil Hutchinson)

The Lee Valley Lions are delighted to confirm the return of defenceman Simon Jones for the 2018-19 season.

31-year-old Jones first joined the Lions in 2015 after taking nine years out of the game, and quickly established himself as a leader on the blueline. The former Chelmsford and Slough junior now enters his fourth season at Lee Valley and will once again be a key member of the defence corps.

Simon was voted as joint-Coach’s Player of the Season following the 2016-17 campaign, in which he scored two goals and 11 assists in 25 games.

Last season Simon was one of the club’s alternate captains, and also wore the “C” on his jersey in three games when regular captain Nick Alley was unavailable.

During his three seasons with the Lions, Simon has only missed one game; pulling on a Lions jersey a total of 76 times with a tally of 16 points (two goals and 14 assists). He did not miss a single game during the last two campaigns.

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

Defensive leader Simon Jones returns to the Lions for his fourth season with the club (Photo © Kim Jones)

Another member of last season’s Lions squad has returned for the new campaign, as forward Oliver Glover re-signs with the club.

Nottingham-born Glover, who can also play as a defenceman, played junior hockey in his home city up to U19 level before studying at Nottingham Trent University.

Whilst there, he played a total of 86 games for the Nottingham Mavericks and Mavericks ‘B’ sides in the BUIHA, scoring 17 goals and 37 assists for a total of 54 points.

He also represented Nottingham Trent University in two Varsity games against the University of Nottingham – both times playing against fellow Lions returnee Ben Gillingham.

2015-16 saw Ollie move to London and briefly play for the Haringey Racers, making three appearances for the club. He moved to the Lions mid-season, playing 12 games in his inaugural campaign in a Lee Valley jersey and notching up two goals and one assist.

He returned for a full season in 2016-17, scoring three goals and tallying six assists for a total of nine points in 23 games. And last season, his third with the club, he played 21 games, scoring three goals and assisting on a further two.

Ollie is now back with the Lions for a fourth successive season and will hope to once again chip in with goals and assists to help the team move forward.

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

The versatile Oliver Glover is back for a fourth season with the Lions (Photo © Phil Hutchinson)