Whitley Warriors captain Dean Holland is to retire at the end of the season, bringing down the curtain on a senior career that saw him ice for Sunderland Chiefs, Newcastle Vipers, Manchester Phoenix, Dundee Stars, Telford Tigers, Guildford Flames and of course Whitley Warriors.
Dean, who played his junior hockey with Sunderland Arrows, made a name for himself in the Elite League with Newcastle Vipers, spending five seasons there before the club relocated to Glasgow. That was in 2011 and it prompted the power forward to move along the Coast Road to turn out in the Maroon and Gold.
Officially Dean’s first appearance for the Warriors was at the end of the 2005-06 season in the Northern League but he along with several of the other Whitley juniors decamped to Newcastle Arena during the summer to form the nucleus of Peter Winn’s championship winning Newcastle ENL Vipers side.
Dean’s first real stint with the Warriors came during the 2011-12 season where he made 22 appearances scoring 26 goals and 40 points. He would split his time with Telford Tigers and Dundee Stars that season as well as Whitley, before making a further five appearances at Hillheads at the start of the following campaign.
Dean would then move down South to play alongside David Longstaff at the Guildford Flames in the English Premier League, spending the next 18 months at the Spectrum. But by the 2014-15 season he was back in a Whitley shirt and posted 31 points as one of the alternate captains.
The following summer saw David Longstaff return to Whitley Bay as player-coach. But a disappointing injury during pre-season restricted Dean to just 19 games that season. He soon got over that disappointment when he was appointed captain ahead of the 2016-17 season, a position he has retained ever since. That year saw him one of the main offensive leaders on the team scoring 19 goals and 41 points.
The next couple of seasons would prove to be much tougher on the ice, faced with former EPL sides joining the league and bringing their big budgets with them. But Dean continued to lead the team, posting 16+25 for 41 points in 33 games in 2017-18.
By the time the EPL sides moved on once again it left the Warriors in a good position with an equally strong roster. 2019-20 would prove to be the most successful season for the club in almost a decade, with Dean finally able to lift some silverware as team captain. But those celebrations were soon short live with the Covid-pandemic cancelling all hockey the following season it meant a year away from the sport before returning for the 2021-22 campaign.
Another 37 points last season saw Dean amongst the scoring leaders once again as the team finished runner up in both the league and the playoffs. This season has actually seen Dean have a career year with 18 goals, 51 assists and 69 points at the time of writing.
However, after 10 seasons for the club, Dean has decided to hang up the skates and will certainly leave plenty of memories from that time.
“I just want to thank all the coaches and players I have played with over the years,” the outgoing captain said. “I’ve played in some great teams and won a few trophies along the way. Thank you to the Warriors fans, you have been amazing. But I think now is the right time to leave the sport and spend time with my daughter Dakota-Rae and my wife Aylisha.
“It’s been a pleasure to captain this club for six years. I want to thank Garry Dowd for bringing me back to this club when Newcastle Vipers folded. Most recently Paul and Lobby for guiding me through some tough times I’ve had. Lobby is a great friend of mine and he’s helped me a lot during my playing career. Finally to my family who have done so much to get me where I have played. They gave me the opportunities to help me succeed,” he added.
Outgoing General Manager Paul Matthews was quick to pay his thanks for a player who has been a tremendous servant to the club.
“Dean has been a fantastic servant to the Warriors, his commitment to the cause is never in doubt. When we look to sign players in the off season his name is always at the forefront of our thoughts,” he said. “Dean has played hockey at some great clubs and at great levels too and will be a huge loss to the team. When players reach their thirties there is always a question of when they will retire. Dean states this is now the moment to spend some quality time with his family and pursue his other hobbies.
“I wish him well with his next chapter in life and I know we’ll keep in touch. Thanks again Dean for all your years with Whitley Warriors.”