Dean Holland #14 carrying the puck. Photo by IceHockeyMedia
Whitley Warriors are delighted to announce that Dean Holland and Harry Harley will both be part of the Warriors roster for the coming campaign in NIHL North Division 1. Both players have been with Warriors for a number of seasons now and have proved themselves to be 2 of the most influential players in the league on their day.
Dean was Warriors top scorer last season comfortably averaging well over a point per game over the course of the campaign. Dean is also a crucial component of Whitley’s specialist teams as he often orchestrates Warriors powerplay while also playing an important role for his side when they are on the penalty kill.
Harry enjoyed a superb 2015/16 campaign as he was able to contribute 22 points from his berth on the blue line as well as providing a solid defensive platform for Warriors to build upon. Harry is likely to log a lot of ice time in the coming season as his experience of life in the EPL will no doubt will valuable to Whitley during the schedule.
Dean and Harry gave their thoughts on the upcoming campaign and how they thought the introduction of former English Premier League teams into the NIHL North set up would affect the league on the whole.
Dean – “I’m excited to be back with the Warriors. It’s going to be very hard season playing against teams with some very good players. It’s going to be a massive challenge for the entire organisation.”
Harry – “I really enjoy playing for the Warriors and since all the changes with EPL I thought the league would be much more competitive. I am looking forward to playing under Dave (Holland) and Lobby (David Longstaff) again as they are two great coaches, I’m also looking forward to playing against the former EPL teams.”
The 2 Warriors then outlined their ambitions for this season.
Dean “I think our goal is to be competitive which will give us a chance to win games which will allow us in turn to compete in this league for another year.
“It’s obvious that teams will come to Whitley Bay and realise we have the best fans in the league! They are our extra player come game night!”
Harry “As for ambitions for the season, it’s just to compete against any team we play against.”
If any individual or company would like to sponsor Dean, Harry or any of the other members of the Warriors set up they are invited to make contact through the Warriors website and then they can be put in touch with the player himself or Warriors General Manager/Assistant Coach Dave Holland.