Whitley Warriors defenceman Adam Wood pictured at the NIHL Moralee 2022-23 Playoff Semi Final. Photo by Andy Grant.
Popular Whitley Warriors defenceman Adam Wood has announced his retirement from competitive ice hockey.
32-year-old Wood started his junior ice hockey career in Cardiff and after a season away from the sport, made his senior debut with the Devils’ ENL team in 2009, notching 6 goals, 4 assists and 173 penalty minutes in 16 league games in his first campaign.
After playing two more seasons for the Devils either side of a second break from ice hockey, Wood switched to Streatham in 2014 and collected 26 points in 34 league games. He then played a further five seasons for the side, fulfilling the role of alternate captain from 2016 to 2020 whilst recording a total of 23 goals, 33 assists and 410 PIMs. Adam also contributed to Streatham’s league and cup success in his 2019-20 campaign.
Adam joined Whitley Warriors in 2021 as the game recovered post-Covid. In his first season at Warriors he scored 6 goals with 11 assists and 38 minutes in penalties from 33 appearances. He has been solid on the blue line throughout his tenure but is able to go forward when needed.
“Sadly, all good things must come to an end and I feel that now is the right time for me to step away from hockey,” Adam told us. “I’ve played for a long time and have had some great experiences and memories over the years. I’m looking forward to being able to spend time with friends and family away from hockey.
“I’d like to thank all my coaches and teammates from Cardiff, Streatham and most recently Whitley. It’s been an honour to play for such historic teams in the UK and play in front of some of the best fans around.
“I’d like to also thank Paul [Matthews], Lobby [David Longstaff], Phil [Gosling] and all of the team at Whitley Warriors for making me feel so welcome here. I’ve really enjoyed my final years of hockey and feel like I can now leave on a positive note. Thanks to all the fans for your support and most importantly, my parents, for the seemingly endless years of commitment and driving me up and down the country for hockey.
“Finally, thanks to my soon to be wife, Faye for the support and the weekends left at home while we travel all over to play this great sport. Thank you and so long for now.”
Outgoing General Manager paid tribute to Adam: “I first met Adam in May 2021 after David and I had been messaging him trying to sign him. Thankfully he signed for us that season and has been a fantastic player for the Warriors for the past 2 seasons.
“Adam is a player you can always rely on, he never misses practice and leads by example in every game. His attitude and commitment is first class. He is always there for his team mates on and off the ice and extremely well liked by everyone associated with the club. Adam will be a huge miss next season for the Warriors and I want to thank him for his time with us. We all wish him well in his retirement.”
Whitley Warriors Ice Hockey Club would like to wish Adam and his family all the best for the future.