Shropshire Star

Telford Tigers seal signing of netminder Thomas Hovell

Netminder Thomas Hovell has signed for Telford Tigers. The 22-year-old joins Telford after appearing for fellow NIHL Moralee Division team Nottingham Lions last season.

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Hovell played 32 games for the Lions and will compete with Denis Bell for the netminder position.

General manager and head coach Tom Watkins said: “I’m very pleased to be able to bring in a guy that impressed in the games we played against him.

“He certainly made an impression in the head to head games we played and made it extremely difficult to score.

“I like his size, he fills the net and has good athleticism. He tracks the puck very well and I think what impressed me the most was that he battled for every puck, every rebound. He’s a competitor, he’s here to put some pressure on Denis and push for minutes.”

I’m a big fan of having two solid goalies who build a competitive rivalry with one another. It improves practice, their individual games and having the opportunity to take some pressure off the other guy is equally important.”

Thomas said: “I am excited to join the Tigers, it will be a good challenge to prove myself with a new team.

“I will be working with a team and players I am not used to which will be a great experience, especially after playing against a lot of them last year.

“It took a lot to get me to move away from my home team, a club I have played for since under-10s, but this year I felt Telford was a great fit for me.

“The club has a great set-up with some top class players, which will make training interesting for a goalie. I look forward to the season, to being pushed hard and working towards winning some silverware.”