The Lee Valley Lions are an ice hockey team based in Leyton's Lee Valley Ice Centre, in East London
History
First incarnation (1984-1995) The Lee Valley Lions were formed in early 1984. In their first season, they finished in sixth place in the British League Division 1, the second tier of British ice hockey at the time. The next season, the team finished in second place, losing their last game to fall out of first place.
From 1986/87 through to 1989/90, the Lions languished near the bottom of the league, never finishing higher than seventh place. In 1988/89, the Lions would have been relegated if not for the expulsion of the Deeside Dragons from the league. In 1990 British Engine became the team's main sponsor, prompting a change in the team's colours from the original white/green/blue, to red/black/white. The 1990/91 through 1994/1995 seasons were no better than what had preceded them, with the Lions remaining near the bottom of the league table, and in danger of relegation at the end of the 1994/95 season.
Financial difficulties led the Lions to fold in 1995.
Second incarnation (2005-present) In 2005, the Lee Valley Lions were reformed under former player Eddie Joseph. It was to compete in the English National Ice Hockey League with the team mainly comprising players from the junior system and some former players from the first incarnation. The team also returned to its traditional white, green, and blue colours. In their return season, the Lions struggled, suffered several heavy defeats, and failed to register any points. The team finished bottom of the league, losing all of their matches. The following season (2006/07) saw wholesale changes made to the team, with new coach Sergei Smolenko being brought in alongside former Chelmsford Chieftains Captain James Hatfull to bolster the team's experience. Whilst there were significant improvements, the league positions during this period were unchanged with the Lions never finishing higher than seventh (2007/08) under the new coach. With the reorganisation of the league structure for the beginning of the 2008/09 season, the Lee Valley Lions competed in the English National Ice Hockey League South Two (which itself was renamed the National Ice Hockey League South Two in time for the 2012/13 season).
There was some small non-league-related success achieved at the end of the 2007/08 season when the Lions travelled to the Isle of Wight for the first Vectis Tigers "Ice Cube Tournament" which involved several English National Ice Hockey League and senior recreational teams. After remaining unbeaten and winning their group on goal difference ahead of the hosts, the Lions beat the former English Premier Ice Hockey League side the Solihull Barons in the semi-final 4–1, followed by a 7–0 win in the final over the London University Dragons.
The 2009/10 season brought a period of stagnation and under performance for the Lee Valley Lions, unaltered by two changes in Head Coach (Ian Prince and then David Richards). Between 2009/10 and 2014/15 the best final league position achieved was seventh in the 2011/12 season.
Under the coaching of Garry Dodds and former Netminder George Alley, there appeared to be an upturn in the fortunes of the Lions. The 2014/15 season saw them finish in fifth place, the best league position since the 1985/86 season when they had been runners-up in the old British league Division One. The following year the team improved again to finish fourth, and the 2016/17 season brought another creditable fifth in the league.
The last season of George Alley's tenure as Head Coach (2017/18) coincided with a league restructure which pitted powerful former National Ice Hockey League South 1 teams such as Bracknell Hornets, Chelmsford Chieftains, Oxford City Stars and Solent Devils against the traditionally weaker South 2 sides. This saw the return of the Lions struggling at the lower end of the league. Only one league win was registered via the forfeiture of a game by the Swindon Wildcats NIHL2 team. The season's end saw the coach and most of the team leave. The 2018/19 season started with James Joseph leading the team in his first coaching position whilst retaining his role as the club's longest-serving Defenceman. With a short-benched team, mainly consisting of veteran, former recreational and junior players experiencing their first taste of senior league hockey, the Lions struggled for any consistency. The team managed a single win during the season, 5–0 away to Swindon Wildcats NIHL2. The 2019/20 season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lions did not play during the 2020/21 season due to the league cancelling all games due to the pandemic. In June 2021 it was announced that the team's home, the Lee Valley Ice Centre would be closing for 16 months for major renovation work, with the team playing out of the Cambridge Ice Arena.
Honours
Heineken League British Division One League Runners Up: 1985/86
Heineken League British Division One Trophy Winners: 1985/86
Club roster 2022-2023 NetmindersNo.Nat.PlayerCatchesDate of birthPlace of birthAcquired 1 James Andrew R Peterborough 2022 from Free Agent 93 Naomi Healey R Tokyo, Japan 2019 from Guildford Lightning DefencemenNo.Nat.PlayerShootsDate of birthPlace of birthAcquired 7 Ivo Buchlovsky R Czech Republic 2021 Free Agent 11 Samuel BrazierR England 2021 from Nottingham Mavericks University Ice Hockey Club 16 Simon Jones R England 2015 from Free Agent 17 Brian WinstanleyR England 2022 from Free Agent 22 Nicky LovejoyR England 2022 from Free Agent 27 Alex WeemsR England 2022 from Free Agent 32 James Joseph R England 2004 from Lee Valley Lions Junior Ice Hockey Club 34 Matthew Hamilton R England 2021 Romford Raiders 36 Mitchell LeerR Torbay 2022 from Free Agent
ForwardsNo.Nat.PlayerShootsDate of birthPlace of birthAcquired 3 Tajah AllenR England 2022 from Free Agent 8 Tyrone WellsR England 2019 from Free Agent 10 Charlotte Davenport-JefferyR England 2022 from Streatham Storm 12 Joshua HudakR Portugal 2021 from Free Agent 17 Shane BojenkoR England 2021 from Free Agent 18 Eric PerryR England 2022 from Free Agent 19 Raphael Girard L Montreal, Canada 2021 from London Dragons University Ice Hockey Club 20 Sebastian EcheverriR England 2021 from Romford Raiders Junior Ice Hockey Club 23 Joe Miller R England 2017 from Lee Valley Junior Ice Hockey Club 24 Terry LucasR England 2022 from Free Agent 31 Ross Sin-HidgeR England 2022 from Free Agent 58 Kody EdwardsR Chelmsford 2021 from Chelmsford Mischief TBA Harry TrebilcookR England 2022 from Free Agent TBA Leonie CharlesR Sidcup, England 2019 from Guildford Lightning
Statistical records
Top ten appearances League, Cup & Play Offs; as at end of 2021/22 Season PlayerNo.Nat.PlayerActive SeasonsApp 1 James Joseph2005–2022 inclusive 319 2 Eddie Joseph1984-1993 & 2005-2006 249 3 Steve James1989–1995 inclusive 244 4 Glen Moorhouse1988-1995 inclusive 221 5 Jon Beckett1987-1989 & 1991-1995 209 6 Richard Hodge2005-2007, 2009-2014 & 2018-2019 170 7 Neil Stower1989-1995 inclusive 166 8 Joseph Berry2005-2009, 2010-2016 & 2018-2020 164 9 James Hatfull2006-2015 inclusive 15910 Jack Ball2011–2015 & 2018-2019 148
Top ten Points Scorers League, Cup & Play Offs; as at end of 2021/22 Season PlayerNo.Nat.PlayerActive SeasonsPts 1 Jan Lehti1985-1987 inclusive 386 2 David Ducharme1987-1989 inclusive 317 3 Doug McEwen1987–1989 inclusive 295 4 Darcy Cahill1993-1994 inclusive 236 5 Chris Leggatt1985-1990 inclusive 208 6 Ari Arvila1985-1986 175 7 Nick Alley2007-2009 & 2013-2018 168 8 Mike Farard1986-1987 & 1989-1990 163 9 Jaroslav Lycka1987-1989 inclusive 15510 Derek Higdon1991-1992 152
Top ten goal scorers League, Cup & Play Offs; as at end of 2021/22 Season PlayerNo.Nat.PlayerActive SeasonsGls 1 Jari Lehti1985-1987 inclusive 225 2 Doug McEwan1987-1989 inclusive 170 3 David Ducharme1987-1989 inclusive 161 4 Ari Arvila1985-1986 108 5 Mike Fafard1986-1987 & 1989-1990 85 5 Scott Beeson2005-2009 & 2011-2013 85 7 Derek Higson1991-1992 84 8 Nick Alley2007-2009 & 2013-2018 81 9 Danny Cahill1993-1994 79 9 Chris Leggatt1985-1990 inclusive 79
Top ten goal assists League, Cup & Play Offs; as at end of 2021/22 Season PlayerNo.Nat.PlayerActive SeasonsAst 1 Jan Lehti1985-1987 inclusive 161 2 Darcy Cahill1993-1994 157 3 David Ducharme1987-1989 inclusive 156 4 Chris Leggatt1985-1990 inclusive 129 5 Doug McEwan1987-1989 inclusive 125 6 Geoff Williams1984-1987 inclusive 100 7 Steve James1989-1995 inclusive 97 8 Mark Salisbury1989-1991 & 1992-1993 88 9 Nick Alley2007-2009 & 2013-2018 87 10 Lee Whale1986-1991 inclusive 86
Top ten penalty minutes League, Cup & Play Offs; as at end of 2021/22 Season PlayerNo.Nat.PlayerActive SeasonsPIM 1 Romanas Fedotovas2005-2009 & 2011-2014 532 2 James Hatfull2006–2015 inclusive 521 3 Jon Beckett1987-1989 & 1991-1995 396 4 James Joseph2005–2022 inclusive 369 5 Joseph Berry2005-2009, 2010-2016 & 2018-2020 359 6 Mark Salisbury1989-1991 & 1992-1993 341 7 Eddie Joseph1984-1993 & 2005-2006 316 8 Nick Alley2007–2009 & 2013-2018 302 9 Chris Leggatt1985-1990 inclusive 277 10 Brian Biddulph1992-1993 & 1994-1995 269
Top ten points to game ratio League, Cup & Play Offs; as at end of 2021/22 Season (Players with under 20 appearances not included) PlayerNo.Nat.PlayerActive SeasonsPts 1 Mike Fafard1986-1987 & 1989-1990 7.09 2 Fred Perlini1993-1994 5.90 3 Ari Arvila1985-1986 5.83 4 Jan Lehti1985-1987 inclusive 5.68 5 Darcy Cahill1993-1994 5.36 6 David Ducharme1987-1989 inclusive 5.11 7 Doug McEwan1987-1989 inclusive 4.61 8 Jeff Job 1991-1992 4.30 9 Rod Schulter1990-1991 3.96 10 Derek Higdon1991-1992 3.71
Top ten goals to game ratio League, Cup & Play Offs; as at end of 2021/22 Season (Players with under 20 appearances not included) PlayerNo.Nat.PlayerActive SeasonsGls 1 Mike Fafard1986-1987 & 1989-1990 3.70 2 Ari Arvila1985-1986 3.60 3 Fred Perlini1993-1994 3.55 4 Jan Lehti1985-1987 inclusive 3.31 5 Jeff Job 1991-1992 2.96 6 Doug McEwan1987-1989 inclusive 2.66 7 David Ducharme1987-1989 inclusive 2.60 8 Rod Schulter1990-1991 2.27 9 Derek Higdon1991-1992 2.05 10 Darcy Cahill1993-1994 1.80
Top ten assists to game ratio League, Cup & Play Offs; as at end of 2021/22 Season (Players with under 20 appearances not included) PlayerNo.Nat.PlayerActive SeasonsAst 1 Darcy Cahill1993-1994 3.57 2 Mike Fafard1986-1987 & 1989-1990 3.39 3 David Ducharme1987-1989 inclusive 2.52 4 Jan Lehti1985-1987 inclusive 2.37 5 Fred Perlini1993-1994 2.35 6 Ari Arvila1985-1986 2.33 7 Greg Cyr1990-1991 2.05 8 Doug McEwan1987-1989 inclusive 1.95 9 Campbell Blair1992-1993 1.79 10 Rod Schulter1990-1991 1.69
Top ten penalty minutes to games ratio League, Cup & Play Offs; as at end of 2021/22 Season (Players with under 20 appearances not included) PlayerNo.Nat.PlayerActive SeasonsPIM 1 Rob McCaig1993-1995 inclusive 7.43 2 Mike Fafard1986-1987 & 1989-1990 7.09 3 Brian Biddulph1992-1993 & 1994-1995 6.90 4 Kwabina Oppong-Addai2005–2007 & 2010-2011 6.50 5 Romanas Fedotovas2005-2009 & 2011-2014 5.60 6 Paul O'Neill2005–2008 inclusive 4.78 7 Barry Smith1987-1988, 1990-1991 & 1992-1993 4.08 8 Mark Salisbury1989-1991 & 1992-1993 3.79 9 Paul Grech1993-1995 inclusive 3.78 10 Kimmo Lahtinen1994-1995 3.56
Top ten save percentages League, Cup & Play Offs; as at end of 2021/22 Season (Players with under 20 appearances not included) PlayerNo.Nat.PlayerActive SeasonsSav 1 James Tipple2010-2011 & 2014-2016 88.48 2 Vesa Pennanen1985-1987 inclusive 87.18 3 Aaron Mallet2012–2015 inclusive 86.66 4 Steven Grout2011-2013, 2014-2016 & 2018-2019 85.77 5 James Andrew2016–2020 inclusive 85.12 6 George Alley2005-2009, 2010–2012, 2013–2014 & 2016-2017 84.32 7 Stefan Nubert2005–2007 inclusive 84.05 8 Jim Graves1990-1992 inclusive 83.31 9 Naomi Healey2019-2022 inclusive 83.15 10 Andrew Boot2006–2009 inclusive 82.09
Retired numbers PlayerNumberNat.PlayerActive SeasonsAcquired 2 Eddie Joseph1984-1993 & 2005-20061984 from London Allstars
Head coaches