Hull Seahawks and Sheffield Steeldogs enter NIHL National weekend boosted by forward thinking

The 34-year-old Slovakian-born winger landed in the UK on Friday evening and will get to meet some of his new team-mates on Saturday before lining up alongside them at Hull Ice Arena 24 hours later.

It is the second piece of signing news for the club in as many days with defenceman Tom Ralph signing for his hometown club on Thursday, having left NIHL National rivals Bristol Pitbulls earlier in the week due to a need to spend more time running his business back in East Yorkshire.

The arrival of Themár will be a relief to player-coach Matty Davies who has had to deal with the blow of losing his other import forward Emil Svec for 10 games, the ban being handed out for what was deemed an illegal check to the head during the recent 6-1 defeat at Telford Tigers.

Svec was ejected from what was his debut game, his arrival also having been delayed by visa issues. Hull have appealed against the length of the ban, believing it to be ‘very unfair’.

Themár is no stranger to Hull hockey fans having played for the Pirates during what turned out to be the final year of the EPIHL, a season in which he left a big impression when posting 104 points – including 56 goals – in just 56 games.

Ralph, 28, returns home having previously played for the Pirates in 2015-16 and, before that, the Hull Stingrays for two seasons in the Elite League. He came up through the Kingston junior programme at Hull Ice Arena.

He spent two seasons with Basingstoke Bison from 2018-20, which came between two spells with Invicta Dynamoes. He played seven games for the Pitbulls this season – posting three assists – before his departure. His arrival covers the loss of fellow defenceman Jamie Chilcott, who retired earlier in the week.

Sheffield Steeldogs go into a weekend which starts with a trip to Swindon Wildcats boosted by the addition of British forward Jordan Buesa, who joins from Elite League outfit Glasgow Clan.

Buesa, 22, has also spent time with Fife Flyers in the UK’s top tier, as well as represented GB at Under-18 and Under-20 level on a number of occasions.

The Steeldogs – still missing veteran forward Jason Hewitt through injury – return home on Sunday to host second-placed Peterborough Phantoms. Greg Wood’s team currently sit fourth in the standings, five points adrift of Peterborough but having played a game less.

Leeds Knights will look to maintain their record of not having been beaten in regulation yet this season when they take on defending regular season champions Telford Tigers in a double-header weekend.

Ryan Aldridge’s team – three points clear at the top of the standings with a game in hand on both Peterborough and Milton Keynes – play host at Elland Road on Saturday (6.30pm) when they will look to repeat the 7-4 triumph they enjoyed over Telford when the two sides met on the opening night of the season at the same venue on September 17. The two will then face each other again in Shropshire on Sunday.

Former Knights’ defenceman Ross Kennedy has been added to the Telford roster, helping provide injury cover on a two-way deal from NIHL One North team Deesside Dragons.

Kennedy, 24, played for Telford during the inaugural NIHL National season of 2019-20, winning a league and cup double. He made 47 appearances for the Knights last season, contributing two goals and nine assists.