A KEY defensive unit is remaining with the Deeside Dragons ahead of the big skate-off.

The club has announced that Ryan Broster-Jones is to remain with the team for the forthcoming season, which gets underway this weekend.

Action opens for the Dragons with Saturday’s Welsh Cup showdown at home to Cardiff Fire on Saturday, followed by Sunday’s league opener at home to the Nottingham Lions.

Broster-Jones’ prowess in defence is marked by his sharp tactical play and consistent performances on the ice.

Meanwhile, the Dragons have announced the departure of Dalton Thompson ahead of the start to the season.

Dalton signed for the Dragons last season on a two-way contract with the Altrincham Aces and he proved to be a great fit for the Deeside team.

The newly-formed Deeside Ducks made their first public appearance last week as fans were invited to watch an on-ice session at Deeside Leisure Centre.

Members of the Ducks’ squad were joined on the ice by a group of local recreational players and a number of former Dragons to bring an air of realism to the training session as they continue to prepare for their debut league season.

The Ducks further strengthened their roster during the week with the signing of four new players – all of whom are products of the highly respected Deeside junior development system and are, indeed, two sets of brothers!

Twenty-year-old forward Mackenzie Wilkes is a former Deeside junior player who “aged out” during the Covid closure period and has recently been playing for the Connah’s Quay Cobras recreational team while his younger brother, 16-year-old defenceman Deacon Wilkes, played for the Dragons U16 and U18 teams last season.

The other pair of siblings are the Morgan brothers - Louis and James.

Despite being only 23, defenceman Louis Morgan already has an impressive senior career having played Moralee Division hockey for four seasons with the Dragons senior team, while his older brother James Morgan, a 27-year-old defenceman, played for the Dragons’ juniors for a number of years before taking a break from the sport.

In what has been a busy spell for the side, the Ducks have also announced the acquisition of a number of other players.

Twenty-year-old forward Josh Jones is a long term member of the Deeside junior development system and has played for the junior club at every level from U10s upwards.

He is one of a number of players who “aged out” of the junior system during the Covid lockdowns and was also affected by the continued closure of the Deeside rink afterwards.

He has most recently been playing for the Deeside-based Chester Road Reapers recreational team.

Defender Michael Speare, 22, is another long-term Deeside junior and was an alternate captain for the Dragons U15 and U18 teams.

He made his senior debut last season with the Bradford Bulldogs in the Laidler Division, making 24 appearances and scoring 11 goals and six assists.

Defenceman Rory Sillery, 19, is a former Widnes junior academy player and has recently been playing for the Widnes-based Riverside Raiders, while 22-year-old defenceman George Spofforth is a former Dragons U18s player and he has also been playing for the Chester Road Reapers recreational team.

Ducks’ first league game is at home to Kingston Sharks on Saturday, September 14 (5pm face-off).