Deeside Dragons Announce Seven Junior Players to Join Two-Year Development Pathway
Deeside Dragons are delighted to announce the introduction of Junior prospects into the club’s two-year Development Pathway Programme, providing the junior players with the opportunity to begin their transition into the senior game.
The programme has been created to bridge the gap between junior and senior hockey by introducing the players to senior Dragons training, exposing them to a professional environment and supporting their development both on and off the ice over the next two years.
The players selected for the 2026 Development Pathway are: Ant Norman Defence, Jacob Foster Forward, Jayden Turton Defence, Leighton Williams Forward, Lewis Edwards Defence, Rhys Archer Defence, Ruben Price Forward
Each player has been identified by their coaches in the junior ranks and has earned the opportunity to take the next step in their hockey journey.
The Development Pathway will see the players train alongside the senior squad, experience the demands of a professional hockey environment and receive mentorship from senior players and coaching staff as they continue their development.
The announcement marks another significant milestone for the Deeside Dragons Junior Club, highlighting the strength of its player development programme and its commitment to producing home-grown talent capable of progressing into senior hockey.
James Parsons – Head of Deeside Dragons Junior Club
“This is an incredibly proud moment for everyone involved with the Junior Dragons. Watching these players develop over the years and now seeing them take the next step into the senior environment is exactly what our junior programme is all about.
The talent within our junior section continues to grow year after year, and this group has shown the dedication, work ethic and character needed to earn this opportunity. While this is a fantastic achievement, it’s also just the beginning of their journey.
We’re excited to watch them develop over the next two years, learning from the senior players, experiencing the standards expected at the highest level and continuing to improve both as hockey players and as young people. They are fantastic role models for the younger players coming through our system and demonstrate what can be achieved through hard work and commitment.”
Mike Clancy – Head Coach, Deeside Dragons
One of the biggest responsibilities we have as a club is to create opportunities for young players to fulfil their potential.
At Deeside Dragons, we’ve spent a number of years building a genuine player development pathway that gives talented young athletes a clear route from junior hockey into the senior game. That journey starts within the Deeside Junior Academy, progresses into the Deeside Dragons, and now, through our close relationship with Manchester Storm, provides an exciting opportunity for players to continue their development towards Elite League hockey.
Our vision has always been much bigger than simply building a successful senior team. We want to build a club that develops players for the future of British ice hockey.
The next step in that vision is the introduction of our two-year development programme, which will see a group of talented young players continue their development within the Deeside Dragons environment while benefiting from opportunities to train within the Manchester Storm high-performance programme.
We’re delighted to welcome Jacob Foster, Lewis Edwards, Leighton Williams, Jayden Turton, Ant Norman, Rhys Archer and Ruben Price as the first players to join this exciting programme.
Each of these players has demonstrated the attitude, commitment and potential we look for, and we believe they have exciting futures ahead of them.
The Deeside Dragons will provide these players with meaningful competitive senior hockey, allowing them to experience the physical and mental demands of the game while continuing to develop in an environment that prioritises learning, accountability and continual improvement.
Our relationship with Manchester Storm adds another important dimension to that journey. By exposing players to a professional Elite League environment, full-time coaching and higher-performance standards, we’re able to provide an aspirational next step for those who earn the opportunity.
This isn’t about fast-tracking players.
It’s about ensuring that when players are ready, they have the right experiences, coaching and competitive environment to succeed at every stage of their development.
As coaches, our responsibility is not only to help players become better hockey players but also better teammates, better professionals and better people. That philosophy sits at the heart of everything we do.
The pathway we’ve established between the Deeside Junior Academy and the Deeside Dragons, supported by our relationship with Manchester Storm, provides a clear route for ambitious young players who are prepared to work hard and earn every opportunity.
We’re incredibly excited about what this group can achieve over the next two years, and just as importantly, we’re excited about what this programme represents for the future of our club.
This isn’t just about seven players.
It’s about building a sustainable future where young players can see a genuine pathway from junior hockey, into senior competition and, ultimately, towards Elite League hockey.
That’s the future we’re building, and this is only the beginning.