With the return of hockey in the UK in the form of the NIHL, many promising young British players have hit the ice.
Among those is Nottingham Lions forward, Jack Hopkins.
In his first-ever NIHL North game, Hopkins recorded three assists and scored the overtime winner to help hoist the Lions to a memorable comeback victory against Sheffield Scimitars
Before the return of hockey in the UK, Hopkins had opted to continue his development in Germany, suiting up for ES Weißwasser U17.
The centreman continued his offensive prowess even in foreign surroundings, scoring six times and adding three assists in eight games. That was good for the team lead in goals and second in scoring behind Nils Herzog.
As reported in this tweet by @GBHockeyFuture, Hopkins has been a player to keep an eye on since his formative teenage years.
The 16-year-old has represented Nottingham at all levels, playing for the Ice Cats, Tigers, Cougars, Lynx and Leopards. Such has been his dominance, the right-handed shot even played at the U20 level at the age of fourteen.
If you would like to take a closer look at a burgeoning young British prospect, Nottingham has a further five games scheduled in the 2021 NIHL North Cup.
Sat Mar 06 – Widnes v Nottingham 4 pm
Sat Mar 13 – Blackburn v Nottingham 1 pm
Sat Mar 20 – Nottingham v Blackburn 4 pm
Sat Mar 27 – Sheffield v Nottingham 4 pm
Sun Mar 28 – Nottingham v Widnes 4 pm
The Lions broadcast home games at no cost on YouTube at this link:
https://www.youtube.com/user/NottinghamLionsTV
If you cannot wait until then, here’s a taste of what Jack Hopkins brings to the table.
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UK Hockey Blog 