Solway Sharks

Solway IHC
CityDumfries, Scotland
LeagueNIHL
DivisionNational League
Founded1998
Home arenaDumfries Ice Bowl
Capacity: 1,000
Ice size: 184 feet x 95 feet
ColoursBlue & White
     
General managerJamie Thomson
Head coachMartin Grubb
CaptainLiam Stenton
AffiliatesGlasgow Clan, EIHL
Solway Sharks SNL, SNL
Solway Sharks Ladies, WNIHL 1 North
Websitesolwayihc.com
Franchise history
1998 - 2025Solway Sharks
2026 - presentSolway IHC

Solway IHC, formerly Solway Sharks, is a Scottish professional ice hockey club playing out of Dumfries Ice Bowl, Dumfries. Since 2023, Solway have been the sole Scottish club in the English National Ice Hockey League pyramid.

Formed in 1998 following the demise of the BNL's Dumfries Vikings, the Sharks joined the third-tier Scottish First Division, winning the championship in their debut season and the following 1999–2000 season. In the early 2000s the club found success in knockout tournaments, winning the Scottish Cup, Scottish Spring Cup and Scottish Autumn Cup between 2003 and 2006, and finishing runners-up in the 2006–07 play-offs. After joining the revived cross-border Northern League, they would win the regular season championship in 2009 and 2010, with a play-off championship in the latter year, before the league's collapse saw a move into the ENIHL Northern Second Division in 2011.

The Sharks won the regular season championship in their first year in the English system, as well as the cross-border Northern Cup. They moved up to the Northern First Division a year later, winning the league in 2012–13, as well as a second successive Northern Cup. The club would consolidate its position at this level for the rest of the decade, with further success in the 2013–14 and 2016–17 championships.

Following the cancelled 2020–21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sharks captured their fourth NIHL Northern First Division title in the 2021–22 season. Victories over Whitley Warriors in the NIHL Northern play-off final at Leeds, and the First Division final over southern champions Streatham IHC at the Coventry Skydome, saw the club complete a treble. A year later, the club retained all three trophies, adding the Northern Cup to complete a quadruple, again beating Streatham in the national final at Coventry.

For the 2023–24 season, the Sharks moved up to the NIHL National division, the second-tier of British ice hockey. Ahead of the 2025–26 season, Solway announced the creation of Solway Sharks SNL, an affiliate development club playing in the Scottish National League.

In April 2026, the Sharks were evicted from the Dumfries and Galloway council-owned Ice Bowl in a dispute over payments. Two months later, a new ownership group, using the name Solway IHC, was approved by the council to operate from the Ice Bowl as members of the NIHL for the 2026–27 season. The SNL team remains at the arena under the Sharks monikor.

Honours

Club roster 2022-23

(*) Denotes a Non-British Trained player (Import)

Netminders
No. Nat. Player Catches Date of birth Place of birth Acquired Contract
30 Scotland Calum Hepburn L 27 February 1997 (age 29) Dumfries, Scotland 2015 from Worcester Academy 22/23
Defencemen
No. Nat. Player Shoots Date of birth Place of birth Acquired Contract
6 Scotland Stuart Kerr R 30 June 1998 (age 28) Dumfries, Scotland 2014 from Solway U20 22/23
11 England Christian Johnson R 16 October 1994 (age 32) Newcastle, England 2021 from Aberdeen Lynx 22/23
21 Northern Ireland Kell Beattie R 28 February 2004 (age 22) Belfast, Northern Ireland 2021 from Belfast U20 Two-Way
49 Scotland Liam Danskin L 19 July 2000 (age 26) Kirkcaldy, Scotland 2021 from Kirkcaldy Kestrels 22/23
51 Scotland Struan Tonnar Captain'C' R 28 April 1990 (age 36) Dumfries, Scotland 2005 22/23
91 England Richard Bentham R 19 July 1990 (age 36) Bolton, England 2021 from Leeds Chiefs 22/23
92 Northern Ireland Travis Lavery R 29 October 2003 (age 23) Belfast, Northern Ireland 2022 from Belfast SNL Giants 22/23
Forwards
No. Nat. Player Shoots Date of birth Place of birth Acquired Contract
9 Scotland Ruairi Lockerbie R 3 April 2000 (age 26) Dumfries, Scotland 2018 from Ontario Hockey Academy U18 22/23
10 Scotland Kyle Carruth R 24 July 2006 (age 20) Dumfries, Scotland 2022 from Solway U19 22/23
12 Scotland Jonathan McBean L 21 December 2003 (age 22) Dundee, Scotland 2022 from Dundee Comets Two-Way
14 Scotland Lewis Young R 14 November 2002 (age 23) Irvine, Scotland 2022 from Vasas SC U21 22/23
15 Scotland Kieran Hair L 6 January 2000 (age 26) Dumfries, Scotland 2016 from Solway U16 22/23
16 Scotland Lewis Houston R 9 April 2001 (age 25) Dumfries, Scotland 2021 from Leeds Chiefs 22/23
22 Scotland Andrew Craik R 22 April 2003 (age 23) Dumfries, Scotland 2019 from Solway U20 22/23
25 Scotland Connor Henderson R 5 November 1997 (age 29) Dumfries, Scotland 2022 22/23
28 Scotland Gordon Horne R 5 March 1989 (age 37) Aberdeen, Scotland 2019 from Solway Stingrays 22/23
45 Scotland Scott Crane R 14 December 2000 (age 25) Dumfries, Scotland 2019 from North Ayrshire Wild 22/23
68 Scotland Callum Boyd R 16 November 1993 (age 32) Irvine, Scotland 2021 from Murrayfield Racers 22/23
86 Scotland Connor McNulty R 16 April 2005 (age 21) Irvine, Scotland 2022 from Kilmarnock Thunder Two-Way
89 Scotland Scott Henderson R 8 December 1998 (age 27) Dumfries, Scotland 2014 Two-Way
90 Scotland Ross Murray R 2 November 1993 (age 33) Dumfries, Scotland 2021 from Whitley Warriors 22/23
Team Staff
No. Nat. Name Acquired Role Place of birth Joined from
Scotland Martin Grubb 1998/99 Head coach Kirkcaldy, Scotland
Scotland Jamie Thomson 2017/18 Assistant coach Dumfries, Scotland Scotland U17, EIHA Conference
Scotland Andrew Glen 2022/23 General Manager Dechmont, Scotland
Scotland James Stenton 2019/20 Equipment Manager Scotland
England James Hutchinson 2022/23 Team Consultant Tynemouth, England

2021/22 Outgoing

Outgoing
No. Nat. Player Shoots Date of birth Place of birth Leaving For
1 Scotland Harry Elder 20 August 2003 (age 23) Perth, Scotland Edinburgh Capitals, SNL
7 Scotland Scott Rae 2003 (age 19) Scotland Paisley Pirates, SNL
17 Scotland Michael Thomson 8 August 1980 (age 46) Scotland Retired
18 Scotland Ben Coughtrie L 6 July 2000 (age 26) Irvine, Scotland Edinburgh Capitals, SNL
33 Scotland Euan Simpson L 16 February 2000 (age 26) Kirkcaldy, Scotland Glasgow Clan, EIHL

References

  1. ↑ Breen, Christie (27 June 2026). "Popular ice hockey team looks to the future". DNG24. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  2. ↑ "NIHL: Solway Sharks join Planet Ice National Division". English Ice Hockey. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  3. ↑ "Solway Sharks joins Planet Ice NIHL National Division". Scottish Ice Hockey. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  4. ↑ Smith, Kris (8 June 2020). "Season Recap: 2008-2009". Dundee Stars. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  5. ↑ Smith, Kris (15 June 2020). "Season Recap: 2009-2010". Dundee Stars. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  6. ↑ Anderson, Craig (28 January 2013). "Solway Sharks beat Billingham Stars lift Northern Cup". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  7. ↑ Temlett, Stephen (29 April 2022). "Solway Sharks heading to Coventry in bid to be crowned national champions". Daily Record. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  8. ↑ Temlett, Stephen (18 April 2023). "Solway Sharks complete unprecedented quadruple by winning NIHL1 Championship final". Daily Record. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  9. ↑ "Solway Sharks turn professional as club targets further success". ITV News. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  10. ↑ Hannay, Zac (30 May 2025). "Sharks development team to enter Scottish League". DNG24. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  11. ↑ Rinaldi, Giancarlo; Carnochan, Lori (30 April 2026). "Dumfries ice hockey team Solway Sharks banned from town's rink". BBC News. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  12. ↑ Rinaldi, Giancarlo (24 June 2026). "New ice hockey operator steps in after council rink ban". BBC News. Retrieved 20 October 2026.