IT has been a summer of change at Bradford Bulldogs as they head into the 2024-25 National Ice Hockey League North Two campaign with a new-look team.

Record appearance maker Dean Boothroyd, all-time top scorer Josh Stockton and fellow veteran Connor Medley all retired at the end of last season, leaving a sizeable gap to fill at both ends of the rink. 

Forwards Declan Kime and Mikey Speare have also moved on, to Leeds Knights 2 in North One and new North Two newcomers Deeside Ducks respectively, while goaltender Sam Bolwell is no longer around either.

Another loss - probably for the majority of games - will be defenceman Joe Howie, who earned himself a two-way deal with Widnes Wild in North One on the back of a strong first season with the Bulldogs. 

But rebuilding is part of the Bulldogs’ DNA, something they do on a regular basis given their development ethos, meaning opportunities will arise for some of the club’s youngsters coming through. 

Several juniors will be making the step up, although it remains to be seen how often 16-year-old duo Daragh Spawforth and Liam Hine are available given their two-way deals with North One’s Blackburn Hawks. 

Daragh Spawforth is a supreme young talent, but he may not play for the Bulldogs too much this season.Daragh Spawforth is a supreme young talent, but he may not play for the Bulldogs too much this season. (Image: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints.) Tyler Hall, another Under-18, has also been drafted into the senior team for the first time.

Goalie Jack Mickevicius - who made a number of appearances last season - is one part of the two-way goalie tandem in his first full season as a senior, along with Jake Lowndes, who remains on a two-way with Widnes.

Meanwhile, Thomas Chong is a new arrival among the forwards, while defenceman Lewis Sinclair is a late addition having made the move from North Two rivals Billingham Buccaneers.

And Sinclair will have a reunion with his new team-mates straightaway.

Ahead of tomorrow’s league opener at Billingham, Bulldogs’ head coach Andy Brown said his much-changed squad would need to adapt quickly in order to prove competitive in 2024-25. 

“We’ve had to say goodbye to some well-established and popular players,” said Brown. “But that gives an opportunity to others to come through and show what they can do. 

“It’s a generally young team we go into the season with, but we’ve got enough experienced heads in there, still, to lead the way.

“We’ve got a tough opener at Billingham, they came into this league last year and performed really well, winning the play-offs. 

“We just need to make sure that we’re competitive and take our chances in front of net when they come.

“We had a good win there last year, so we’ve got to go there full of belief and backing ourselves.”