Deeside Dragons have been given a boost ahead of their forthcoming Laidler Conference season following a successful takeover bid.
Red Hockey Ltd, owned by businessman Wayne Scholes, has bought a 100% stake in the Flintshire club, with the deal rubber-stamped this week.
It follows on from the announcement that English Premier League (EPL) ice hockey side Manchester Phoenix, also partly owned by Red Hockey, will be playing their home games out of the Dragons' Deeside Ice Rink home for the 2015/2016 season while they await completion of their own purpose-built arena in Greater Manchester.
The deal with Red Hockey, who are a powerhouse in British ice hockey and also own EPL champions Telford Tigers as well as owning shares in the Phoenix and the Bracknell Bees, gives the firm a foothold in both the EPL and NIHL (National Ice Hockey League), and the Chronicle understands that the move could eventually pave the way for the Dragons to become an EPL outfit.
Red Hockey director Paul Baker said: "The whole ethos of Red Hockey is to make British ice hockey sustainable, and that is what we want to do at Deeside Dragons. They have a great fan base and a catchment area that could help it expand massively.
"The supporters are incredibly passionate and their team will be challenging for honours next season."
Coaching and player appointments will be made over the next few weeks, as the clock ticks down to the club’s first season under Red Hockey.
"The point of this team isn't to lose matches, so we’ll be building a very competitive team," Baker added.
"The first step towards that is a good coach, who we will be appointing very soon. All the decisions regarding players, management of staff and tactics will be left to the Dragons. Red Hockey will be there to provide back-up and support wherever needed."
