How Mac Howlett helped pave way for Louis Colvin to make switch to Leeds Knights from Invicta Dynamos

The 24-year-old left-handed utility player was around in the league’s first-ever season in 2019-20, playing 18 games for the team that was then still known as Bracknell Bees.

When he next lined up for the same team – one game on loan last season from parent club Invicta Dynamos - much had changed, the team having been forced to drop their hometown prefix to be known solely as Bees IHC, playing out of Slough Ice Arena with their long-standing home having been closed during the pandemic.

Either way, Colvin will arrive at Elland Road in late August with previous and an understanding of what will be required to perform at this level.

He will also be aided in his transition from NIHL South One outfit Invicta by close friend and former junior team-mate Mac Howlett, who effectively set Colvin on the path to Leeds when putting him in touch with Knights’ head coach Ryan Aldridge late last season.

One practice session was all it took to convince Aldridge that Colvin was worth a contract next time around.

He can operate as either a forward or a D-man, but is expected to function primarily as the latter once the puck drops in mid-September.

“I wanted more of a challenge for next season,” said Colvin. “Mac (Howlett) is my best mate and I was talking to him and he said it would be a good idea to come for a skate at Leeds, so he got me in touch with Ryan and it went from there.

“I came up for a training session, really enjoyed it and enjoyed the set-up. I was very impressed by everything and I got talking to Ryan and he was happy to have me.”

On his previous experience of playing in NIHL National, Colvin added: “I had a little stint with Bracknell, unfortunately they weren’t the best team in the league at the time, but it was a good experience for me.

"I was at university at the time, so I couldn’t really prioritise ice hockey for obvious reasons.

“But I’m excited to step back up into this league, this time with a team which has a lot of success behind it from the previous season.

“And I have all the confidence in the world that I can help the boys build on that success.”