Long-serving Lewis Baldwin moves on as he and Leeds Knights 'part ways'
DEFENCEMAN Lewis Baldwin has left Leeds Knights – ending more than six years at the forefront of ice hockey in the city.
In a short statement on social media, the Knights said: “We can confirm can that the club and Lewis Baldwin have mutually agreed to part ways. The Knights would like to place on record their thanks to Lewis for his effort and contribution during his time with the team.
"Everyone at the Knights wishes Lewis the very best of luck for the future, both on and off the ice.”
Baldwin was one of the players who helped launch the semi-pro era of the sport when forming part of the Leeds Chiefs, the first team to play out of Elland Road Ice Arena under the ownership of rink owners Planet Ice.
He returned after the Covid layoff in 2021 as part of the renamed Knights team and was one of the first signings made by owner Steve Nell and head coach Dave Whistle.
Over the subsequent four-and-a-half seasons, Baldwin went on to play more than 250 league, Cup and play-off games for the Knights, scoring 74 points, including 13 goals.
It was for the Chiefs back in the inaugural 2019-20 season of the NIHL National league that he enjoyed his best points-production, scoring 13 goals and 21 assists in 47 games before the season was ended early by the pandemic.
This season saw him sidelined for two months or so with a lower-body injury but, once recovered, he then found ice time hard to come by under head coach Ryan Aldridge.
His exit – it’s not known where he will go next – will likely disappoint many fans, in particular those who have followed hockey in Leeds from the days of the Chiefs and carried their support through to the current-day Knights.
It means Sam Gospel is now the sole remaining member of the Chiefs team that started the 2019-20 season, with only captain Kieran Brown and defenceman Jordan Griffin remaining in addition to the league-leading netminder from the Knights’ 2021-22 debut campaign.
Born in Billingham, 26-year-old Baldwin started out as a junior for his hometown team before going on to develop further as a junior at Bradford Bulldogs.
After making his senior hockey debut at The Pound, the fast-skating right-hander went on to spend time at Blackburn Hawks, Manchester Phoenix and Solway Sharks before being persuaded to head back to West Yorkshire by Chiefs’ player-coach, Sam Zajac, in the summer of 2019.
Give his experience and the quality he has shown at NIHL National level, it would be no surprise were another second-tier club to come in for him.
As part of the statement released by the Knights on Thursday evening, Aldridge said: “We'd like to thank Lewis for the time he has given to this organisation over the past few years and I wish him the best as he moves forward in his career."