Manchester Storm are pleased to announce the players who will form the club’s Development Player Programme for the 2026/27 season, as the organisation continues its commitment to developing British talent.

 

The programme provides ambitious young players with a structured pathway into professional hockey through long-term development plans, regular exposure to the Motorpoint Elite Ice Hockey League environment and strategic placements with partner clubs across the British hockey pyramid.

 

Since its introduction, the Development Player Programme has already delivered tangible success, with players progressing into the Storm first-team environment while others continue to develop through increased responsibility and valuable senior ice time. The latest intake further strengthens the club’s long-term commitment to providing a genuine pathway into the Motorpoint Elite Ice Hockey League.

 

The Development Player Programme is built around individual progression, providing each athlete with a tailored development plan, regular opportunities to train within a professional environment and carefully managed competitive placements designed to maximise meaningful ice time and long-term growth.

 

Central to that approach are Manchester Storm’s long-standing partnerships across the British hockey pyramid, particularly with the Trojan Hull Seahawks (NIHL) and Steel 4 Structures Deeside Dragons (NIHL1), which continue to provide valuable opportunities for prospects to gain senior experience while remaining fully integrated within the Storm organisation. Through close collaboration between coaching staffs, players benefit from consistent communication, tailored development plans and a clear pathway towards competing in the Motorpoint Elite Ice Hockey League.

 

Manchester Storm & Hull Seahawks

• Tyler de la Bertouche

Tyler’s Own and Loan Jerseys are available to purchase here. More details on the Own and Loan programme are available here.

 

• Noah Kääriäinen

Noah’s Own and Loan Jerseys are available to purchase here. More details on the Own and Loan programme are available here.

 

• Josh Crawley 

Josh’s Own and Loan Jerseys are available to purchase here. More details on the Own and Loan programme are available here.

 

Manchester Storm & Deeside Dragons

• Theo Malone

Theo’s Own and Loan Jerseys are available to purchase here. More details on the Own and Loan programme are available here.

Building on the success of previous seasons, the club is also pleased to welcome a new player into the Development Player Programme on a three-way agreement for the 2026/27 season.

 

Manchester Storm, Hull Seahawks & Deeside Dragons

• Bailey Thomas

Bailey’s Own and Loan Jerseys are available to purchase here. More details on the Own and Loan programme are available here.

 

Manchester Storm General Manager Ryan Finnerty said:

“The Development Player Programme isn’t something that sits on the edge of what we’re doing, it’s right at the centre of our vision for the club and where we want to go in the future.

 

For us, developing players isn’t just the right thing to do for British hockey, it’s a fundamental part of our long-term business model. We want to build a club that can develop, promote and retain its own talent, and that starts with the work being done every single day in our Academy. The standard of coaching and development within our junior programme continues to improve, and we’re seeing the quality of players coming through get better year after year.

 

The ultimate goal is to create a genuine pathway where young players can look at the Storm jersey and believe there’s a route from our Academy all the way into the (Motorpoint) Elite League roster. Connor Lee becoming the latest player to make that jump is a huge success story for everyone involved and proof that the pathway we’re building is real.

 

At the same time, we’re ambitious enough to know that if we want to be a leading club for British player development, we can’t limit ourselves geographically. We’re always looking to identify the best young British talent in the country and bring them into our environment if we believe they’re the right fit for what we’re building. That’s exactly why we’re excited to welcome Bailey Thomas into the programme this season.

 

Just as importantly, we have extremely high hopes for our returning development players Josh Crawley, Noah Kääriäinen, Theo Malone and Tyler de la Bertouche. All four players took significant steps forward last season, both on and off the ice, and now the challenge for them is to continue pushing, continue learning and continue earning bigger opportunities.

 

Development isn’t linear, but we’ve seen enough from each of them to believe they can become important players for this organisation in the years ahead.

 

British players are improving year on year. They’re coming through younger, better prepared and with a real hunger to prove themselves at the highest level. Our responsibility as a club is to give them the environment to succeed. That means surrounding them with experienced professionals, putting them in competitive situations, finding the right opportunities for them to play meaningful hockey and, just as importantly, having the patience to allow that development process to happen properly.

 

That’s why our relationships with organisations like Hull Seahawks and Deeside Dragons are so valuable to us. Those partnerships allow our players to play important minutes, experience different situations and continue their development in competitive environments while remaining part of everything we’re building in Manchester.

 

Young players make mistakes. That’s part of becoming a professional hockey player. But if you’ve got talent, work ethic and the willingness to improve every day, we’ll invest our time in you and we’ll back you. We’d much rather be patient with a young British player and help them grow into a (Motorpoint) Elite League player than look for a short-term solution elsewhere.

 

If we continue to get this right, we’ll create a sustainable model that not only strengthens Manchester Storm for years to come but also helps strengthen British hockey as a whole. That’s something everyone at this club is incredibly passionate about.”

 

Storm’s partner clubs will once again play a vital role in that development process throughout the 2026/27 season.

 

Trojan Hull Seahawks Head Coach and General Manager Matty Davies said: 

“Another year of the affiliation with the Storm is another massive achievement from both sides as it means the first year went successfully.

 

Firstly, Noah (Kääriäinen) is a massive part of this affiliation. I think very highly of Noah and believe he can take another step this year with being full-time in hockey. He’s a huge part of our D core and essential in my plans.

 

Josh (Crawley) was one that came in later for us, but his performance in Coventry (at the NIHL Final Four Weekend) was awesome and when we lost him in the final it affected us a lot. Getting him back this year will be a massive plus. 

 

Tyler (de la Bertouche) and Bailey (Thomas) are two players I’m really excited for.

 

Tyler is a young goalie who can push for minutes and continue his development in a competitive environment. 

 

Bailey is a really promising defenceman with a great pedigree from his dad (Mark Thomas). He will definitely add to our defensive depth and I’m excited to see what he can bring. 

 

Overall, this partnership is massive for us and to be aligned with Ryan (Finnerty) and Cam (Critchlow) on the players on this two- and three-way platform is something I take very seriously. Not only in adding to our team, but also in helping the lads develop and hopefully become full-time Storm players in the near future.”

 

Steel 4 Structures Deeside Dragons Head Coach Mike Clancy added: 

“The partnership between the Deeside Dragons and Manchester Storm is about creating a genuine pathway for talented British players to develop, compete and ultimately reach their potential. 

 

Having players such as Theo Malone and Bailey Thomas training full-time within a (Motorpoint) Elite League environment at Manchester Storm while gaining valuable game experience with the Dragons gives them the very best of both worlds. 

 

It’s a fantastic opportunity for them to accelerate their development in a competitive environment, and we’re excited to play our part in helping prepare the next generation of British talent.

 

This is exactly what player development should look like, and we’re proud to be working alongside Manchester Storm to make that vision a reality.”

  

The Development Player Programme remains a key pillar of Manchester Storm’s long-term vision, combining Motorpoint Elite League coaching, professional standards and competitive opportunities to create a clear pathway for the next generation of British players.

 

Supporters can look forward to following the progress of all five development players throughout the 2026/27 season as they continue their journey within the Manchester Storm organisation.