Inline roller hockey player Jack Morton named top netminder after team wins BRHA U12 National Inline Hockey Championships

A young inline roller hockey player from Heywood was named top netminder when his team won the BRHA U12 National Inline Hockey Championships in Atherton on the weekend of 5 and 6 August.

11-year-old Jack Morton has played for the Atherton-based Devils Inline Hockey Club at NorthWest Roller Sports for two seasons, with this being his first as a netminder in both the BIPHA (British Inline Puck Hockey Association) and BRHA (British rink hockey association) leagues.

The BRHA league runs leagues for U8s, U10s, U12s, U16s, U18s and seniors with local divisions. At the end of the season, the top teams from each league come together to play the national tournament to determine that age group’s winner.

Mum Helen says Jack was awarded top netminder due to “a strong and confident team around him, but also for showing great strength of character and making some fantastic saves.”

Jack, who is a pupil at Holy Family College, also plays ice hockey for Leeds Junior Knights. He originally started playing ice hockey in February 2021 at Blackburn Hawks Academy where he's played in the EIHA (English Ice Hockey Association) North League since September 2021.

He also trains with a strength and conditioning coach in Waterfoot.

 

 

Jack practises at home on his skates, firing pucks at the garage with a stick. A neighbour who is a senior inline hockey player spotted Jack out on his skates and suggested the family get in touch with the Devils.

The youngster moved to a netminder position in both sports in September 2022, inspired by his favourite goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy, who plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning ice hockey team.

Helen added: “Unfortunately, it is such an expensive sport, requiring specialised kit – skates alone can be a few hundred pounds, so a full new kit is over a thousand pounds – and costs travelling around the country for training and matches.

“Jack aspires to represent his country for both ice and inline so needs to push himself. He is looking for sponsors for the upcoming 23/24 season.”

Anyone wishing to sponsor Jack can get in touch via his Instagram page:

• www.instagram.com/hockey_jack_89/