Hull Seahawks: Proud Sam Towner hoping captaincy can live up to boyhood hero Stephen Johnson

The 27-year-old forward has been picked by Hull Seahawks’ player-coach Matty Davies to wear the ‘C’ in the club’s first season in NIHL National.

They get to play their first games under the new name this weekend, following up a trip to Leeds Knights in the Yorkshire Cup before returning to the east coast to welcome Sheffield Steeldogs in an eagerly-anticipated first-ever home game.

It’s an exciting time for the new organisation, Davies coming together with co-owners Ian Mowforth and Joe Lamplough shortly after the end of the 2021-22 season to take on the challenge of bringing semi-pro hockey back to their beloved city.

It ends a two-year absence in the second-tier, the pandemic wiping out the 2020-21 campaign before Hull Pirates owner Shane Smith opted against icing a team when NIHL National returned last September.

That campaign saw Towner return to the ice after an absence of almost 18 months with the Steeldogs, playing a pivotal role in Greg Wood’s team winning the NIHL National Cup and play-off double.

Prior to that, Towner had always played for his hometown club – in its various guises – save for one short stint at Peterborough in 2016-17.

Once he heard there was a chance of NIHL National hockey returning to Hull, he was keen to be involved.

“For me it’s a massive thing. From being a kid, the cliche is that you watch the team and you grow up wanting to play for them and that is something that is very true for myself growing up – it is absolutely great to be back here,” said Towner.

“I’m very proud to be captain and there’s a lot of emotion that comes with it for a lot of different reasons but for me, personally it’s something that, again, from watching the team when I was younger, people like Stevie Johnson, for instance, was my sort of idol.

“He was captain and now I get to do that myself and all I hope is that I basically do it as well as he did.”

For Davies, missing this weekend’s opening pre-season games due to a niggling injury. naming Towner as his captain was one of the simplest decisions he was able to make this summer as he and his two co-owners work around the clock to put together a competitive team.

“It was probably one of the easiest decisions all summer – I wish all the decisions had been as easy as that,” said the former GB international.

“As soon as I knew that I wanted to do this whole thing and then it actually came to fruition and I knew Towns was available and wanted to play, I knew he was my captain.

“There’s no better person for the role than him. He’s been through so much at this club in terms of owners, different eras with different names and teams – he’s seen as much of it as I have.

“And he is a real heart and soul kid and he’ll do nothing but his best for this club and he’ll lead the lads right.”

This weekend’s Yorkshire Cup games, times and venues – Friday: Sheffield Steeldogs v Leeds Knights (Ice Sheffield, face-off 7.30pm - tickets HERE); Saturday: Leeds Knights v Hull Seahawks (6.30pm - tickets HERE); Sunday: Hull Seahawks v Sheffield Steeldogs (Hull Ice Arena, 5.30pm - tickets HERE).