Newcastle Northstars’ roster rotates with a double change. Two stand out imports depart with two new ones arriving ahead of Round 6 of the 2024 AIHL season.

Fan Favorite Aiden Wagner and fellow import Matthieu Desautels depart the Novocastrian team to head home to America and Canada respectively. In the short space of time with Newcastle, both Aiden and Matthieu made a lasting impression on their teammates and local fans. Northstars captain Liam Manwarring had this to say about them ahead of their final weekend with the Stars:

“They’ve been really good for us; both great locker room guys and pretty high-end talent for this league,”

Liam Manwarring – Newcastle Northstars captain

Wagner registered 26 points (7 goals and 19 assists) from eight games with the Stars. Topping the team’s points standings at the time of his departure. Desautels was fourth with 16 points (1 goal and 15 assists) from the same number of games.

New Recruits for the Rurak Conference leaders

In the other direction of Newcastle Northstars’ double change, Alex Yuill and Kyler Matthews, a pair of Canadian defenceman, have been added to the Northstars roster.

Alex Yuill links up with the Stars after spending the last three seasons playing for EIHL team Guildford Flames in the United Kingdom. The 28-year Ontario native represented the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in USports before starting his professional career. He was part of the on-ice leadership team in his senior year at university.

Kyler Matthews joins from the SPHL’s Birmingham Bulls. Matthews has plenty of experience in the FPHL, SPHL and ECHL in the North American professional hockey system. Prior to his professional career, Kyler spent two seasons playing in the NCAA III with the SUNY Canton Kangaroos.

It is not yet known if Yuill or Matthews will be available for selection this weekend. The Northstars travel to Sydney to take on the Sydney Ice Dogs, but it won’t take long before Stars fans will get a glimpse of two new faces and talents on the ice.

Newcastle’s next game: This Saturday 5pm vs Sydney Ice Dogs @ Macquarie Ice Rink. Tickets are available here or you can tune into the live stream of the game on AIHL.TV.

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