The Sydney Bears have announced the signing of three new players for the 2023 Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) season.
Australian-Canadian forward Hayden Dawes joins the club after spending 2022 playing for the Melbourne Ducks in the Pacific Hockey league and having a brief one game stint with the Sydney Ice Dogs. With the Ducks Dawes recorded 26 goals and 16 assists from 19 games. He is also a former member of the CBR Brave, competing with the club in 2018 and 2019. In total Dawes has competed 48 AIHL games and recorded 62 points.
Australian-British goaltender James Downie joins the club after spending 2022 with the Newcastle Northstars where he posted a save percentage of 0.883 from 12 games. During the off-season Downie has been playing for the Manchester Storm of the Elite Ice Hockey League, recording a save percentage of 0.885, and spent time on loan to the Bees IHC of the National Ice Hockey League. Since making his AIHL debut in 2015 Downie has competed in 46 games and has an average save percentage of 0.873.
American forward Jake Pappalardo joins the club after spending 2022–23 with the Birmingham Bulls of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) and time in the ECHL on loan to the Jacksonville Icemen, Savannah Ghost Pirates and Worcester Railers. In the SPHL he finished his season with 45 points from 46 games and in the ECHL he competed in 17 games, scoring five points. Between 2016 and 2023 Pappalardo has played in the NCAA’s Division I, the ECHL and SPHL.
Further information
- Bears sign talented trio by Gordon Goodenough (Sydney Bears)
- Becoming a Bear: Hayden Dawes ‘another piece to the puzzle’ by Gordon Goodenough (Sydney Bears)
- Jake Pappalardo announcement from the Sydney Bears
- Sydney Bears complete 2023 roster
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