The Solway Sharks have agreed to extend their partnership with Kilmarnock Thunder for the 2022/23 season and will complete the signing of Conner McNulty on a 2-way agreement.

This partnership proved a great success last season with Ewan Anderson being the main beneficiary and the clubs are happy to continue providing development opportunities to players as part of their pathways.

For the upcoming 2022-2023 NIHL1 North League campaign, Conner McNulty will be involved with the Sharks as part of their squad, but he will also play regular hockey with the Thunder in the SNL as part of the 2-way agreement.

The 17-year-old forward will train with the Sharks and if opportunities arise, then he can be called into action by Sharks Head Coach, Martin Grubb but will also continue his development by icing with the SNL’s Thunder where he scored 6 goals and 9 assists in 15 games last season.

McNulty is seen as one of Scotland’s most promising talents and as a product of Kilmarnock junior development he has progressed to the SNL as well as representing Scotland at U11, U13 and U15 at the EIHA conference tournament and Scotland U17’s at the showcase event held in Dumfries in May.

Speaking about his signing for the Sharks Conner said: “Martin and Jamie have had huge success with the Sharks, and it is something I really wanted to be a part of and when the offer came in, it was an easy decision to make. For me, playing at the highest level has always been a dream of mine and to finally be making the next step is a fantastic opportunity and one that I am excited about. The plan of training and playing games, when selected, will really help me develop my game further and show Martin that I will be ready whenever the team needs me, and I hope to impress and who knows where this opportunity will take me.

I am really going to try and be pushing for that full time place throughout the course of the year and getting the best of both worlds with Andy and the Thunder team will really help me achieve my goals. I know the Sharks won a treble last season and I am desperate to be part of that and also bringing the cup back to the club and can’t wait to play in front of the Sharks fans.”

Sharks Head Coach, Martin Grubb then added: “Conner is a young player with huge potential and when I spoke to Andy Anderson about continuing to support young players playing at the next level, we both felt this was ideal for him. Last season everyone seen how beneficial this was and we won’t forget Ewan’s playoff final hattrick and that is proof of how it can work to everyone’s advantage. Conner is a strong skater who has speed, skill and knows how-to put-up points and now we need to help him learn the game in all 3 zones and at the next level and see how high he can go. He has come in and looked good in practice and has already worked with JT in the Scotland program so that has helped him settle in. The 2-way allows him to push to be a regular for us but also gives him game time if needed in the SNL and that will be valuable to him as he gets stronger and smarter. Andy has been great at Kilmarnock and wants the best for the young players so this works for both clubs and we are excited to see where this goes for Conner and both clubs.”

Andy Anderson Kilmarknock Thunder Coach added: “This is a great opportunity for Connor to take the next step in his development, he’s got the talent and the right attitude to succeed with the Sharks. Martin and I have discussed Conner last season and having him on the 2 way was an option that would benefit him as he can train and play with both teams as he develops and settles into playing at a higher level. We’re pleased to continue to identify young players that have the ability to step up from SNL hockey and take the next step in their development through this elite pathway with the Sharks.”

Conner will wear the number 86 for the Sharks and his jerseys are available to own and loan by contacting sharkssecretary@aol.com.

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