Finlay Ulrick is the latest homegrown talent to switch Elite League sides this summer, with the 25-year-old joining the Nottingham Panthers after two seasons as a member of the Sheffield Steelers.
“Finlay has good experience in our league already and has learnt the right way to play in Sheffield,” said Panthers head coach Danny Stewart.
“He will come in and play a key depth role for as… [as] he’s responsible off the puck and still developing at his age. We’re excited to get him on board and feel he has some obvious upside on top.”
The North Ferriby-born forward arrives in Nottingham having already made 182 Elite League appearances, recording 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) for the Manchester Storm and Steelers.
Ulrick made his professional debut in 2019-20, scoring four goals and providing one assist in a 43-game rookie season with the Storm.
In addition to his top flight experience, Ulrick boasts 114 points (39 goals, 75 assists) in 87 National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) games with the Leeds Knights, Hull Seahawks, and Sheffield Steeldogs.
Finlay Ulrick, Hull Seahawks (Image: NIHL)
“I was looking at my options at the end of the season and I was excited when the chance to Nottingham came up,” said Ulrick.
“I had conversations with Omar [Pacha, Panthers CEO] and Danny and it just seems to be a great fit for me in how I want to play and what they are looking for. I’ve heard great things about the club through my time in the Elite league with Manchester and Sheffield… and the trajectory the team is on has been amazing to watch.”
Analysis: Finlay Ulrick the latest domino to fall in homegrown musical chairs
When Logan Neilson left the Nottingham Panthers for the Sheffield Steelers in pursuit of more ice time, a vacancy opened up at the Motorpoint Arena.
Nottingham, in the midst of a mini-rebuild under playoff-winning head coach Danny Stewart, needed fresh homegrown talent and landed on Finlay Ulrick as the solution.
Ulrick, like Neilson in Nottingham, was arguably undervalued by his coach last term.
Finlay Ulrick, Sheffield Steelers (Image: Dean Woolley)
The 25-year-old has shown clear signs of development in recent years (exemplified by his 19 points in 17 NIHL games last term), but still saw his ice time limited to a 7:47 average in 2024-25.
Ulrick’s ineffectiveness in the face-off circle was a major factor in his limited deployment.
The Kingston Sharks Academy product won just 20 of the 65 face-off draws he contested, undermining his utility at both ends of the ice.
With that in mind, Ulrick projects as a fourth-line winger for the Panthers.
Neilson averaged 8:59 ice time in a similar role last term, tallying four goals and nine assists over a full, 54-game schedule.
Replicating Neilson’s production would represent a major step forward for Ulrick (who is three years older than his predecessor), but it isn’t an impossibility if the Panthers continue to take strides up the standings.
Ulrick, set for his third Elite League team in five short seasons, has plenty to prove in Nottingham — but you shouldn’t bet against him.
Deployed in the right moments, the North Ferriby-native has the makings of a reliable bottom-six option in Stewart’s system.
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