Guildford Flame announce return of former All-Star defenceman

Jamal Watson has re-joined Guildford Flames after a three-season hiatus.

Watson made his league debut for the club during the 2021/22 season, when he led all defenceman in points and assists. That season, he scored 15 goals as part of an impressive 60-point haul.

He helped the Flames to a fifth-placed finish during his only previous season in the Elite League. They also reached the playoff semi-finals before going down 3-2 to eventual winners Cardiff Devils.

Since then, the 30-year-old has iced for Austrian side Innsbruck in the ICEHL, where he has tallied 30 points in 40 starts.

Most recently, he has featured for DEL2 outfit ESV Kaufbeuren, making over 100 appearances for the club during the last two seasons.

The Canadian native, who played his youth hockey in North America and went on to represent USport side Mount Royal University Cougars for five seasons, will return to a Guildford side with whom he excelled during his debut season in the UK, subsequently earning a place in the Elite League’s All-Star team.

‘Guys with his skill set are not easy to find’

On the new addition to their roster, Guildford Flames head coach Paul Dixon said: “The most noticeable thing about Jamal when he takes the ice is the way he can skate.

“He can get around the ice as well or better than anyone, and he uses it to great advantage, as he already showed during his first try with us a few years back.”

“He was unquestionably the top defenceman in the league at that time, and we know he will come back and be an impact player for us once again.

“Guys with his skill set for skating along with handling and moving the puck are not easy to find on the blue line, and we are excited about what it means for our entire group to be able to slot him back into the blue line unit.”

Read More:

• Reaction: Craig Moore returns for seventh Dundee Stars season
• Analysis: Grayson Constable signs one-year Coventry Blaze contract extension
• Sheffield Steeldogs move for Elite League netminder
• Cardiff Devils make backroom appointment as assistant coach departs