FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Deeside Dragons Ice Hockey Club Announces Conclusion of Police Investigation and Immediate Reinstatement of Player Jared Dickinson
Deeside, North Wales – 02/03/2024 – The Deeside Dragons, a distinguished team in the English Ice Hockey Association National Ice Hockey League Division One North, is pleased to announce the conclusion of the North Wales Police investigation into an alleged incident on January 7, 2024, involving Deeside Dragons player Jared Dickinson.
After a thorough investigation regarding the event that occurred during a match against the Blackburn Hawks, North Wales Police have determined to take No Further Action (NFA) against Jared Dickinson.
Following this decision by the police, the English Ice Hockey Association has immediately lifted the suspension on Jared Dickinson, allowing him to return to play. The club wholeheartedly endorses this decision and will support Mr Dickinson in a return to play protocol.
The investigation began on January 7, 2024, which led to widespread discussion within the Ice Hockey community and beyond, casting a shadow over Mr. Dickinson. The Deeside Dragons are dedicated to supporting Mr. Dickinson as he resumes his playing career, recognising the undue stress this situation has placed on him and his loved ones.
The club also wishes to clarify its efforts to ensure the initially scheduled game against Blackburn Hawks could proceed. The Deeside Dragons proposed to play the game contingent upon a public apology from Blackburn Hawks for two social media statements they issued, which the club believed could have de-escalated the situation and made it safe to proceed with the match. Despite Blackburn Hawks’ acknowledgement that their actions were inappropriate, they declined to issue a public apology. Furthermore, the English Ice Hockey Association did not support our request, which we deemed reasonable to facilitate the game.
The club received notification that the Blackburn Hawks would be subject to repercussions due to their inappropriate use of social media. However, to date, no such actions have been evidenced. Additionally, the police investigation corroborated the Dragons’ decision to mitigate tensions and protect both players and fans by choosing not to travel. This decision was made in the absence of any conciliatory gestures or apologies from Blackburn, which would have helped to defuse the situation they had exacerbated through social media and news outlets. This course of action by the Dragons is deemed rational and responsible under the circumstances.
The Deeside Dragons, along with our legal representatives, intend to thoroughly review the incident’s impact on Mr. Dickinson and the club’s reputation and the overall management of the situation.
The Deeside Dragons remain dedicated to the sport of ice hockey, the welfare of our players, coaches and fans, and upholding the values of fairness and safety in competition. We are eager to move forward from this incident and continue our positive contribution to the ice hockey community.
For the time being, the club will not be making any further statements regarding this matter until our review is fully complete.
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