20 year old forward Callum Fowler will spend a third successive season with the Invicta Dynamos after the lively skater penned a contract for the 2012/13 campaign.
Fowler’s signing takes the team’s roster into double figures ahead of the first puck drop in early September.
After spending his junior years in both Chelmsford and Romford, Callum Fowler was secured by the EPL’s Peterborough Phantoms in 2008/09 and was icing in the league above as a promising prospect at the age of just 17. Over 50 league appearances for the Cambridgeshire outfit, a young Fowler impressed by notching 15 goals and 10 assists for 25 points in his debut senior year and his respectable haul played its part in helping the team scoop the league, cup and playoff titles.
2008/09 also saw him represent the national side at junior level once more, with Fowler having already previously featured in all age groups on the international stage, and, at the under 18s World Junior Championships in Estonia, he captained the squad and managed 5 goals and 6 assists in 5 fixtures to steer the team to a gold medal in division 2.
His excellent form saw him remain with the Phantoms in 2009/10 and this time, in 38 outings, he managed a 22 point return as he continued to develop in the EPL. Given his performances, Fowler’s switch to the ENIHL in 2010/11 then caught the attention of rest of the league as Head Coach Kevin Parrish lured the skater to Kent where he was a stand-out player and managed 28 goals and 48 assists from 34 games. After a brief spell away from the club, he was then back in Medway from November and he found the net a further 23 times whilst playing a role in 21 more to take his all time Dynamos statistics to 120 points from just 57 fixtures.
Now, with a full year ahead of him at the Silver Blades Gillingham, the 20 year old will be hoping to add to those figures in the newly named National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) South.
Speaking on the return of speedy skater Callum Fowler, Head Coach Kevin Parrish paid tribute to the forward’s performances last term and suggested he had even greater expectations this time around.
Parrish said, “Callum came back to us midway through the season in 2011/12 determined to let his performances do the talking and I think there’s little doubt that he succeeded. He showed a maturity and hunger in his game that puts him amongst the best in NIHL and there’s no doubt that a fully focussed Callum Fowler can be a major figure in this league again next season”.
Parrish then highlighted the skater’s improved work rate when he added “Callum refused to give up on anything on his return last campaign and the effort he put in was there for all to see. He was especially dangerous on the penalty kill where his drive and determination saw him turn spells where we were a man short firmly to our advantage as he carved out numerous opportunities for both himself and his teammates. I’ve no doubt that he will do the same again in 2012/13 and I anticipate him being a major part of the side yet again when the puck drops in September”.
Callum Fowler will continue to wear his number 91 shirt in Gillingham and is the fifth forward to make the roster this summer alongside Nicky Lewis, Callum Best, Peter Vaisanen and Brad Watchorn.
Picture by David Trevallion