21 year old Scottish defenceman Thomas McKinnon is the latest player to join the Invicta Dynamos ahead of the 2018/19 campaign with the blue liner moving to Kent after four seasons icing in Canada.

Irvine born Thomas McKinnon played junior hockey with the Belfast Giants before jumping across the pond to test himself in Canada in 2014/15 aged 17. His first stop was the Cambridge Bears of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL) – a junior development league featuring teams from Toronto, Ontario and Quebec. McKinnon iced 41 times for the Bears and notched 3 goals and 13 assists for 16 points from back on the blue line.

Financial difficulties saw the Cambridge Bears fold in 2015/16 but Thomas McKinnon extended his stay in the GMHL – signing a contract with the Seguin Huskies. The defenceman dressed 27 times for the side from Humphrey Ontario and was on target on 5 occasions whilst playing a role in 7 more for another 12 points.

In 2016/17 Thomas McKinnon moved on to the newly formed Kingsville Kings, also of the GMHL, and it was here that he spent his final two years in Canada. In his first term he featured 37 times, scored 4, claimed 14 assists and tallied 18 points. His displays earned him a call-up to the Federal Hockey League (FHL) – a professional ice hockey league featuring sides from midwestern, southern and northeastern America as well as Ontario – where he appeared once for the St. Claire Shores Fighting Saints.

2017/18 was then Thomas McKinnon’s last the other side of the Atlantic as he continued on the blue line for the Kingsville Kings producing his finest season to date. During 38 outings the defenceman found the net 15 times and teed up another 28 for an impressive total of 43 points. His displays again caught the attention of those in the FHL and he was asked to represent the North Shore Knights – the rebranded St. Claire Shores Fighting Saints – 6 times, claiming 2 assists at a professional level in the process. Now the 21 year old returns to the UK where he will be looking to make his mark for the Dynamos in the NIHL South Division 1.

Speaking on the signing of Thomas McKinnon, Head Coach Kevin Parrish said, “Thomas is a very bright prospect and a young player with all the potential to be a success at this level. He’s strong and solid on the blue line but equally a threat to the opposing net as he proved when he was playing across the pond.”

“He has a good level of experience after four years in Canada and is hungry to make his name in the NIHL. I’m confident he will have a strong debut season with us at the Mos and look forward to him joining up with us when the new season gets underway.”

Meanwhile new signing Thomas McKinnon declared that it was his new Coach’s perseverance that convinced him Kent was the right move for him when he said, “Kevin Parrish’s persistence in persuading me that the Dynamos should be my next stop is what ultimately brought me to Gillingham.”

“He has shown a belief in my abilities and now I look forward to working hard and proving him right. I’d like to think I’ll bring some physicality, a good work rate, a defensive presence but also some offence to the team.”

“With the players on the roster I’m confident we can be competitive every game and look forward to seeing how high we can finish.”

Thomas McKinnon’s capture takes the team’s roster to eight ahead of 2018/19 and another signing is set to follow in his footsteps shortly with an announcement due on Friday.