Edinburgh Capitals are excited to announce the signing of forward Ruairi Lockerbie on a two-way deal with Solway Sharks of the NIHL.
The 23-year-old will play and train with the Caps when possible throughout the 2023-24 SNL campaign, similar to the situation we had last season with both Kian Shevlin and Kyle Carruth.
Ruairi was a member of the Sharks Grand Slam winning team last term. He was also part of the roster that won the treble the season prior, and he will bring that winning mentality to the club, something Coach Lynch will hope stands us in good stead as the season progresses.
Born in Dumfries, as a junior, Ruairi naturally grew up with the Solway JIHC. He would go on to represent Scotland in all junior age groups from U11 to U19. At U16, he also earned the opportunity to pull on the GB jersey to play in the Madrid Tournament in 2015-16.
2016 would see Ruairi head to Canada to join the Ontario Hockey Academy U18s. He would remain there for two seasons, learning and training with a very high calibre of player as he looked to take his game to the next level.
In 2018-19 he returned home to Scotland and rejoined Solway U20s whilst also playing briefly for the SNL and NIHL 1 Sharks teams. In that season at U20’s, he played 12 games, scoring an impressive 23 goals and 32 assists for 55 points.
The following campaign was much of the same, although he played more SNL and NIHL 1 compared to his U20 age group. Due to the pandemic, Ruairi missed a year on the ice but returned, raring to go in 2021, signing on with the Sharks in what would be the start of a 7 trophy haul over 2 years.
He has also tasted EIHL experience, having iced in 3 games for Glasgow Clan back in 2019-20.
Last season saw Ruairi play in 34 games for the Sharks, scoring 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points. Although still relatively young, his experience of playing at the level above in the NIHL 1 will only benefit the Caps team in the season ahead.
Head Coach Steven Lynch is delighted to have Ruairi on board. “This is another exciting signing for us. Ruairi has played for the Sharks in Solway for several years now and won a lot of trophies, but he now feels the time is right to try something a little different. The two-way situation that we had in place for Kyle Carruth & Kian Shevlin suited both clubs last year, and Martin Grubb and I have been talking all summer about working together again, and I’m delighted that we get to do that with Ruairi. He’s a very talented player who will flourish on the big ice here at Murrayfield. He will fit in well within our group while also spending time training with Solway as well as ourselves to be available for them if or when a situation arises.
It’s another win-win for both teams and the player. Martin and I have known each other for a long time, trust one another, and are looking at other ways to develop the partnership that we are forming between the two clubs.
I’m sure Caps fans will take to Ruairi, and the style of hockey he will bring, and this latest signing makes the wait for September a little more exciting.”
On joining the Caps, Ruairi had this to say. “I’ve only heard good things about Edinburgh and their fans. Choosing to play for both the Sharks and the Caps will be a great fit for me this season.
I will be getting valuable ice time with the Caps alongside some great players and in the ever-improving SNL league, which will allow me to grow as a player and a person.
I can’t wait to get started with the team and try to win some silverware.”
We would like to thank Solway Sharks and their Head Coach, Martin Grubb, for making this move possible for Ruairi. We are building a very good relationship with the Sharks and one that we hope will carry on well into the future. We wish them well as they embark on their first season in the NIHL.
This is another vital addition to the roster. Stay tuned to our social media as the final few slots are filled in the coming weeks.
