The remarkable path of a player who left a lasting mark on British hockey
In this episode, I spoke with UK hockey legend Hilton Ruggles, the high-scoring forward who had suited up for the Whitley Warriors, Murrayfield Racers, Cardiff Devils, Manchester Storm, Newcastle Riverkings, Coventry Blaze, and Newcastle Vipers.
Listen to Hilton’s Podcast Interview here:
Hilton Ruggles Podcast Interview
We covered everything — from his childhood in Montreal to his move to Europe, his unforgettable arrival in Whitley Bay (including the moment he and Mike Rowe fell over during their press intro, and his four standout seasons with the Warriors.
After four seasons with the Warriors, Hilton moved on from Whitley Bay. Following short spells with the Solihull Barons and the Murrayfield Racers, the “homie” eventually signed for John Lawless’s Cardiff Devils. He went on to enjoy three incredibly successful seasons with the Welsh club, winning a host of trophies — including The Treble in his first year — and scoring more than 300 goals across those three campaigns. Hilton also shares how Shannon Hope gave him the nickname “Homey,” a name that’s stuck with him ever since.
Manchester
In the summer of 1995, Hilton approached John Lawless — now heading up the brand-new Manchester Storm — and asked to join the team. His reasoning was simple:
“The Storm was a brand-new team, that appealed to me. Plus, I was still living in Whitley Bay and I figured Manchester was two hours away from home — Cardiff was six hours. It was a no-brainer.”
Lawless made him wait two weeks before signing him, but when Hilton finally arrived in Manchester, he didn’t disappoint. He racked up 112 goals in just 51 games as the Storm won the British League Division One championship at the first attempt.
Hilton also recalls the time he ended up posing outdoors in full kit (minus skates), perched high on a ladder for a photo shoot. The Storm were so popular that the Manchester Evening News promoted them over Manchester United and Manchester City — and soon his face was appearing everywhere.
After three successful seasons, change was on the horizon. With Kurt Kleinendorst replacing John Lawless as head coach, Hilton could see the writing on the wall:
“My three-year contract was up, I was 34 years old, and I knew the coach wasn’t going to sign me up again. It was time to go home.”
Back to the North East
In the summer of 1998, Hilton returned to his adopted home of Newcastle, signing for Alex Dampier’s Riverkings. He spent the next two seasons on Tyneside before moving to the Midlands to join the up-and-coming Coventry Blaze in the British National League (BNL).
Hilton enjoyed four productive seasons with the Blaze — both on the ice and behind the scenes, working as commercial manager and later in customer relations — helping the club transition from the BNL to a key role in the Elite League.
Eventually, the pull of the North East proved too strong. Hilton returned once more to Newcastle, joining the Newcastle Vipers for one final season before hanging up his skates in 2005.
As he puts it:
“I felt I’d had enough by then. The fun had started to go out of it, it was getting hard, and I was ready to call it a day.”
After seventeen seasons playing hockey in the UK, I asked Hilton whether he ever missed the game. His answer wasn’t at all what I expected — but to hear it, you’ll have to listen to the episode.
Hilton was inducted into the UK Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, finishing his career with an incredible 1,096 goals, 929 assists, and 2,200 penalty minutes.
Podcast Alumni
You can listen to Podcast interviews from Hilton’s’s alumni of former team mates here:
John Lawless (Cardiff, Manchester) Episode S1E12
Shannon Hope (Cardiff) Episode S1E18
Simon Leach (Whitley) Episode S1E19
Jason Wood (Cardiff) Episode S1E28
Brian Kanewischer (Cardiff) Episode S1E30
Nicky Chinn (Cardiff) Episode S3E02
Stephen Cooper Part 1 (Cardiff, Manchester, Coventry) Episode S3E10
Stephen Cooper Part 2 (Cardiff, Manchester, Coventry) Episode S3E11
Doug Smail (Cardiff) Episode S4E03
Scott Morrison (Humberside) Episode S3E04
Luc Chabot (Whitley) Episode S2 E04
Anthony Payne (Newcastle) Episode S3 E06
Wayne Crawford (Whitlry) Episode S5 E06