Hockey: Black Sticks stars add firepower

TALENT RETURNS: Stacey Michelsen (left), Ella Gunson and Brooke Neal have headed home to help the Northland women's side fight for the 2015 NHL title. PHOTO/SUE SHEPHERD

It will be a homecoming of sorts for many players as the Ford National Hockey League [NHL] finals week and National Senior Tournament begin at Whangarei's ITM Hockey Centre this weekend.

Despite Northland fielding strong, local-centric women's and men's teams, many players are set to return to the region where their development began.

"There has been a few that have gone off and will be coming back," Hockey Northland chief executive and Northland Women's assistant coach Grant McLeod said.

With the return of Northland's Black Sticks Stacey Michelsen, Ella Gunson and Brooke Neal headlining the Northland women's side's hopes of going one better than their second-place finish last year, a win on home soil will be the icing on the cake if they can inspire the players looking up to them.

"The core are there again but maybe a little fitter and wiser," McLeod said.

He agreed that the inclusion of the three Black Sticks players "certainly adds some fire".

"Angeline's [coach Angeline Waetford] done quite a lot of work with the girls. To reach the heights of last year will require a little bit of luck and playing well."

With new faces such as Springfield's Kelsey Eaton making the cut for the Northland women's side this year, McLeod said it was debatable whether the early inclusion of players in provincial teams was beneficial.

However, there were plenty of past successes to add fire to the debate. "Stacey [Michelsen] was selected when she was 13-14 to play in the NHL, and look where she is at now," McLeod said.

"We hope our young players will come up to the mark where the game is faster and they're up against some really good players."

With the tournament set to run until September 20, McLeod said the interest and build-up to the event had been great.

"The place is looking really good. There's going to be a lot of supporters.

"For Hockey New Zealand it's a bit of a step into the unknown by having it in Whangarei but they've sold more tickets online than for the tournament last year which was held at North Harbour."

NHL finals week takes place in Whangarei from today until September 20.

Ex-Northlanders in the NHL:

Women: Auckland: Charlotte and Samantha Harrison, Isla Bint; North Harbour: Brooke Roberts; Midlands: Arnica Palmer; Canterbury: Sian Fremaux.

Men: Auckland: Dwayne Rowsell; North Harbour: Mike Delaney [coach].

Ex-Northlanders in the National Senior Tournament:

Women: Waikato: Rachael Lecky, Stacey Kitchen; Canterbury: Leila Nicholson; Wellington: Grace Seeley.