Basingstoke Bison are delighted to announce the signing of young British netminder, #23 Ben Clarke-Leach ahead of the upcoming season.


The 19-year-old from Swindon is no stranger to the Bison, having featured for the club on loan last season. In ten league campaign appearances, he posted a goals-against average of 3.66 and a save percentage of 90.33%, showing plenty of promise for a player still at the very start of his career.


Clarke-Leach comes through the ranks of Swindon's hockey pathway, having developed with the Wildcats and represented various Swindon club sides across youth and senior levels. He now joins Basingstoke on a permanent basis as he looks to take the next step in his development.


Ben also made headlines on the international stage last season, earning his first senior Great Britain cap at the IIHF European Cup of Nations in Edinburgh, where he started between the pipes as GB defeated Poland 5-4 in a thrilling final game of the tournament. Reflecting on that debut, Clarke-Leach described the experience as something he still "can't believe", crediting his teammates for making the occasion easier and saying the support of experienced players in the squad helped him feel part of the group from the start. He also represented Great Britain at under-20 level, going 4-1-0 with a .909 save percentage at the WJC-20 D2A tournament.


Head Coach Jeff Flanagan said "We're really pleased to have Ben on board. We saw plenty of good things from him during his time with us last season and we're looking forward to seeing him continue to grow. He's a talented young netminder with a great attitude and we believe this is the right environment for him to develop."


Speaking about his move to Basingstoke, Clarke-Leach said: "I'm very excited to take this next step in my career. Being with the team a couple of times through the season, I know that it's a great group of people and I'm excited to see what we can achieve this season."


Interested in being part of the Bison family? Player sponsorship packages are available for the upcoming season and offer a fantastic opportunity to show your support for the club while gaining great visibility in the local hockey community. If you'd like to find out more about sponsoring Ben or any of our players, please get in touch with us at sponsorship@basingstokebison.com.


Welcome to the Bison, Ben!