Farrier, Lothian and Newbound appointed as NHSL Team General Managers

The National Hockey Super League (NHSL) has recruited three prominent South Australian ice hockey figures to take charge of the inaugural franchises.

The Adelaide Xtreme will be managed by Tash Farrier, the Port Adelaide Brewers by Bill Newbound and the Noarlunga Stars by Matt Lothian.

It's a historic moment for all three personalities as the NHSL is the first professional hockey league in Australia. 

General Managers now must get to work. They have a fun but challenging job ahead of them in building and managing a hockey team.

The framework is simple. Right now, each GM has to recruit a head coach and can sign two marquee players from the nominated list to build their team around. They can't choose two players from the same club to be their marquees.

Once they nail that down it's time to draft their squad and put their teams to the test on the rink. 

Each General Manager brings serious ice hockey pedigree to the fold but each has different strengths. They're all well known in South Australia.

Let's begin.

Simply put: Tash Farrier is one of the best players in Australian ice hockey history. She takes charge of the Adelaide XTreme.

She is a five-time Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) champion, a six-time representative of Team Australia, a former college player in Canada, and former AWIHL coach.

Farrier is award winning. She was named the Best Forward at the IIHF World Championships in 2007 and 2011 and is a three-time scoring champion in the AWIHL.

Farrier says she thinks she’ll find success thanks to her lifelong involvement in hockey at all scopes of the game.

“From a playing, coaching and organisational lens I understand the analytical aspects of the game as well as team dynamics," she says.

"From national teams, college-level hockey and my educational leadership professional background, I have a sense of what it takes to develop and maintain a professional and inclusive team culture.”

“I’m a true believer in the importance of identifying people’s strengths and using that to hone in on their role and purpose within group dynamics.” 

The Noarlunga Stars will be fronted by Canadian-Australian Matt Lothian.

Lothian originally hails from British Columbia, Canada but has been prominent figure in the South Australian ice and inline hockey communities for over a decade.

His accomplishments are starting to mount up.  

Lothian is a championship winning coach of the Blackhawks A-Grade side. He notably was on the 2018 Blackhawks squad that broke a 15-year-long championship drought. 

Lothian has experience building teams in unique sporting concepts. He was one of the original 'Team List Managers' of the Inline Pro League started at Blackwood, SA. 

He says his passion and eagerness to learn will help him build a successful squad.

“I love the game. Hockey has been a big part of my life and I consider myself a student of the game,” he says. “I have a passion for the sport and look to not just build a great team, but a great culture and identity all players strive to be part of.” 

“I think my 10+ years working with the Blackhawks as a player, committee member, coach and now director of coaching have left me in good stead to take on this exciting opportunity.”

Bill Newbound will take helm of the Port Adelaide Brewers.

Newbound’s experience is extensive and impressive both as a player, referree and administrator. 

He’s a two-time Browns Trophy Team MVP and has represented South Australia at 10 tournaments. He’s refereed Australian Ice Hockey League games and Triple-A Bantam games in Canada.

Newbound is currently the Vice President of the Red Wings Ice Hockey Club and been on the board for a decade. He also ran the old Adelaide Summer League competition, taking it from 5 teams to 14 teams across 2 divisions.

He’s a three time premiership player with the Red Wings and chasing his fourth in the current IHSA competition playoffs. 

“I have a strong passion for the business side of the game,” says Newbound. “That passion combined with my knowledge and experience, I believe will not just allow me to put together a group of good players but also create a team that players will want to be part of.” 

For more information about the NHSL click here.

To register for the draft click here.