Northstars Welcome Darge

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The Newcastle Northstars are excited to welcome Wehebe Darge for the 2023 Australian Ice Hockey League season.
 
In an announcement to the Brave community this week Wehebe shared, “It is what feels right in my heart for myself and more importantly, my family.”
 
Northstars captain Liam Manwarring excitedly expressed, “He’s a great dude and I’ve gotten to know him the last two seasons with the Australian senior team, and honestly he’s one of the top Australian players of this era right now.”
 
“He’s a great guy both on and off the ice from the way he interacts with the fans and kids, through to how he’s a great guy in the locker rooms and I think it will make him an integral part of the Northstars in 2023”
 
Wehebe, who became a resident of the greater Newcastle area during the COVID-19 Pandemic, is excited to be donning the iconic Northstars Blue, Red, and White uniform.
 
“I am really excited, we moved up here 18 months ago now, but I have been coming to Newcastle for a long time now so playing for this team has been a long time coming.”
 
“I have been coming to Newcastle since I was 14 years old as part of the National Development camps and I have secretly always wanted to be in a Newcastle Jersey.”
 
“Newcastle is a beautiful city, my partner grew up here and we aren’t too far from the beach. Everyone is so friendly and it’s a fantastic place to live and play hockey.”
 
Looking ahead to competing against the expanded league of 10 teams, Wehebe reflected, “There is a lot happening and it will be great to play against new teams and go to new cities, it is going to be a very interesting year and I am really looking forward to it.”
 
“Coming into 2023, I am aiming to be the best version of myself on and off the ice and honestly anything short of a Goodall cup isn’t good enough. When you see how good this squad is, I think we can go all the way, so my two big goals will be to make sure I play the best I can and win another cup.”
 
After playing against the Northstars for his entire AIHL career so far, Wehebe is keen to be on the same side as his former opponents.
 
 “I am looking forward to not being on the receiving end of the hits they dish out, and being a part of the team others know are one of the best teams in the league, it is exciting to be on the right side of this squad.”
 
“I am also looking forward to being on the right side of the fans, and I plan to deliver excitement on the ice through how I play, playing a fun style of hockey, quick movements, scoring and getting on the team sheet”
 
Northstars Head coach Kevin Noble is looking forward to the addition of Darge’s talent to his team’s roster.
“Any time you can add a talented player like Wehebe, it influences the quality and level of play. It is very exciting to have him on board and adds so much depth to our lineup and increases how versatile we can be with our combinations and matchups throughout the season.”
 
The Newcastle Northstars will start their 2023 home games with a pre-season game against the Central Coast Rhinos at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium on April 2 at 4:00pm.
Tickets are available online now at https://northstars.thundertix.com