Brandon Wong will join the North Stars for a limited Australian ice Hockey League season, starting from Sunday's game against the Melbourne Ice. 
 

Wong, a 5’11” forward from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada,  is a veteran of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and has played several games in the American Hockey League (AHL), placing him amongst the most credentialed players to play in the AIHL.
 

Wong is an alumnus of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), Quinnipiac University in the NCAA college leagues, and most recently finished a season in the ECHL between the Tulsa Oilers and the Indi Fuel.
 

In his 311 games in the ECHL he has scored 105 goals and 130 assists for a total of 235 points.
 

North Stars coach Andrew Petrie said Wong’s stay will be hugely beneficial to the Newcastle team.
 

“Brandon is a very highly skilled forward with a nose for scoring, a high work rate and displays astute defensive coverage abilities,” Petrie said.

“He is also the type of character we look for here in Newcastle.”
 

The relationship with Wong came about following Petrie’s pre-season hockey tour-de-force through north Eastern USA.
 

Like current Newcastle assistant captain, John Kennedy, and previous North Stars import Luke Moffatt, Wong hails from USA’s highest level of collegiate hockey - the NCAA Division 1.
 

During his time at Quinnipiac University, Wong registered almost a point-per-game which places him in rarified scoring company. Petrie met Wong through connections at Quinnipiac.
 

“Brandon is one of several contacts developed from my recent overseas trip," he said.
 

"He was a star player over his four-year tenure at Quinnipiac and all things being equal, will be one of the best players the AIHL has seen.
 

"I'm really excited that he's coming to play with us."