Excitement for the season ahead is building in Newcastle as the team welcomes its newest import, but a league favourite, Tomas Landa.

Five seasons after making his Australian Ice Hockey League debut with the Sydney Bears in 2007, and winning a championship with the team, the Czech forward has made the move to Newcastle to join the Northstars for 2018.

"I’m very excited and I can’t wait for the season to start," Landa said.

“I felt that I needed a change. I contacted Garry [Doré] and it all happened. I’m very happy that I’m here."

Landa, from the Czech Republic, has been playing hockey for 30 years.

He first played for the Sydney Bears in 2007. Landa played four seasons in the Czech Republic before returning to Sydney in 2012. He also played for the Bears during the 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons.

“I don’t remember much about my debut season in Australia," he said. "I got Vlad Rubes contact details and came over to play for the Bears. It was a great season. We won the cup!”

The Bears defeated the Northstars 4-3 in the 2007 final to win the Goodall Cup.

In the 18 games he played last season, Landa scored 11 goals and made 13 assists. He was the Bears' fourth highest goal scorer for the season.

It did not take Garry Doré, general manager of the Northstars, long to make the decision to allow Landa to join Newcastle this season after he approached the organisation.

“I’ve always liked Tomas Landa as a player," Doré said.

"I’ve watched him, for a lot of years, make us look silly at times. When he approached us to play, I knew he would be a great fit for the organisation.

“He is a big tough guy who is great in the offensive zone, he can score and has such a great attitude towards the game. He fits in exactly with what we want to do this season.”

Landa is not the only Bear making the move this season. Defenceman Paddy Ward and forward Richie Tesarik, former AIHL imports but now Australian citizens, have also joined the Northstars this season.

It was a move Landa had no idea about until he got to Newcastle.

"I didn’t know about Paddy and Richie," he said. "I just needed to do my own thing and made a change. But it is good seeing them here."

Landa is the Northstars' second import announcement for 2018. Joe Harcharik, who was part of the Northstars team in 2017, will return to Newcastle for another season.

See Landa make his debut with the Newcastle Northstars in their first game for 2018 against the Sydney Ice Dogs at Macquarie Ice Rink in Sydney.

Buy tickets to the first Northstars game of the season HERE.

Read more about Ward and Richie Tesarik joining the Northstars this season HERE.

Or, watch their interviews on the Newcaste Northstars YouTube channel.