Lee Valley Lions have announced the signing of netminder Aaron Mallet and defenceman Joe Trotter ahead of the 2018/19 National League South Two season.

30-year-old Mallet played junior hockey at Haringey and Milton Keynes before joining the Lions ahead of the 2012-13 campaign.

He played 46 games for the Lions over three seasons before taking some time out of the game.

Mallet returned to hockey in the 2016-17 season with Haringey, playing 17 games, before again taking last year out of the sport.

He is now back in the Lions net and will form a goaltending tandem with James Andrew.

Joining him on the roster is defenceman Trotter, who returns to ice hockey after nine years away from the game, with the Lions hoping that the six foot tall blueliner can add some muscle to the defence corps.

Trotter was a Lee Valley junior for many years, starting in the under-12’s side and making his way up through the age groups to the U19s.

In his final season of U19 hockey, the hard-hitting defenceman tallied six assists as well as taking 75 penalty minutes.

After taking a year out of the game, he then graduated to senior hockey in the 2008-09 season with the Slough Harrier Hawks in ENL2, playing 22 games and scoring one assist.

He came up against the Lions four times that season, with Lee Valley winning three of the four encounters between the sides.

To date, 2008-09 is Joe’s only season of senior hockey – until this season, as the Newham native returns to the Den to renew acquaintances with the sport.