Whitley Warriors Sign Canadian Import

The Whitley Warriors have done something they haven't done since 1997. Announced a Canadian import will be icing for the team.
Forward Andre Payette has several years experience of the British game and spent the last few seasons as the player/coach of English Premier League outfit Sheffield Steeldogs.
Payette is no stranger to the North-east of England having iced for the Newcastle Vipers. He will be familiar with a number of the Warriors, including player/coach David Longstaff, who he played alongside in the Elite League.
Now 38, Payette has a wealth of experience, having played back home in his native Canada. Born in Cornwall, Ontario, Payette started out with the same junior team as Wayne Gretzky, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League.

From there Payette has played for the Mohawk Valley Prowlers of the UHL. The 
Philadelphia Phantoms, Rochester Americans, Lowell Lock Monsters, Manchester Monarchs, Houston Aeros, St John’s Maple Leafs & Manitoba Moose all of the American Hockey League. The AHL is just one rung down the Hockey ladder from the NHL. He has also lined up for the Ohio-based Toledo Storm of the ECHL.

Payette first arrived in Britain in 2004 playing for the Coventry Blaze in the Elite League, where he posted 490 PIM in 58 games, before spending the next four seasons with the Vipers. In 188 games on Tyneside he racked up an enormous 1,052 PIM. The following four seasons were then spent in Sheffield. While he also took in some action for the Manchester Phoenix of the EPL.
Payette was selected 244th overall in the 10th round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. That probably goes some way to explaining his high penalty minutes, having been exposed to a franchise that loves physical, some might say dirty, play.

Payette commented that he looks forward to linking up with David Longstaff once again.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to sign for the Whitley Warriors and work with David Longstaff once again. I work well with Lobby and it’ll be nice to concentrate on playing again after the last few years when I have been coaching and undertaking a number of other roles during my time with the Steeldogs in the EPL."
Having been signed as a veteran, Payette feels he has a lot of experience he can pass on to his younger team mates.
“A number of the Warriors squad were younger members of the Newcastle Vipers roster when I last played on Tyneside and it will be nice to see how they have progressed in the last few years. I hope I am able to help some of the younger players in the squad improve, during my time with the club."
It's fair to say the last few years have not been the best for the Hillheads team, and Payette feels turning the Warriors home ice into a fortress will be key to a successful season.
“I think the Warriors will surprise a number of teams this season and we are aiming to make Hillheads a rink no one wants to come to as they know they will be in for a tough game for the entire 60 minutes they have out on the ice.
With four seasons worth of coaching experience also under his belt, Payette wants to put that knowledge to good use by promoting the team in the correct way.
“I am hoping I am able to promote the Warriors to sports fans throughout the north east and it would be great to see some former Vipers fans coming along to support Whitley on a regular basis in the future. I will also be working on sponsorship ventures for the Warriors and any individuals or companies who would like find out more about potential opportunities are more than welcome to contact me to discuss matters”.


Andre Payette's full career stats can be found on HockeyDB:
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=24136