Liam Manwarring has been working towards this moment for almost his entire life.
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Ever since he started skating on the ice at Warners Bay, aged five, Manwarring recalls a desire to not only play for the Newcastle Northstars but also lead the team out.
Almost two decades on and Hunter product Manwarring has achieved that goal, becoming the first homegrown captain of the Northstars in the Australian Ice Hockey League.
"It's something I've worked very hard for," the Mount Hutton 23-year-old said.
"I've been at the club going on 17 years now and I'm a homegrown boy through and through. I'm very honoured to takeover the role of captain at the Northstars."
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Born in Maitland and growing up at Lake Macquarie, Manwarring was appointed as Newcastle's skipper ahead of the 2022 season when the AIHL resumed from a two-year COVID hiatus.
He's the fifth person to hold the position since the club formed, following in the footsteps of overseas players Bill Jones (2002), Ray Sheffield (2003-2014), Rob Starke (2015) and Robert Malloy (2016-2019).
It's something not lost on Manwarring, who wants to be wearing the "C" badge on his jersey for at least the next decade.
"I know for me and the club it's a big thing. I'm 23 and hope to still be around for another 10 or 15 years at least. I want to wear the captain's badge for a long time," he said.
Manwarring says he and older brother Connor, a former Northstars player, were "taken under the wing" of Canadian import Francis Walker when first learning the craft at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium.
Having "got pretty lucky" to be taught by an expert, Manwarring rose through the ranks and eventually made his AIHL debut aged 16.
This turned into back-to-back national titles for the Northstars, with 2016 marking a league-high sixth flag and Newcastle's most recent.
Manwarring describes that as a "special" experience and hopes, one day, to lift the Goodall Cup himself.
"Rewinding my mind back to 2005, my second year of skating, and I still remember the Northstars winning the championship in Newcastle," he said.
"It sort of drove me and gave the motivation. I'd love to be able to lift the cup as captain, it's something I've always wanted."
Manwarring sees no reason why Newcastle's "deep roster" can't push for another premiership in 2022.
The Northstars are unbeaten this campaign with three wins from the opening two weekends - twice beating the Melbourne Mustangs (7-4, 3-1) and also the Melbourne Ice (9-2).
They host 2019 champions the Sydney Bears on Saturday (5:30pm).
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Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
