SHAUN Thompson has re-signed for Bracknell Bees as one of 13 players to commit to the club for the forthcoming season.

Thompson (pictured above), 30, is a former Great Britain Under 18 and U20 international who returned to the club midway through the 2016-17 season having spent a number of years at Basingstoke Bison.

He has also played Elite League ice hockey for Nottingham Panthers, and scored at exactly two points per game for the Bees last season.

Bees’ head coach Doug Sheppard said: “Shaun is a great two-way centre. He can create a lot offensively with his skill and hockey IQ, and defensively he is extremely reliable in all situations.”

Among the other players to sign on is powerful forward Ryan Watt, who returns to the Bees for a third time having played for Streatham last term.

Sheppard said: “Ryan has great leadership qualities, can play a number of different styles with his offensive skill level and has a physical presence on the ice.”

Following the departure of netminder Alex Mettam, Sheppard has also acted quickly to fill that vacancy, with treble-winning Dean Skinns joining from Basingstoke Bison.

He backstopped his former club to a League, Southern Play-offs and National Play-offs treble with a league save percentage of .919 and an even more impressive play-off save percentage of .963.

Sheppard said: “With Dean I know exactly what I’m getting, a proven goalie who’s won silverware.

“He’s a big-game goalie and seems to play his best when it matters most. Dean is someone who’s familiar with Bracknell and has played here before. It should be a comfortable environment for him.”

On returning to the Bees, Skinns added: “I’m excited to be back in Bracknell. I enjoyed my time here before and I’m looking forward to facing the challenges of the new season.”

The other 10 players to commit to Bracknell are Harvey Stead, Danny Milton, Josh Smith, Josh Martin, Ryan Sutton, Stuart Mogg, Aidan Doughty, Joe Baird, Brendan Baird and Ben Paynter.