The YKK sponsored Widnes Wild are delighted to announce the return of ‘the King’ Kenny Armstrong for his 10th consecutive season with the club.

King Ken needs no introduction, leading the all-time game appearances for Widnes across their 9 seasons to date. Ken started playing in 1998 for Blackburn Juniors, before joining Altrincham 16s briefly, however following the rink closure the following year he took some time out, returning to the ice a few years later playing recreational hockey at Blackburn until signing for the Lancashire Raptors in 2009. Kenny then moved to fellow NIHL 2 side Blackburn Eagles in 2012, before joining Widnes for their debut game and season in 2013 where he has remained ever since. However, most notably Kenny was also called up to play in a Manchester Storm game in the 2017/18 season, which gave him a taste of what the higher leagues have to offer. 

In his 294 games for the Wild, Ken has posted a modest 43 points (16 goals + 27 assists) and racked up 52 PIMS but has arguably become a Widnes Wild legend due to his positive attitude and contribution to the squads he has lined up for over the years. Kenny will once again be icing in the iconic number 9 shirt and share his 20+ years of experience of the game on the bench with the team. 

Player-coach Joey Coulter said the following on Armstrong:

‘Ken Armstrong has been here since day one, the guy bleeds black and yellow and anytime he’s on the ice the fans go wild for him. The club has been fortunate for his services, and I’m very happy to bring him back for another season. Kenny can play a variety of roles; he showed last year that he can move up and down the line up with ease. He is an older head and I’m hoping he will make use of that experience to guide the younger guys and most importantly for me, he oozes character.’

Meanwhile Ken commented:

‘I’d like to thank Joey for wanting me back for another season with the Wild and giving me the chance to play with a great set of mates. If everyone plays the way Joey’s wanting us to play it should be another good season for the club and there’s no reason why we can’t add another trophy to the collection. The club has gone through lots of changes over the years, but it’s always been a great place to play hockey mostly because we’ve always had the same great fan base and a great set of volunteers that make a match night at Widnes one of the best in the league.’