Clarke and Tindale inducted into UK ice hockey Hall of Fame

David Clarke and Hep Tindale have been inducted into the UK Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.

Each year, the Hall of Fame selection committee recognises individuals – usually players but also coaches, match officials and administrators – who have rendered outstanding service to British ice hockey.

Clarke began his career with his home-town club Peterborough and also iced for Newcastle (ISL), Milton Keynes (BNL), London (ISL) and Guildford (BNL), before joining Nottingham Panthers in 2003.

He scored 366 goals and 722 points in the Elite League and won 92 Great Britain caps, which is currently fourth on the all-time list.

George Hepple Holt Tindale, always known as Hep, was a County Durham native. He enjoyed a long and productive career with his local Wasps from the 1960s to the 1980s, playing defence and centre, and in later seasons was their player‑coach.

Tindale learned to skate in the Durham rink at the age of 10, working his way up through the junior system from the Mosquitoes to the Hornets and joining the senior Wasps at 15.

Clarke said: “I am so honoured to receive this very special recognition.

“To be recognised for playing the sport you love is so humbling and I would like to thank everyone involved in the nomination process.”

Stewart Roberts, who is a member of the selection committee, said: “David Clarke was one of the easiest choices the committee has ever had to make.

“He’s a legend in Nottingham ice hockey and one of the all-time best players in the long history of our national team.

“We rate him so highly that we have awarded him the rare honour of being one of the few players to be inducted as soon as the Hall’s time limit of one year from retirement expired.

“The name Hep Tindale probably won’t mean much to the modern hockey fan but, on reviewing his career, we felt his scoring and leadership achievements with the famous Durham Wasps club and for his country, richly deserved some overdue recognition.”

PLAYER BIOS:

David Clarke

The GB forward is perhaps the most illustrious of Nottingham Panthers’ British-born players. Establishing himself as a fan favourite soon after he joined the team in season 2003-04, he went on to play 764 games in Elite League competitions, scoring 731 points (370 goals) in 14 campaigns, before his retirement at the end of 2017-18. He was among the club’s top three points-getters in six different seasons and led the scoring twice.

Panthers won the Challenge Cup in his first season – the first of his seven cup successes – and in 2006-07 he captained the team to the first of five playoff titles. In all, he was named team captain in four different seasons and an assistant captain in no fewer than eight campaigns. He played a key role in the Panthers’ first league title in over half a century in 2012-13.

Clarkey was a valuable member of the club in numerous cup competitions, as well as internationally where the highlight was a first British victory in the prestigious Continental Cup in 2016-17. He served as an assistant coach in his last two years.

Prior to joining the Panthers, he enjoyed five years with his hometown side Peterborough Pirates and one with Guildford Flames, as well as making 52 appearances in the Superleague with Newcastle Jesters and London Knights, and with Milton Keynes Kings in the British National League.

David’s 92 caps with GB (fourth best all-time) were achieved between 2000 and 2017, and he was the team’s assistant captain on four occasions. He is GB’s fifth highest all-time scorer with 67 points (29 goals), a record that covers three Olympic Qualifying competitions and 15 straight World Championship tournaments until he missed the 2015 games because of injury. He was also capped 22 times for GB at five World Junior Championship tournaments.

Keen for some overseas experience, he dressed 10 times for Adelaide Avalanche in the Australian League in 1999-2000 and for 12 games in 2007-08 with HC Alleghe of Italy. A banner representing his no. 5 jersey has been raised to the rafters of the National Ice Centre in honour of his huge contribution to Nottingham Panthers.

Hep Tindale


George Hepple Holt Tindale, always known as Hep, was a County Durham native. He enjoyed a long and productive career with his local Wasps from the 1960s to the 1980s, playing defence and centre, and in later seasons was their player‑coach.

A prolific scorer, Hep was in the top-10 of the Northern League points table five times – in 1968-69, 1969-70, 1973-74 (fifth), 1976-77 (second with 50 points from 13 games) and 1980‑81 when he tallied 56 points from 22 games, with Wasps’ Canadian imports taking the first three spots. He was also among the leading scorers in the Autumn Cup in 1975‑76, 1976-77 and 1978-79.

After topping his club with a princely 49 points in 21 games in 1964-65, he was selected 18 times for Great Britain on three World Championship sides – Pool B in 1965 and 1966 and Pool C in 1971.

Born in October 1937, Tindale learned to skate in the Durham rink at the age of 10, working his way up through the junior system from the Mosquitoes to the Hornets and joining the senior Wasps at 15. He was on the side that twice won the prestigious Northern Tournament, in 1957 and again the next year.

His achievements were recognised with a place on the All-Star B team in 1967-68, 1969‑70 and 1976-77. He retired as a player in 1983 but only after captaining Durham in the first Heineken-sponsored British Championship final at Streatham, at the age of 45.