Canadian-born defenceman Chris Norton is the latest Old Time Hockey UK guest, sharing stories from a six-year UK hockey journey that began after an NHL-drafted career spent mainly in the AHL and IHL. A chance conversation in Phoenix — helped by family ties to Manchester — led to his first UK move with the Ayr Raiders in 1992.
Chris's UK career quickly became a lesson in survival as teams folded around him. Ayr Raiders collapsed weeks into the season, followed by a short stint with Billingham Bombers, before he found a longer home with the Durham Wasps. There, he experienced fierce rivalries, relegation battles, and later captained the team to a playoff finish and Castle Eden Cup success.
Further spells with Teesside Bombers and a return to Durham followed amid financial chaos, before Chris signed with the Newcastle Cobras as player-assistant coach during the launch of the British Superleague. After two turbulent seasons, Chris and his wife Christina left the UK to begin a new chapter in Switzerland.
A fascinating look at resilience, instability, and life as an import during one of the most unpredictable eras in UK ice hockey.
