MANCHESTER Storm's Shane Bakker has signed a new deal at the club ahead of the 2018/19 campaign.

A popular player with the Storm fans, head coach Ryan Finnerty is delighted Bakker has penned a new contract.

He said: "Shane is our enforcer who does a lot of work that doesn’t get noticed but he gets amongst the opposition players to unsettle their game.

"He is also a great player to have on the ice and is very capable of making things happen, creating chances for the team.”

The new season is just eight weeks away with six exhibition fixtures leading up to the Elite League opener.

Storm host Fife Flyers on August 22 then Danish outfits Odense and Aalborg three days' later.

On August 29 they visit Fife before home games against two German sides – EC Badtolz and EIS Priraten on September 1 and 2 respectively.

Finnerty added: "The great season we had last term is now confined to the record books as we look forward to the new campaign.

"These games will give Mike Morin and myself the chance to try things out and find our best permutations for the new season which starts on the weekend of September 8/9.”