Former captain Herr rejoins Nottingham Panthers

Sam Herr was named in the EIHL's First All-Star Team in his only previous season playing for the Panthers

Former Nottingham Panthers captain Sam Herr has rejoined the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) side for the 2024-25 season.

The 31-year-old American was the British top flight's leading points scorer in his only previous season with the Panthers, with 30 goals and 29 assists for a total of 59 points from 46 league games.

He left after the Covid-19 interrupted campaign of 2019-20 and joined Austrian side Innsbruck before spending three seasons in Germany's second division with Ravensburg Towerstars.

Herr skippered the southern German club to the championship title in the 2022-23 season, and scored 149 points in his three years with the Towerstars.

"I felt the love from day one in Nottingham last time," Herr said.

"I'm smiling, I'm head over heels excited, my family's excited and we're so happy to be coming back."

The former University of Notre Dame forward, who moved to Nottingham in 2019 after leaving American Hockey League side Ontario Reign, joins a rebuilding Panthers side now led by head coach Danny Stewart.

"To now return to Nottingham, it's a new challenge for me and there's more pep in my step than I had at the beginning of this summer," Herr said.

Panthers boss Stewart said Herr returns as a "clear-cut fan favourite" and "brings leadership" to a side searching for their first major piece of silverware since 2017.

"It's a big signing for us," Stewart said.