Sylvain Cloutier has for the second year in a row been forced to assemble his Hull Stingrays squad in double quick time and, although most Stingrays fans will be grateful to even have a top flight team to watch this coming season, his hard work looks to have paid off on paper with not just a roster but a competitive looking 19 man roster.
From back to front Cloutier has assembled and then reassembled a squad he believes is capable of finally dragging the Stingrays into the playoffs on merit and, while they may not win the league, playoff qualification looks more than possible from the outset in a highly competitive bottom half of the table.
It was at the back where Cloutier began when rebuilding his side. His first call once he learnt of the clubs reformation rang straight to the phone of number one netminder Christian Boucher. Boucher did the Dutch double last year with Nijmegen Devils, he dragged Rio Grande Valley into the CHL playoffs the year before and regularly stoned Cloutier's Corpus Christi in the same season. He is hopefully the answer to the clubs troubles between the metalwork. Whether it be injury prone Miroslav Bielik, formless Ladislav Kudrna, useless Tommy Sandahl or past his best Curtis Cruikshank, the Rays have very rarely got it right in that key area of the team, regardless of age, nationality or resume.
The second half of last season was the closest they have come with Martins Raitums between the pipes the clubs season turned on its head after Christmas despite the Latvian facing a barrage of rubber. 26 year old Boucher will have to replicate Raitums showings while remaining consistent for the whole 56 game schedule. Time will tell if he can do the job ahead of returning back up Andrew Jaszczyk but in this years average looking class of EIHL netminders, he should place somewhere near the middle of the pack
This summer Cloutier has done his best to rebuild a defence that was largely to blame for the hemorrhage of 234 goals in front of Sandahl and Raitums last term. Initially opting for five defencemen under the Packs, Pavel Gomenyuk, George Halkidis and James Hutchinson were shipped out immediately following the end of last season as a fresh start was sought. However, returnee Stephen Burns and new signings Guillaume Lepine, Matt Suderman and Joshua Mizerek, who was set to become club captain, signed and then left as the club died and reformed.
Those departures left the club with just the bare bones, returning Brit Craig Mitchell and former Basingstoke import Trevor Read the only players signed and confirmed twice for the 10/11 season.
Nevertheless, Cloutier rebuilt his squad and the end product saw his D increase both physically and in numerical size and strength, something which will please the Stingrays long suffering fans that have year after year seen their team and defence disintegrate to injuries.
On the whole, the presence of the so called 'twin towers', Slovakian Jozef Sladok and Latvian Kris Grundmanis, both 6'5 and under 23 years old, should be something of a deterrent and significantly increased the average height of the squad. While their size may make protecting and clearing the way in front of Boucher that bit easier, their youthful exuberance should give them a fearless attitude when playing the physical game. Concerns over their skating abilities have been allayed by initial reports although the real test will be 60 minutes of Elite League action, nevertheless both have experience in North American hockey so should be used to the physical style of game.
The only Brit and only returnee from last season on the blueline is young Scot Mitchell. At 19 and already entering his third year in the Elite League he will be hoping to build from a solid if unspectacular sophomore season. Outlasting and outperforming fellow Brit Hutchinson last season was an achievement, increasing his contribution this year will be another impressive achievement as expectations of him continue to grow.
Canadians Kurtis Dulle and Read are undoubtedly the two standout defencemen on the Rays defensive roster, key to the clubs success. The duo will be required to set an example defensively while also providing an attacking spring to the lineup particularly during powerplays and on the rush.
Copyright Danny Fritsche
Saskatchewan native Dulle has been installed as captain in place of Glowa and then no-show Mizerek, and as number one defenceman will have to lead by example at the back with Read named as one of two deputies.
Read has experience in the Elite League and it will be hoped that his 30 point form from his time with Basingstoke two years will return after recording just four assists in 23 games in the French league last year. Reports on the former ECHL and CHLer are quietly good from Bison fans after he excelled in their infamous 'Bison Ten' season, however, his poor offensive stats in Europe could be a concern.
Finally, Aivars Gaisins the Rays second Latvian acquisition this summer rejoins Cloutier having had his first year in the UK cut very short by a wrist injury. It is the addition of the 28 year old that has allowed Clouiter to utilise the full set of 12 allowed imports in the fast approaching season after he appeared in just two games last year before going down to a broken wrist.
Already living and working in the city, it is thought that Gaisins is cheap and, having been retained for another year by Cloutier, good enough to warrant a roster spot again this year. Although he may be the easily forgotten signing of the defensive corps, he is perhaps the most important signing, giving the Rays the luxury of a six strong defence, something they will almost certainly require given the rigours and strains of a 56 game league season.
In all, the Rays strength on the blueline appears to be in their size, strength in numbers and physicality, and although the latter of these attributes will have to be proven on opening night and continually thought the season, early indications are encouraging in comparison to last seasons final weekend roster.
Offensively much of the Rays attacking brunt has been retained, with core forwards Jason Silverthorn, Konstantin Kalmikov and Lee Mitchell all returning, both before and after the clubs brief closure, giving Cloutier the luxury of an attack that last year netted 65 of the clubs 152 goals.
As big as the loss of club legend Jeff Glowa is, the 34 year forward isn't getting any younger and the time would come to leave or retire sooner or later. Sniper Curtis Huppe is another that has departed and although not entirely amicable his resignation is another that works for both parties. The Manitoban undoubtedly had the potential to change a game at the flick of his wrist, unfortunately, four goals against Sheffield aside, he failed turn that potential into game winning ability in part because of his work ethic or lack of. His and Glowa's departures may immediately make the Stingrays a better, younger side freeing up no doubt a healthy size of the clubs budget as well as two important import slots.
While the pair left a potentially sizable hole in the clubs offensive power, accounting for 32 goals and 92 points last year, their departure to the EPL along with James Archer's post-collapse defection to Manchester freed up funds for Cloutier to sign three imports in their place.
The mixed bag that replaced them include Finnish top flight defensive centre Matti Uusivirta, college rookie Andrew Coburn and streaky CHL scorer Jereme Tendler. Like for like the club looks a little weaker with experienced EIHLers Huppe and Glowa certainties to rack up points, however, the depth and adaptability of these signings on first inspection gives the club depth charts a much needed boost.
Unknown they may be, but goals and points are a distinct possibility from the trio with Coburn the only real completely unknown quantity entering his first year as a pro after finishing his time at the University of Alabama - Huntsville.
Meanwhile, local lads and fan favourites Matty Davies and Lee Esders are welcome returnees and will again provide energy and chip in with ccasional goals, a better return than last season will be a welcome surprise and boost to the offence.
Adding Brits Ryan Lake and Ben Lowe to the trio of new signings and pair of returning Brits gives even more depth to the lineup, again a relieving change to recent seasons with the 11 forwards on the roster just one short of giving the coach four lines to chose from.
The biggest change in tac this season from last is, as has been stressed, the greater spread in talent and ability, and the overall depth of the team. As is often the case at the beginning of the season there seem few weaknesses, other than the type of all around quality on paper that teams at the top of the table can afford and the Rays cannot.
Thankfully, the game isn't played on paper and come 5.30pm next Sunday the Stingrays will against all odds return to the ice with a fresh slate and an exciting new beginning with a competitive looking squad.
