Lost amongst the chaos of yet more ownership and league structure fluidity within Hull and the Elite League, the Hull Stingrays yesterday lost two more British players from their 11/12 roster with the news that Sam McCluskey and Tristan Harper have returned to Scotland to sign for Northern conference rivals Dundee Stars.
The pair - who were signed in a move that coincidentally saw Craig and Lee Mitchell move in the other direction - return for a second stint north of the border with their hometown club after contrasting years in Hull with the Stingrays.
21 year old McCluskey was the club's standout Brit and one of the most improved players over the course of the season, receiving top four minutes on the blueline - having ousted teammate Dan Scott - while icing in all situations in just his second full season in the EIHL. Having notched two goals and five assists in 54 games in his debut top flight season in 10/11, the Scottish defenceman hit one goal and five assists as an everpresent in all 64 games this term.
A likely future Great Britain international - similarly to former Stingrays prospects Dave Phillips and Stevie Lee - McCluskey's cool head and on-ice confidence belied his age as he stood above most defensively on a blueline and team defence that generally struggled in that area.
Speaking of the defenceman, new Dundee Stars player-coach Jeff Hutchins - who today also added Harper and fellow Dundee native Vince Connon - said:
"Sam is a kid with a lot of potential and he had a steady year at Hull, he had a lot of opportunity to play in key situations and I'm sure that helped develop his defensive skills."
Harper meanwhile struggled during a 40 game stint with the Stingrays which was decimated by poor form and then injury.
Starting the year mixed in with the team's top lines, he found it difficult to gain the kind of momentum which saw him rated highly and net eight goals and 16 points in 38 games with Dundee two years ago.
As a result of that lack of form the 23 year old was dropped down to the third line alongside Jack Watkins, Andy McKinney and occasionally Bobby Chamberlain. A shoulder injury then put paid to the large majority of the rest of his season as he admirably attempted a comeback playing with a shoulder brace before admitting defeat and undergoing shoulder surgery late in the post-season.
By his own admission, Harper - who was the only permanent Stingray not to score during 11/12 - will have been disappointed with his 40 game spell in Hull. Despite a tough year, it is believed he was initially interested in returning to put to bed the unfinished business he had from last season.
Indeed, the Hull Daily Mail revealed earlier in the week that Harper had spoken to Cloutier and was willing to listen to talk of a return:
"I last spoke to coach Sylvain Cloutier about a fortnight ago. He asked about my shoulder and how the summer is going. I think it was just about the time when they officially announced everything about the management team, but I haven't heard anything since then. I've been talking to two or three teams, but if Hull asked me to come back, I would be interested. I am not closing any doors. I don't want to make any official decision until my shoulder is up and running."
However, despite this statement, the Stars today announced that Harper will return to the club alongside friend McCluskey.
Upon signing Harper, Hutchins said his latest signing will play a big part in the Stars 12/13 campaign - which will see them pit against the Stingrays eight times in the regular season over the course of the year:
"I've told Tristan that he's going to be a guy that we will count on a lot. He'll get an opportunity to play alongside two imports and be a big part of what we do. I want to see the Tristan that I saw playing for Dundee two years ago."
The departure of two more British players - following Scott's decision last week to join the English Premier League's Slough Jets - leaves the Stingrays searching for a number of new British players for next season.
With Andy McKinney also set to leave, the club may be looking for as many as three replacement homegrown players - and that's depending on the club signing their maximum 11 imports, which may seem unlikely to some at this point given the frailty of the ownership.
Forwards Bobby Chamberlain and Matty Davies look like the two Brits most likely to return - though even that is uncertain - while British netminder Ben Bowns - who, if signed, would replace Christian Boucher between the pipes - is widely rumoured to have joined the club.
