The Hull Stingrays line-up for the 2013/2014 Elite Ice Hockey League campaign was all but completed at tonight's fans forum with the announcement from player-coach Sylvain Cloutier that the club has signed up imports Chad Huttel and Matt Suderman, and hometown Brits Lee Bonner and Tom Ralph for the upcoming season.
In 30 year old Suderman it is again a case of Cloutier finally getting his man. The defenceman joins the Stingrays at the second time of asking, having previously agreed to join the club three years ago in 2010 prior to the club's untimely and temporary collapse, eventually joining the Dundee Stars before the Rays resurrection.
A tough defensive defenceman, he has previous experience in the now defunct United Hockey League, Southern Professional Hockey League and, primarily, the Central Hockey League - where he first caught the eye of Cloutier in 08/09 - while he has also spent a season in the Ligue Magnus in France with Morzine-Avoriaz.
A former seventh round draft pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2001, the Canadian spent a season north of the border in the Elite League following his spell in France, accumulating a goal and six assists as well as 186 penalty minutes in 57 games. Suderman was an alternate captain in Dundee and impressed enough to agree to return for a second season, only for a serious illness to rule him out of the whole of the 11/12 campaign.
After a year and a half out, he only returned to action in February this year with the SPHL's Mississippi Riverkings - recording an assist in three games - before he was loaned up the North American hockey pyramid for a two game spell in the CHL with the Bloomington Blaze.
At 6'3 and 236lbs, Suderman adds considerable and much needed size and strength to a side who's physical threat was likely to come in the form of Derek Campbell, who will, it is hoped, also be primarily but not solely focused to produce offensively for the club, player-coach Sylvain Cloutier and fellow defenceman Jeff Smith.
The blueliner is certainly more than happy dropping the gloves if required, having fought on 72 occasions over his junior and professional career - including a high of 12 fights with the CHL's Arizona Sundogs during 07/08. In his last stint in the UK, the rangy Canadian fought on six occasions with two bouts coming against the Stingrays favourite Jozef Sladok.
While his CV from the outset may raise concern - particularly given the amount of time spent out of the sport in the last two seasons - the Canadian is a tough competitor and fills a sizeable hole in the Rays roster. Cloutier will be hoping that Suderman's re-signing turns out better than the last time he re-visited a player initially signed in 2010. On that occasion in 11/12, club captain Josh Mizerek failed to live up to expectations.
Also joining the defensive ranks alongside Suderman, Martin Ondrej, Omar Pasha, Jeff Smith, Jamie Chilcott and Scott Robson on the Rays defence is American blueliner Chad Huttel.
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| Photo - Sheffield Steelers |
Similarly to Suderman, Huttel returns to the UK after time out of the sport. The 24 year old defenceman - who spent his rookie professional campaign with the Sheffield Steelers in 11/12 - joined the Texas based Fort Worth Brahmas on a try-out basis last summer only for an injury to his shoulder to rule him out for the season.
Prior to his three goal, 16 point spell down the M18 two seasons ago, Minnesota native Huttel spent four years at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, recording two goals, eight points and 125 penalty minutes over four seasons and 84 games. He capped a good college career in 10/11 by winning the NCAA national championship in 10/11 with a 3-2 overtime win over Michigan State at the Xcel Enegry Centre in St Paul, Minnesota.
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| Huttel, centre. Photo Jordan Doffing |
Huttel is generally viewed as a gritty, hard working and physical defenceman who plays above his size 5ft 10 frame. In his own words upon signing for Sheffield in 2011:
"I'm a rock solid defenseman. I play things simple, I look to move the puck quickly and get it out of my own zone as fast as possible. I might not be the biggest guy on the team but I love the physical side of the game. I don't back down, I compete. I only know how to give 110%."
The upcoming campaign will be Huttel's second season as a professional as he tries to put the injury problems of last season behind him.
Like Suderman, concerns may be raised over his time out of the sport - and likewise the fragility of a shoulder injury for a physical player - and a lack of offensive production so far in his career - a criticism aimed at him by many fans when he first joined Sheffield.
However, despite a relative slow start to his professional career in South Yorkshire, Huttel developed into a solid, reliable blueliner in the Elite League in 11/12. Cloutier will be hoping that, with that experience under his belt and the added responsibilities and reliance the Stingrays will naturally put on him, Huttel may prove to be one of the Stingrays most important signings this summer in anchoring the blueline.
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| Huttel fights former Stingray Andy McKinney. Photo Sheffield Star |
The additions of Huttel and Suderman give the Stingrays eight defencemen and 12 imports - including back-up Greg Blais - heading into the 13/14 campaign, thus all but ending any likelihood of popular captain Kurtis Dulle returning to the fold for a fourth season.
Dulle - who looks set to be replaced like-for-like by Pasha - spent three years at the club, recording 26 goals, 80 assists and 106 points as well as a staggering 398 penalty minutes in 151 games. Those figures put the him 14th in Stingrays all-time games played, second in Stingrays all-time pointscored by defenceman and third in Stingrays all-time PIM.
In may ways, it was Dulle's high PIM count that prevented him solidifying his spot as the perfect offensive defenceman. Often guilty of a lack of indiscipline and trying to do too much himself - if anyone can ever be accused of such a thing - Dulle was nevertheless up there as one of the best defencemen the Stingrays have been lucky enough to sign. His and Jereme Tendler's signing late in the 2010 off-season two of the best things to come from the club's near collapse.
As well as two imports, the club also added two Brits on two-way contract to their roster this evening.
16 year old forward Lee Bonner will join the Stingrays for his first taste of professional hockey next season and, although he is highly unlikely to play a significant role on the team, he is very highly thought of as a future prospect by Cloutier and team owner and assistant coach Bobby McEwan.
Bonner was top scorer for the Stingrays at U16 and U18 level last season and will play the apprentice role as tenth forward that so many, including Bobby Chamberlain who will play an important role on the Rays third line next season, have done in the past.
19 year old defenceman Ralph returns to the Stingrays on a two-way contract with the Whitley Bay Warriors having dressed in four Elite League games as a 17 and 18 year during 10/11 and 11/12.
The Hull born blueliner split last season between the Stingrays NIHL side and the Warriors - recording a goal and 13 assists in 23 games.
Meanwhile, the club also announced this evening a landmark 25th Anniversary game which will take place between the Stingrays and a squad of Hull ice hockey legends on 29th December. Further details of the event will follow but former Hull Thunder fan favourite Rob McCaig and Kingston Hawks defenceman Kelly Reed have already been confirmed as part of the legends team.
