Stingrays add British duo

The Excel Hull Stingrays today announced their fifth and sixth new British signings of the summer with the confirmation that forward Bobby Chamberlain and netminder Andy Brummitt will wear the yellow and blue next season.

Hull born Chamberlain joins the club at the age of just 16 after spending last year in Canada with junior side the OHA Mavericks. Racking up 14 goals and 30 points in their Minor side, he then went on to record four points in six games with the Major team in the second tier of junior hockey in Canada.

While the opportunity to play the game at a higher level may or may not have transpired, Chamberlain has made the decision to return home to sign his rookie contract with the Stingrays. Having seen the youngster named to the All Star team and named MVP at the 2010 Conference Tournament in Hull, Rays coach Sylvain Cloutier was quick to sign the 16 year old prospect to his first deal:

"Bobby played in Canada last year and is another up-and-coming player. I saw him play in my first year with the club and was really impressed. He went off to Canada and has improved his game further. He had opportunities to stay over there and try out for some junior teams but he wanted to be part of the Hull Stingrays. Bobby is a big kid who can play physical and has a lot of talent. He is going to get a lot of ice time this season. We will be patient with him...He is a local kid and we want to give these guys a chance to play for their hometown team."

Questions may indeed be raised about his size and age and whether it is sensible to put pit someone 16 and 172lbs against someone 29 and 200lbs, however, as the Rays have seen many times in the past, giving talented youngsters the opportunity to play at a higher level at a young age can and will eventually bear fruit.

While former Rays coach Rick Strachan was more often the villain than the hero, one of the things he got right was to give youth a chance to shine whenever and wherever possible. Kevin Phillips, Dave Phillips, Stevie Lee, Luke Boothroyd and Lee Esders, amongst others, were all give their first significant ice-time under the Canadian and thrived as a result, going on to bigger and better things.

In his first two years in charge Cloutier has continued where Strachan left off, giving players like Ben Lowe and Andy Hirst significant ice-time as well as two way contract players opportunities where possible. With Stingrays assistant coach Bobby McEwan being named as Peter Johnson's replacement as Head of Junior Development at the Kingston Junior Ice Hockey club earlier in the year, there are now clear and obvious links all the way from under-10 to Elite League level at the Hull Arena and it is these links Cloutier hopes use and develop in the future:

"..We want to give these guys a chance to play for their hometown team. With our affiliation with minor hockey in Hull, more of those youngsters are going to be given their chance over the next few years."

18 year old keeper Brummitt - a signing from the Chelmsford organisation - may be another to benefit from the renewed links between the Kingston Junior club and the Stingrays. The Harlow born stopper has joined the Stingrays as replacement for the outgoing backup Andy Jaszczyk, who last week revealed he would not be returning to the club for a fourth season, however, in order to aid his development Brummitt will primarily serve as starting keeper for English National League North side Kingston Jets next term.

Although he will be training with the Rays but primarily icing for Kingston - during which time his absence will be covered by young Bradford netminder Liam Jackson - the shorter ENL season dictates he will still backup starter Christian Boucher in the majority of the Rays EIHL fixtures.

Likable Rotherham born stopper Jaszczyk was largely faultless in his three year spell with the club but at 22 reached the make or break stage that many British netminders hit after a couple of years as backup at a club.

Having seen his ice time cut from 9 appearances under Strachan in 08/09 to just three last season, failing to start any despite Edinburgh's weak presence in the league, the player and club decided to go their separate ways for next season. Cloutier said this of his former keeper:

"Jazzy has done a great job for us over the past two years I have been here and I wish him nothing but the best for the future. But I just felt it was time for a change and to bring someone fresh in."

His replacement Brummitt has spent the opening three years of his career bouncing between U18, ENL 2 and ENL 1 levels in Chelmsford, last season icing in four games with the first team registering an impressive 1.32 goals against average and 95.1sv%. He was spotted playing at Hull Arena earlier in the year and Cloutier immediately moved to sign the youngster:

"I was very impressed with Andy when I saw and spoke to him. Andy is very ambitious and is not just coming here to sit on the bench.. He is determined to improve, he wants to play and I like his attitude. He is very motivated. He will play some games with the Kingston Jets. When they do not have a game Andy will be with us. It will help him stay sharp so if called upon, he can do a job for us."

One player now not returning to Hull is 22 year old forward Lee Esders. The hardworking fan favourite spent four years in Hull impressively improving from a niggly three goal, four point forward in his debut campaign to a third line grinder capable of 11 goals and 18 points in 09/10.

The Beverley born winger started last season slowly, eventually improving to record ten goals, eight assists and 18 points again after being named East Yorkshire Sports Personality of the Year. However, he continually failed to crack the club's top two lines during his four seasons in Hull,  although not for lack of trying, and he now looks set to leave the club.

While Cloutier will undoubtedly wanted to have re-signed Esders, it is rumoured that both Braehead Clan and Sheffield Steelers are interested, with a tenth forward spot on the Rays South Yorkshire rivals looking most likely.

Jaszczyk and Esders double departure will be the fourth and fifth British exits from Hull Arena this summer following Lee and Craig Mitchell signing in Dundee and Andy Hirst returning to Sheffield, with as yet unannounced forwards Ryan Lake and Ben Lowe now the only possible homegrown returnees from last term.

Excel Hull Stingrays 10/11 Season Review: At The Back

All photos copyright Arthur Foster

Netminders

Christian Boucher (61GP 3.68GAA 89.5sv.% 3 assists 0PIM)

Grade: C+

Return: Yes

Brought to the club on the back of a double winning season in Holland with a reputation for winning games on his own, the likeable Canadian had a somewhat average, fairly unnoticeable first year in the UK this season. While the he may not have won many games singlehandedly, the netminder also rarely if ever cost his side points or a win and that was certainly a positive in his second year in Europe. Behind a defence that was, prior to the arrival of Drew Bannister, frail, Boucher remained relatively solid and that continued when the former NHLer arrived. An obvious low point for the Ontario native was the 12-0 thrashing in Cardiff in Bannister's first game, in which he played the full 60 minutes, facing 42 shots, however, he rebounded well allowing just one goal the following night at home to Nottingham. Often caught out by both one timers at the back post and breakaways, the latter not helped by consistently poor team line changes or a slow retreating blueline, Boucher to his credit was an ever-present in the lineup and played at a ridiculously consistent level all year long, rarely slipping from that level. That reliability is key for Elite League netminders and as such his chance of returning looks high, nevertheless, his apparent lack of match winning ability did have some questioning whether Cloutier would roll the dice the summer looking for a keeper capable of winning a game on his own. The 27 year old NCAA graduate is a favourite in Hull and could certainly feel hard done by were he not at least offered the chance to return.

Andrew Jaszczyk (3GP 4.04GAA 85.7sv.%)

Grade: C-

Return: Yes

Backup netminder is undoubtedly the hardest role to play in British hockey and 21 year old Jaszczyk found that out more than ever this season, when his ice time was halved for a third consecutive year for no apparent reason. Statistically there isn't much to judge in the Brits three bit part appearances this season that totaled just 47 minutes. Even under circumstances such as Edinburgh's mid-season demise - normally perfect backup territory - the Rotherham born stopper remained on the bench more often than not. Unsurprising, given the team was chasing 6th place right up to the penultimate weekend of the year but nevertheless frustrating for Jaszczyk, who must now make a decision on his future ambition within the sport. A seemingly popular member of the squad that plays a number of important duties off-ice for Cloutier, he would undoubtedly be a welcome returnee for the Stingrays, and with starting opportunities in the English Premier League limited that would appear to be the obvious choice, unless a return to regular ice-time in the third tier English National League is preferred by the 21 year old.

Defencemen

Craig Mitchell (25GP 1+4 25PIM)

Grade: C-

Return: No

The younger of the Mitchell brothers, defenceman Craig returned for his second year in Stingrays colours hoping more ice-time and another year under his belt would propel him into contention for the Great Britain national side. Unfortunately, the 20 year old was largely robbed of that opportunity after breaking his arm blocking a shot in the club's second game of the year, a 6-1 loss in Braehead. A solid, dependable defenceman that Cloutier had a lot of faith in, Mitchell returned to action in November after just over a month out but was then again sidelined to a shoulder ligament injury, returning against Coventry in February only to find the injury had not healed. The former Edinburgh defenceman then allegedly had a closed doors disagreement with the club over the extent of the injury and didn't return, handing in his notice to leave Hull before the club's final games of the year, signalling the end of his brief two-year stint with the club.

Trevor Read (61GP 7+22 55PIM)

Grade: D

Return: No

Former Basingstoke defenceman Read came to the Stingrays after a below average year in France and almost immediately caused concern with his lack of pace, defensive mistakes and poor shot from the point. In short, at that point there was very little the Canadian did right on a blueline that had a huge deficiency in speed and was often caught out of position. The release of Latvian Kriss Grundmanis and signature of former NHLer Drew Bannister changed that though as Cloutier paired Read with the veteran signed from the AHL. Awful pre-Bannister, Read was now a fairly solid, if unspectacular part of the Rays defensive corps. Sure, mistakes were still made and Bannister's arrival didn't magically bless the 27 year old with speed or a good shot but he did improve his all around play and positioning, even if some believe that may have been down to Bannister's presence. Nevertheless, it is a credit to Read's character that he persevered throughout and it was definitely appreciated by the club's fans that he had faith to remain with the club post-summer collapse.

Kurtis Dulle (61GP 12+31 132PIM)

Grade: B+

Return: Yes

A late replacement for captain-to-be Joshua Mizerek, who re-signed in Holland after the club's collapse, Dulle turned out to be one of the captures of the summer by Cloutier. The offensive defenceman that the club had been craving since the days of Kevin Young and Craig Minard, he was named as an unlikely but more than capable captain in Mizerek's place and ended up an ever present in the Stingrays lineup. With his natural strengths going forward, bringing the puck forward from the back, his continuous hard work often went unnoticed as did his defensive play. The only minor criticism that could be aimed at the 31 year old is that he took too many penalties as he somehow clocked up a mammoth 132 minutes with no fighting majors. Still, the majority of this may be attributed to trying to do too much and often getting caught forward, which is understandable given the Rays lack of offensively capable defenceman. There has been talk of him retiring after spending this summer playing in the Australian league with the Sydney Bears, however, with Cloutier likely to have offered a contract, another year with the Stingrays could prove tempting.

Aivars Gaisins (49GP 0+4 81PIM)

Grade: C-

Return: No

Gaisins returned to the club for a second season and filled a hole on the Stingrays blueline, much like Trevor Read, after a debut year in which he was restricted to just two games after injury. The Latvian was signed as the club's sixth defenceman as a result of living and working locally but was called on increasingly this year after Craig Mitchell injury woes. As an import that was likely cheaper than the equivalent Brit, Gaisins was very useful in the higher import limit EIHL, however, his place in the team next year may be more difficult to justify after the Elite League decided to drop that limit from 12 to 10. While a handy, gritty player to have as a sixth or seventh defenceman, Gaisins probably isn't good enough to secure a full role in next seasons ten import Stingrays with the occasional mistake to his game at Elite League level and very few points. Nevertheless, it is likely he will remain in the city in his full-time job so should the Rays lack of depth on D strike once again he should be available to slot in as and when, assuming he most likely continues training with the side.

Drew Bannister (34GP 5+15 50PIM)

Grade: A

Return: Yes

Former NHLer Bannister signed on as player-assistant coach as one of the club's biggest ever signings after a full season captaining Binghampton Senators in the AHL in 09/10 and he easily stepped in to the place left by towering Latvian youngster Kriss Grundmanis, a bizarre player switch but one that obviously proved to be mightily effective for the Stingrays. Ignoring his debut, that now infamous 12-0 thrashing at the hands of Cardiff live on Sky Sports, Bannister made an immediate impact on the Rays blueline turning a previously slow, sloppy defensive unit into one that was one relatively stable. Although there were still issues at the back, mostly related to the opposition getting in behind the defence all too regularly and too easily, Bannister's impact was obvious, particularly on Trevor Read's game, which improved no end when he joined the club. Individually, club Defenceman of the Year Bannister was cool and calm on the puck, tenacious and hard working off it and as experienced and clever as they come, as would be expected for a D man that has played in three of the world's top leagues. Whether the seasoned pro returns to Hull for one last season at the age of 37 remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, he will go down as one of the best ever defenceman to take to the ice as a Stingray.
 

MIA

Kriss Grundmanis (17GP 1+1 19PIM)

Grade: D-

Return: No

Signed as one of two towering European blueliners, Grundmanis never truly looked cut out for Elite League hockey and ultimately paid for lacking the physical, enforcing abilities of Jozef Sladok. The Latvian began the year being sucker punched by Cardiff's Justin Sawyer and his 17 game spell didn't get much better with his lack of physical play often frustrating for a 6'5 defenceman. Another likeable player but unfortunately one that came to the Rays too soon and was clearly too inexperienced for the British top flight. He ended his stay with the club by scoring his only goal in a 17 game spell with a fine individual effort against Coventry before joining English Premier League side Sheffield Steeldogs, where he played out the rest of the year, impressing in the process.

Also iced: James Hutchininson and Thomas Jeffrey (EPL Peterborough Phatoms), Thomas Ralph (ENL Kingston Jets)

Brit trio commit ahead of October first fixture

British trio Lee Esders, Andrew Jaszczyk and Matty Davies have today become the first three players to commit to the Hull Stingrays, player-coach Sylvain Cloutier and new Coventry based ownership group for the upcoming 10/11 Elite League campaign.

Fan favourite Esders, 21, will return for his fourth year in Hull, where he has a cumulative total of 24 goals and 16 assists, while fellow forward Davies has re-signed for a second year in the city, having registered one goal and nine assists in 51 games last season.

Netminder Jaszczyk also returns to Hull, again as backup keeper, having previously signed to ice behind Canadian Christian Boucher, who is another that is likely to remain with the club. The former first choice keeper at the Kingston Jets will be hoping to gain more ice time than the six games he iced in last year, during which he registered a 4.24 goals against average and a 87.7sv.%.

Hull trained forwards Esders and Davies and Rotherham born Jaszczyk have remained faithful to Cloutier and the club they iced for last season, and will line up for the Stingrays first game under new ownership on Sunday 3 October with a home Challenge Cup fixture against the Cardiff Devils.

The game will mark a new and exciting era at the club, and will see the Rays ice in their first game without former owners Mike and Sue Pack at the helm. Excitement is already building in the city following the clubs near miss this summer and new club director Mike Cowley is urging fans to welcome the team back to the ice, promising an 'opening night to remember':

"If people have plans for that night, they need to cancel them! If there's something they want to watch on the TV, record it. We want the return of the Stingrays to be something special!"

While off-ice preparations are undoubtely important for a club that is essentially starting from scratch, the team on the ice will ultimately go a distance to deciding the success of the club as a business and for that reason coach Cloutier has an important job on his hands.

He is charged with the job of ensuring that the remaining ten players to not have already re-signed, or signed elsewhere, do arrive in Hull for late September's week long training camp.

While Jason Silverthorn, who is all but announced as returning to the club, will be an important first import signing, brothers Lee and Craig Mitchell are absolutely crucial given the dearth of available British talent so late in the summer.

Their return would be a massive boost to the new ownership and, on top of the trio re-signed today, would give the club a good footing to build from, while their failure to return would be a big blow to a new ownership looking to get off to a good start.

The club will outline their plans for that good start and announce season ticket packages as well as other details at a fans forum next Thursday.

Stingrays Fans Forum Pt.1: British core are back

After an agonisingly long wait Sylvain Cloutier finally officially revealed seven of his signings for the Stingrays 10/11 Elite League season tonight at the Stingrays Fans Forum, amongst which were British five re-signings and two new arrivals, Chris Korchinski and Joshua Mizerek.

The British players re-joining player-coach Cloutier, who was present alongside bench coach Bobby Haig and defenceman Stephen Burns, next season is backup netminder Andrew Jaszczyk, siblings Lee and Craig Mitchell, and local forwards Lee Esders and Matty Davies.

It was also revealed that the Rays will be going with just ten imports of an allowed 12 next year, meaning the five returning British players will have added impoteus and importance in the upcoming season.

Hull Stingrays 2009-2010 Season Review: At The Back

Netminders

Martins Raitums (23GP 3.68GAA 90.1SV.%)

Grade: B

Return: Yes

Signing the Latvian stopper was probably one of Sylvain Cloutier's best decisions all year as his signature turned the Rays fortunes on their head. In contrast to Tommy Sandahl, whom he replaced, he was solid and confident between the pipes, even behind the Rays creaky defence, and he was also assured when playing the puck. He signalled his quality in his debut at the Hull Arena when a magnificent double save and a couple of very good glove saves immediately endeared him to home fans and, one or two unfortunate goals aside, set him up for an impressive first season away from Eastern Europe. As you would imagine from a netminder that once faced Canada at the World Championships, Raitums handled Elite League hockey well and he would be a solid and stable re-signing, who, based on form, should return. Nevertheless, although he is indeed a good bet to return, Cloutier may still explore his options.

Andy Jaszczyk (6GP 4.24GAA 87.7SV.%)

Grade: C-

Return: Yes

This time last year it was stated that back-up netminder was probably the most unfair in British ice hockey. Well for the Jaszczyk, who last year iced in 13 games, his job just got a whole bit hard because, despite Tommy Sandahl's early struggles in net, his ice time was cut in half this year under Sylvain Cloutier. Nevertheless, he has improved his save percentage to something a bit more respectable and, even without a significant ice time, he appears to be progressing between the pipes. Another year or two as back-up with the Stingrays should see him improve even more ahead of the eventual standard move to the EPL, however, moving too soon, as former backup Tom Chamberlain did, could be a mistake.

Defencemen

Craig Mitchell (58GP 1+9 44PIM)

Grade: C+

Return: Yes

The younger of the Mitchell's was probably the Stingrays most consistent defenceman in his sophomore season in the Elite League. Like the rest of the Rays defensive corps, he was not without the odd hiccup, however, his were fewer and less obvious than the rest and, in general he provided the team with a steady but reliable defenceman that would be exactly where you expected and needed him. His return should be un-questioned and it is expected that Cloutier will re-sign the Scot, however, an offer from Scotland, particularly new side Braehead, could prove inviting.

James Hutchinson (47GP 1+4 44PIM)

Grade: D

Return: No

A lot was, perhaps unfairly, expected of the defenceman after a treble winning season in the EPL last season in which he recorded a massive 58 points in 54 games. Fast forward 51 games and he ended his first season as a Stingray with a poultry goal and 4 assists in the British top flight. While his offensive production was disappointing, his lack of strength in other areas was what caused most concern, with his positioning, on occasion, skating and slapshot from the blueline most concerning. The effort and desire was certainly evident from the 26 year old and he did fill a gap on the roster without being totally and completely outclassed in the Elite League, however, it would not be unexpected if Cloutier to looked elsewhere this summer.

Pavel Gomenyuk (47GP 5+25 97PIM)

Grade: C-

Return: No

After a brilliant return to form last season, Gomenuk continued the trend of one good season, one bad season in Rays colours by failing to live up to last season's standards. In reality, netting 13 goals was always going to be difficult but that is perhaps what Cloutier expected from the stocky Ukrainian and he certainly didn't expect the volume of mistakes that materialised towards the end of the season, including a particularly embarrassing slip against former side Newcastle which handed the Vipers a goal. It is that number of mistakes, his lack of goals, especially with the potential of his menacing slapshot from the blueline, and his lack of pace when getting back defensively that place question marks over his return. It could prove to be one season too many for 'Pasha'.

Stephen Burns (59GP 4+10 105PIM)

Grade: C+

Return: Yes

The big hitting Ontario native entertained and impressed defensively in his first season as a Stingray and just his second year as a professional. While the majority of his game is focused on defensive positioning and solidity, towards the back end of the season he grew in confidence, rushing the puck forward more often and, in the end, he finished the season with four goals, just one less than the notably more offensive Pavel Gomenyuk. On a two-year contract tied in with a university place, Burns will stay in the city this summer and next year looking to build on a good season after this year being voted defenceman of the year and becoming a fan favourite for his fearless big hits and willingness to fight anyone, including Brad Voth.

George Halkidis (50GP 7+15 36PIM)

Grade: D

Return: No

After a year out of the game, Halkidis joined the Stingrays and initially proved to be a reliable defenceman, devoid of any flashy brilliance but able to do a job following a number of injuries. As the team returned to full strength, however, he was relied on more for his experience as an all around defenceman and he mostly struggled, particularly with his positioning and speed of foot when retreating from the offensive zone. His scoring streak towards the end of the season suggested he had begun to adapt his play, at least offensively, but defensive errors, and costly ones at that, as well as a distinct lack of physicality and an ineffective slapshot, maybe as a result of his shoulder injury two seasons ago, will most likely find him seeking another club come summer time.

Aivars Gaisins (2GP 0+0 2PIM)

Grade: N/A

Return: No

The Latvian defenceman saw just two games with the Stingrays before breaking his hand in his second game in Belfast. A friend of netminder Raitums, he initially trained with the Stingrays before being signed following a defensive injury crisis in late January. He would provide the Stingrays with good cover, available immediately should injuries strike, however, he is unlikely to be signed to anything other than a temporary contract next season especially given the Rays short comings in defence.

MIA

Tommy Sandahl (40GP 4.23GAA 89.4sv.%)

Grade: D

Return: No

The stats say it all, with just eight wins in four and a half months, Sandahl's stab at his first number one role came a year or two early for the 25 year old. The early signs were there, with rebound after rebound being given in the P&O Channel Cup, it was, in fact, a surprise that Cloutier took so long to replace the Swede. A likeable character, mistakes, a lack of confidence, both in himself and the defence in front of him, and a lack of experience saw to the end of the keeper.

Ryan Jorde (4GP 0+0 6PIM)

Grade: E

Return: No

The lumbering Canadian defenceman showed on his return to the Hull Arena with Newcastle how lucky the Rays were to be handed the excuse of a much publicised off-ice incident to get rid of him after just four games. Slow, poor positionally, with no offensive upside, the only advantage of having Jorde in the team was that he could scrap, not that he did much in Stingrays colours after opening the season with a fight against Nottingham's Dominic D'Armour.

James Sanford (18GP 2+8 47PIM)

Grade: D

Return: No

Sanford did mostly what was expected of him in that, unlike fellow blueliner George Halkidis, he possessed a good outlet pass and could play quarterback on the teams powerplay. Similar in both stature and playing style to Pavel Gomeyuk, defensively he was outplayed by the Ukrainian and his occasional offensive flash could not make up for his obvious lack of pace, particularly when so much of his game is based in the offensive zone.

Jaszczyk returns for sophomore season

20 year old back up netminder Andrew Jaszczyk will return to the Excel Hull Stingrays for their 09/10 season after being signed by new coach Sylvain Cloutier following an encouraging rookie campaign in the EIHL.

The Rotherham born backstop recorded an 82% save percentage and 6.02 goals against average in 11 appearances last season after signing from English National League side the Kingston Jets, but despite statistical appearance his performances as a first year stopper were very encouraging, especially behind an, at times, leaky and fragile Stingrays defence.

Following a season under the guidance of Canadian starter Curtis Cruickshank, next season the young Brit will relieve for new number one Tommy Sandahl, and Jaszczyk is keen to learn from the young Swede, who will be experiencing his first year abroad.

"I am looking forward to working with Tommy and see how he plays. I want to improve every season and it will be good to look at a European style of hockey."

Like many of the teams previous signings, he was also keen express his excitement for the upcoming season with so many new and promising signings under the guidance of a new coach.

"I am excited at how the team is shaping up. The team is looking really strong and we have signed players with good backgrounds. I think we can challenge the top teams and be more consistent against them next season."

With imports having a firm grip on the Elite Leagues eight netminding positions, barring two exceptions in Lyle, in Cardiff, and Murphy, in Belfast, Jaszczyk will again be used sparingly in the top flight.

It is the time training against higher calibre players and a couple of appearances in relief for the starting Sandahl that can often set young British netminders in good stead for the a possible starting jobs in the future and that is something which Jaszczyk will be hoping to achieve.

His most notable appearances for the Rays last season came in helter skelter, high scoring games with Coventry and Basingstoke, both 8-6 losses. Although the team conceded eight goals on both occasions, he made plenty of decent saves with both sides playing at full capacity and, on the whole, made the game an entertaining spectacle.

Next season he will be hoping to continue his steep learning curve under experienced new head coach Sylvain Cloutier, who will undoubtedly help the progress of his career.

The Stingrays tally of returnees now stands at an unexpectedly high six, with many of the teams standout players from last season now re-signed.

The final two names that continue to linger with regards to a return to the Hull Arena are Slava Koulikov, who may well not return under the new regime, especially given his problematic work ethic, and Matt Reynolds, who has signed for an as yet unannounced team, thought to be Hull.

Photo's courtesy: Arthur Foster

Hull Stingrays 2008-2009 Season Review: At The Back

Netminders

Curtis Cruickshank (58GP 88.6%SV)- The Canadian (above) failed to reproduce the form that saw him highly thought of in Elite League stints with Nottingham and Basingstoke. Although he had solid periods of play, normally against the top four, he let in so many soft goals that it may have ended up costing the team a playoff spot. Last year Ladislav Kudrna was berated for his lack of consistency, this year all is forgotten, Ladi, as Cruickshank's consistent errors cost the team dear.

Grade: D-
Should he return: No

Andy Jaszcyzk (10GP 81.5%SV)- Being an EIHL backup is a tough job. Most of the time it involves sitting on the pine for the majority of the season, however when Jaszcyzk stepped onto the ice to guard the goal in relief of Cruickshank, he showed composure and the young goalie should definately return to gain further experience next season.
Grade: C
Should he return: Yes

Defence

Troy Neumeier (35GP 3+10=13 42PIM)- Neumeier (above) made it his ambition to get the Stingrays into the playoffs, in what he knew was his final season in the sport, however his one man crusade ended in disappointment, with the team missing out yet again. At 38, and following an injury layoff mid-season, his legs began to go at the tail end of the season, resulting in a number of hooking and holding penalties, but Neumeier will be remembered for his solid defensive work, drive and passion to get the team to the promised land, the playoffs. His retirement is thoroughly deserved.
Grade: C
Should he return: No

Stuart Kerr (24GP 0+6=6 71PIM)- After improving in each of his 24 games for the club, and endearing himself to fans with a toe-to-toe fight against former NHLer Chris McAllister, Kerr's season unexpectedly succumbed to a continuing knee problem. The injury, which he attempted to return from on a number of occasions, eventually saw him sit out 36 games after going down in November and denied fans the chance to see a player improving with increased ice time.
Grade: C-
Should he return: No

Paul Moran (30GP 0+11=11 36PIM)- Moran's season was decimated by a shoulder injury that has dogged his career. After the loss of Stevie Lee, Luke Boothroyd and Dave Phillips in pre-season, he provided the Stingrays with a much needed British defenceman and, despite a rough patch of form, was largely solid.
Grade: C-
Should he return? Yes

Pavel Gomenyuk (56GP 13+29=42 78PIM)- Gomenyuk (above) rebounded from a dismal 06/07 season with the Stingrays to have a phenomenal 08/09, recording career highs in goals, assists and points as well as a high in points for a Stingrays defenceman. The Ukrainian, like every other Stingrays defenceman, suffered from the odd injury scare, but that did not hinder some fantastic performances both offensively and defensively. His offensive capabilities, which saw him score 13 goals, provided the Stingrays with some attacking force, on a team that, in pre-season, looked like it had none.
Grade: B+
Should he return? Yes

Aaron Wilson (50GP 2+17=19 57PIM)- Recommended by Stuart Kerr, Wilson came in as a big physical defenceman but left as let down. It was a case of almost opposites when descrbing Wilson pre and post signing. Not physical, even soft, and mistake riddled, highlighted by his awful own goal in the Stingrays final game of the season, much more was expected from Wilson. In fact it comes as no surprise that his best game in a Rays jersey came in his most physical encounter, against the Newcastle Vipers, where he bullied the Vipers, even beating EIHL pantomime villain Andre Payette in a scrap.
Grade: D-
Should he return? No

Antti Turunen (20GP 1+4=5 18PIM)- Turunen (above) was brought into the Stingrays at possibly the worst time for himself, with the team in the pits of an injury crisis. That injury crisis saw him come up smelling of roses, performing admirably during times of strife. His tenacious hounding of the puck carrier, grit and determination were what fellow defenceman, Aaron Wilson, missed, and is what made him so popular. He capped his 20 games stint with a much deserved first goal in the Stingrays penultimate game of the season.
Grade: B-
Should he return? Yes

Steve Slonina (60GP 9+31=40 88PIM)- Slonina (above) came in as a forward, and his first dozen games were distinctly average, however 40 games, and a switch to defence, later, Slonina deservedly ended his season as the Stingrays defenceman and player of the year. He, like Turunen, had a never say die style of play that endeared him to fans, but he, alongside Pavel Gomenyuk, also provided the team with offensive capabilities from defence. His ability to rush the puck forward as well as be solid at the back, was previously unseen in a Stingrays jersey and his signature for next season will be hot property.
Grade: B
Should he return? Yes

MIA

Jonathan Bernier (4GP 0+0=0 9PIM)- He played just four equally awful games for the Rays before bizarrely quitting the team for the AHL. He allegedly provided the Stingrays with toughness, which they already possessed in Rick Kozak, and his positioning as a top four defenceman was horrific. Needless to say that his AHL tryout quickly turned into a short stint in the ECHL before being demoted to the CHL with his former side, the Wichita Thunder.
Grade: E
Should he return? No

Richie Thornton (5Gp 0+0=0 4PIM)- Signed on a two way contract to give the team some depth in the midst of injuries to Kerr, Moran and Neumeier, and largely did his job. Went missing for a number of games, presumably because he had other commitments with his other contract or his job out of hockey, but gave the team some help when they most needed it.
Grade: D+
Should he return? Yes

*Photos all courtesy Arthur Foster

Sunday 7th December: Jaszczyk starts first game as Stingrays bow out of Challenge Cup with goalfest.

Excel Hull Stingrays 6-8 Basingstoke Bison

The Excel Hull Stingrays lost out by two goals in the final challenge cup game of group B against the Basingstoke Bison tonight. Whilst the game was rendered almost completely meaningless by the Stingrays loss to Cardiff on Wednesday night, if the Bison had lost by more than three goals they would have been knocked out and replaced by the Cardiff Devils.

The Stingrays started with back up netminder Andrew Jaszczyk to give starter Curtis Cruickshank much needed rest, whilst they were also without three of their defensive corps in Stuart Kerr, Troy Neumeier and Paul Moran with Slava Koulikov also leaving the game early due to a leg injury.

Four early Bison goals, as well as a solitary Stingrays goal through Jason Kostadine, saw Rick Strachan call a timeout near the beginning of the first period as the Stingrays defence, lacking three players, left rookie Jaszcyzk out to dry. The Stingrays replied to the timeout with two goals from Lee Mitchell and Jeff Glowa at the end of the first before Jason Kostadine scored his second of the game to tie the scores early in the second.

The Bison went on their second scoring spree of the game just six minutes after Kostadine's game tying goal, scoring three in eight minutes to take their lead to 7-4.

The Bison replaced number one netminder Kevin Reiter with Grahame Bird halfway through the third period after a Danny Stewart goal had extended their lead to four goals. The Stingrays responded to the change by firing ten shots on the backup in just nine minutes of play with Konstantin Kalmikov and Matt Reynolds scoring two goals leaving the Stingrays two short of the Bison at the final buzzer.

Despite the defeat, Stingrays coach Rick Strachan took heart from a game, he told the Hull Daily Mail:

"It was like the good old days. We came out a little flat and I called a time-out. We picked it up and got it back to 4-4 before we fell asleep again. It was a nothing game for us, we rested a couple of guys and the intensity was not as high as it was in Basingstoke the night before - but we did it then when it mattered."

Next weekend the Stingrays face playoff rivals the Edinburgh Capitals at Murrayfield in their only game of the weekend. They will be continuing their search for a replacement for Troy Neumeier whilst it will be hoped that Paul Moran, Stuart Kerr and Slava Koulikov will make a full recovery from injury.

SOG- 27-50
PIM- 4-14

Cruickshank and Jaszcyzk confirmed as 08/09 netminders.

Replacing last year's netminding duo, Tom Chamberlain and Ladislav Kudrna, in between the Hull Stingrays pipes for the 2008/09 season is Canadian Curtis Cruickshank and Rotherham born Andrew Jaszcyzk.

Cruickshank, who was an Elite League all star in 2003/04, has spent the best part of five seasons in the UK with Basingstoke, Nottingham and Newcastle, and replaces Czech netminder Ladislav Kudrna who signed with the Swindon Wildcats of the EPL in early June.

With Cruickshank, the Stingrays and coach Rick Strachan know exactly what they are getting in net. In his five seasons in the UK 29 year old Cruickshank has never failed to post a save percentage under 91.4%, which peaked in 2005/06 with the Nottingham Panthers when he recorded an astounding 93.5% save percentage and conceded less than 2 goals a game on average.

"Curtis [Cruickshank] is a proven, quality keeper and has always had big percentage save rates. He's a warrior and competitor and he can communicate well with his defence. Lots of guys' CVs came across my desk, but Curtis is a known quantity over here and I believe he will do a great job for us," said Strachan of his new number one.

Many fans have insisted that Cruickshank has had a chronic knee problem, preventing him from replicating his form for the Panthers between 2004 and 2006. However despite the apparent knee problem Strachan had been keen on his netminder for a while and finally got his man after negotiations:

"It wasn't a case of persuading him, it was a negotiation process, and some take longer than others. It wasn't a case of going down on my hands and knees and begging him to sign, I don't want those guys."

Jaszcyzk, who is just 19 years old, put himself forward to coach Rick Strachan in order to gain some valuable experience after a season as starting netminder in the ENL with the Kingston Jets, where he recorded an 89.76% save percentage whilst facing an average of 45 shots a game during his 29 appearances. Jaszcyzk, who played for the Stingrays against Edinburgh in their maiden EIHL season in 06/07 and has also backed up at the Nottingham Panthers in the EIHL, helped the Jets reach the semi final of the ENL Cup last season where they lost out by 4 goals on aggregate to a team that lost just 6 competitive games all season. Coach Rick Strachan told the Hull Daily Mail:

"Being a back-up keeper is a difficult position. Andrew [Jaszcyzk] expressed an interest in playing for us. He's keen to learn and willing to work and that's what you want"

He will replace Tom Chamberlain, who has followed Kudrna to the EPL, this time to Romford Raiders, as the back-up netminder and is thought to be a cheaper option than the Bradford born Chamberlain who was forced to endure an hour long drive from Bradford to Hull at least 4 times a week for training sessions. As a local and more importantly a young player Jaszcyzk will be the cheaper option for the Rays and it will provide Jaszcyzk will ample opportunity to improve his game.

"No offence to Tom [Chamberlain], but he played about 25 games for us and we won about one of them. The difference between your number one and your back-up is gigantic, that's the way it goes. Tom now has a starting position at an EPL team and he's moved on, that's how it works. Otherwise guys stay until they're 30 and only get to play when someone gets hurt."

With 45 days before the opening Stingrays pre-season fixture against the Sheffield Steelers, Strachan is left searching for four more imports and possibly one or two British defencemen to complete the roster.