Stingrays replace Huttel with Mariani

Photo - Les Stockton

Defenceman Kyle Mariani has today become the Hull Stingrays final signing for the 2013/2014 Elite League campaign, replacing fellow blueliner Chad Huttel - who was forced to pull out of a deal to join the club due to a shoulder injury.

The 24 year old - who will join the Rays for just his third season as a professional - is a versatile addition to the Rays roster and will slot in as the club's fifth import defenceman, however, he is also a capable forward and can play on both the powerplay and penalty kill.

The Toronto, Ontario native will move to the UK after spending the tailend of last season with Visby Roma of the Swedish third tier but has a somewhat spotty past in the sport.

Having split a four year junior career between five different clubs in three different leagues - including two stints in the reputable Quebec Major Junior Hockey League - Mariani sat out what would have been his first year as a professional during 10/11 in order to pursue a career as a firefighter.

Having graduated, he returned to the sport in 11/12 with the now defunct Laredo Bucks of the Central Hockey League and registered six goals, nine assists in 65 games. He also recorded a lowly -30 plus/minus rating on a struggling side on which 11 of the 15 man regular roster also stooped to double negative figures.

He moved on to the Tulsa Oilers of the CHL last season, recording a goal and nine assists but again suffered from a poor -11 plus/minus rating on a side that would eventually finish bottom before crossing the Atlantic to sign in Sweden. He played just four games for Visby Roma in the Swedish regular season, recording an assist, before icing in two relegation playoff games for the Gotland based side.

Mariani is described by Bruce Ramsey - his former coach in Tulsa - as "a solid defenceman who can contribute on the offensive end of the ice" and Stingrays player-coach Sylvain Cloutier echos that sentiment:

"I had a lot of good reports about Kyle. He is a good two-way defenceman, he is solid at the back and can help with offensive situations. He is a good skater and his Swedish coach says he has a great shot."

On paper, concerns may conceivably be raised over Mariani's plus/minus figures particularly as a defenceman having been -17 in the QMJHL and -30 and -11 in the last two seasons. Those concerns would not be misplaced as those stats are in in the history books, however, it is worth remembering that, during those two CHL seasons, Mariani played on sides that placed 12th (of 14) and 10th (of 10) in the CHL.

Photo - Les Stockton

Perhaps more important than the statistics, Cloutier's reports also suggest that the defenceman is a determined, never-say-die character on-ice. As well as his versatility, those characteristics may in fact make him the best fit for the Stingrays this season. Cloutier adds:

"But more importantly everyone I spoke to said the same thing about Kyle - he competes every night and never gives up. That fits the mould of the Hull Stingrays as we need to have a team who works hard and battles every night. I am looking forward to working with Kyle and he is a good addition to the team."

Mariani becomes the Stingrays eighth defenceman and fifth import defenceman, giving the club the kind of wealth of options defensively that is almost unheard of.

His addition will likely bump one of either Scott Robson or Jamie Chilcott down the order and limit their ice-time depending on whom Cloutier believes has performed better in pre-season, however, that would have happened whether Mariani or Huttel joined the club.

Though the Rays also boast 11 forwards - or three lines and two extras - should there be any forward injuries, Mariani also gives Cloutier an experienced option should he believe the Rays need an extra veteran presence over 16 year old Lee Bonner and 18 year old Sam Towner.

On signing the Canadian said:

"I am very excited to be a part of the Stingrays and the EIHL. Ever since turning pro I have heard nothing but good things about this league, having had quite a few past team-mates and friends play in this league while more recently learning more about the Stingrays and Sylvain it seems like a great team and organisation and I can't wait to get going. 

"It all came about very quickly through a European agent. I had something in place in the United States for the coming season but once this came about I jumped on the opportunity and couldn't be happier with my decision. As soon as the paperwork is finished I will be on the next flight out and I can't wait to get to work on the ice. 

"Stingrays are getting a player who will always give it 100 per cent and leave it all on the ice. I am a defencemen who can skate and carry the puck up the ice or make a pass and join the rush. I have a good shot, I play a physical game and I am reliable in my own zone.
"I am an all-around player, can play the powerplay and penalty kill as well and every year I always end up playing a bit of forward when the team is short."

Neither Mariani or fellow new recruit Carl Lauzon will be in the country in time to ice in Wednesday's pre-season game against the Sheffield Steeldogs and they both may yet miss the Elite League opening weekend in Nottingham on Saturday and at home to Braehead on Sunday.

Wednesday's final pre-season fixture sees the Stingrays take on the Steeldogs in the second leg of the Bradfield Brewery Cup with the scores tied at 5-5 after the first leg.

Huttel injury hits Stingrays on eve of pre-season

Hull Stingrays player-coach Sylvain Cloutier is on the lookout for a second late replacement ahead of the 2013/2014 Elite League season following the news that American defenceman Chad Huttel has been sidelined with a shoulder injury and now will not join the club for the upcoming campaign.

Photo - Sheffield Steelers

The revelation that Huttel will now not be joining up with his new squad comes just 24 hours after it was announced that Sean Muncy had been replaced by Carl Lauzon due to as yet unknown issues.

24 year old Huttel was due to join the Stingrays after a season out of the sport having sustained a shoulder injury prior to last season while on a try-out with the Central Hockey League's Fort Worth Brahmas.

It would appear that the former Sheffield Steeler has recently suffered a setback with that shoulder injury thanks to a freak accident and now faces up to three months out. Whether he will return to the sport following what will be more than a year out of the sport a remains to be seen.

Of the disappointment for both club and player, Cloutier told the Hull Daily Mail:

"Chad was ready and everything was going well but he had a freak accident. I think he'll be out for two or three months with a shoulder problem. It's disappointing for him and for us but at least he was honest and told us he was injured and not going to be able to come over."

He also added that, while he has had at least one deal for a replacement defenceman fall through and does have one option readily available to him, he may yet opt to replace Huttel with another forward.

That decision would leave the Stingrays with four import defenceman - Matt Suderman, Martin Ondrej, Omar Pacha and Jeff Smith - and three Brits - Scott Robson, Jamie Chilcott and two-way signing Tom Ralph.

Though that is a relatively healthy defensive stable, an injury or suspension to one of the imports exposes either Chilcott or Robson to significant ice time at a relatively young age. Both players are highly thought of by Cloutier and the Stingrays, and they may yet be good enough to handle that ice-time were the situation arise, however, it is a big risk to take.

A lot will surely ride on how Chilcott and Robson perform against the Edinburgh Capitals and Sheffield Steeldogs in pre-season prior to Cloutier making a decision on who to bring in.

An extra import forward would give the Stingrays real depth offensively with 12 players or four lines but it seems unlikely they would regularly utilise four lines with 16 year old Lee Bonner being one of those three. The alternative to that were another forward signed would be to potentially semi-regularly bench three forwards.

If that were to occur, unless Cloutier spends more time on the bench as he nears potential retirement, that would more than likely mean least experienced forwards Bonner, Sam Towner and Bobby Chamberlain would spend increased time on the bench.

In the case of Chamberlain - who has continued his progression and has notably bulked up during his season away  - that seems particularly unlikely.

With defenceman Smith able to revert to forward if required for injuries or suspensions - provided it is a defenceman added for Huttel - all signs point to a like-for-like replacement but, for Cloutier, it may depend on what is available, for what price and in what time frame.

Meanwhile, new signings Suderman, Pacha and forward Guillaume Doucet all took to the ice with their new squad today.

Photo - Hull Daily Mail

The trio will make their debuts tomorrow night against the Edinburgh Capitals at the Hull Arena, although yesterday's addition Lauzon is still awaiting his visa to travel to the country and may not make his debut until next Wednesday at home to the Sheffield Steeldogs.

Cloutier also revealed to the Hull Daily Mail today that Lauzon - who he sees as "more of a set-up guy" - may ice alongside Guillaume Doucet and Jereme Tendler.

That could potentially leave a line of Jason Silverthorn, Derek Campbell and Matty Davies, and a third line of himself, Tom Squires and Bobby Chamberlain with Bonner and Towner the two extras.

Stingrays round off 13/14 roster; announce 25th Anniversary game; Dulle done?

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.

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.

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.

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.