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)

Defenceman Scott is first new face for 11/12

18 year old defensive prospect Daniel Scott has today joined the Excel Hull Stingrays for their 11/12 Elite League campaign. The Great Britain junior international joins the Rays having spent the majority of his rookie 10/11 season with the English Premier League's Telford Tigers, having also made his debut in the top flight while on a two-way contract with the Elite League's Coventry Blaze.

Scott recorded just one goal and three assists in 48 games with Telford on his return to the country this season having spending two years at Northwood School, an American high school specialising in hockey based on the edge of Lake Placid, New York. The Kent born defenceman, who originates from the Invicta junior setup, netted his lone league goal of 10/11 and the first of his professional career in the Shropshire club's final game of the year against the Guildford Flames as the Tigers finished eight points out of a playoff spot.

The blueliner is thought to be a real prospect for the British game having followed up two years in North America with that solid year in Telford which included a two-way six game stint at the Coventry Blaze. Although he recorded just four points in the EPL and failed to register in the Elite League, he made a good impression all season long for such a young player, and played regular minutes on his lone visit to the Hull Arena in Coventry's 7-2 triumph in mid-March

He went on to cap a good first senior season in the sport by playing a big part in England's 10-0 win over Scotland at the National Ice Centre prior to this year's Elite League Playoff Final between the Cardiff Devils and Nottingham Panthers. Neither appearance in Hull nor Nottingham went unnoticed by Stingrays player-coach Sylvain Cloutier:

"I am really excited to have Daniel on board. We saw him play for Coventry in Hull at the end of the season and he showed what a level-headed player he is. I saw him play for England at the Final Four weekend and he really stood out. I am excited to have him on board. Daniel is an up-and-coming kid and I want to help him develop his game and hopefully one day he will play for the GB national team."

Cloutier went on to describe the 6'0, 179lbs defenceman's strengths:

"Daniel is very calm and composed on the puck, he is a big kid and a good skater who has a lot of potential. He will add size to our back-end and he will be getting plenty of ice time at the top level and he needs to take advantage of that."

Scott comes to the club as what is thought will be a direct replacement for Scottish defenceman Craig Mitchell, who unceremoniously ended his two-year spell at the club at the tail of of last season after a disagreement behind closed doors over a wrist injury that limited him to 25 games.

Mitchell ended his stay at the club having iced in 77 games for the club, netting two goals while adding 12 assists, and his departure also saw brother Lee Mitchell leave Hull after six seasons, 225 appearances and 153 points.

Given the brothers departure and the decrease in import limit from 12 to 10 for the Stingrays next season, the club is likely to need a new influx of British talent this summer with no fewer than three new British signings required on top of the capture of Scott. That is of course assuming fellow Brits Ryan Lake, Lee Esders, Andy Hirst, Ben Lowe and Andy Jaszczyk all remain with the club for another year as is largely expected.

Brits the target of latest injury curse

The dreaded injury curse that will likely strangle every Elite League side over the course of the 56 game schedule has struck Sylvain Cloutier's Excel Hull Stingrays side hard and early.

Cloutier, who was last season deprived of mainly defencemen early in the year, has this season lost four British players less than a month into the campaign.

19 year old defenceman Craig Mitchell was the first victim, breaking his arm blocking a shot in Braehead, before older brother Lee followed less than a  week later suffering an unspecified injury that later turned out to be a reoccurance of the knee injury that has so far plagued his career.

Forward Ryan Lake, who has started off the season where he left the sport four years ago, then broke a bone in his thumb having taken a tumble into the boards against Newcastle on Sunday, before Lee Esders injured his knee in an innocuous challenge in Belfast last night, potentially ruling him out for two months.

With the exception of Lee Mitchell, who may return in a shorter time frame depending of the severity of his injury, the foursome are all likely to sit out at least four weeks leaving Cloutier's side short for a minimum of 13 games.

The injuries might not have been so bad had they been to imports, given availability of replacement Europeans and North Americans in comparison to the scarcity of available British trained players, all of whom are already signed up and playing.

Realistically, unless he is looking for a long term replacement for one of the four, Cloutier will have to scavenge for two-way contracts with English Premier League or English National League sides, like he did last year with James Archer.

Despite quitting on the team after originally signing in the summer, Archer may be one of the players Cloutier approaches, having hit four goals and four assists in ten games with the EPL Manchester Phoenix

Indeed, there may be other options at the Phoenix, or nearby EPL sides Sheffield and Peterborough, but with the club down to just 12 outskaters, including just two Brits, Matty Davies and the inexperienced Ben Lowe, it is important the right players are signed and available to ice for the Rays as regularly and as soon as possible.

Time is not something Cloutier has in abundance though, with a home and away double header against Cardiff quickly approaching this weekend before a game in Nottingham next Wednesday.

Injury jinx hits again

The injury curse that has time and again crippled the Excel Hull Stingrays and particularly their defence has struck once more.

19 year old blueliner Craig Mitchell, who re-signed in the summer for his second year with the club, broke his hand when blocking a shot in Braehead and will now be out for four to six weeks, a cruel blow to Sylvain Cloutier and his side.

The importance of a deep squad and a six strong defence is now evident with the team's blueline options limited to five defencemen, equivalent to two lines, leaving one extra player rotating in.

Had the Rays coach been able to opt for the shorter squad which he signed for the Packs the club would now be down to just the bare minimum four players at the back with no room for error on anyone's part.

However, given that Cloutier has a deep squad and ten available forwards, of which one or two are able to revert to defence, this injury won't necessarily affect the numbers at the back, particularly if he decides to move Jason Silverthorn back there.

Either way it is a devastating blow for both the Rays and Mitchell, who had once again been handed an important role on the team for the year ahead, after they had clinched their first two points of the year in Edinburgh last night.

Mitchell's and Boucher recommit

The Hull Stingrays have today confirmed a trio of key signings with the news that starting netminder Christian Boucher and Brits Lee and Craig Mitchell will don Stingrays colours this coming season.

Netminder Boucher, a 26 year old native of Ontario, Canada, signed earlier in the summer from Dutch Eredivisie side Nijmegen Devils following a double championship winning season season in the Netherlands.

This year in Hull will be just his third season as a pro having previously registered 2.89 goals against average and 91.9sv.% with CHL side Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees in 08/09 playing alongside now departed defenceman Stephen Burns, who played a big part in his signature.

He will join Andrew Jaszczyk in the netminding department and will succeed Martin Raitums as the Rays number one, where he will definitely have big skates to fill after the Latvians post-Christmas showing last year.

So late in the pre-season and with such a dearth in British talent, the re-signing of Lee and Craig Mitchell was crucial for the Stingrays next season.

Blueliner and GB junior international Craig, 19, enters his second season with the Rays and third in the Elite League having proved a solid defensive acquisition for Cloutier last year in a campaign in which he hit a goal and eight assists.

He becomes the first defenceman to confirm his return following the defection of Matt Suderman, Stephen Burns and Guillaume Lepine to other sides and with the future of Trevor Read and Joshua Mizerek at the club still uncertain.

Meanwhile older brother Lee continues to develop into one of the premium British forwards in the sport having made his debut in a GB shirt in the World Championships in April and having hit career best figures in goals (14), assists (21) and points (35) in 44 games with the Rays last season.

His return for a sixth season is a massive boost to the club, particularly considering he remained faithful to the team after almost certainly rejecting approaches from other EIHL sides during the few days that the Rays were dormant.

The return of all three players somewhat offsets the departure of Canadian forward Chris Korchinski, who, it was confirmed today, would not join the Stingrays after all. Korchinski's decision to sign in the CHL leaves Cloutier searching for at least four imports for the new season, of which at least two will be defencemen to join Craig Mitchell in front of Christian Boucher.

Goalscorer Konstantin Kalmikov has to be next on Cloutier's hit list having hit 31 goals last season and 54 in two years with the club, while it will also be hoped young forward Andrew Coburn, Read and captain to be Mizerek will return to ease the workload on the Rays coach with just five weeks until pre-season training camp kicks off.

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.

Davies and Mitchell selected to GB U20's

The Excel Hull Stingrays Craig Mitchell and Matty Davies have been selected to ice for Great Britain Under 20's at the upcoming U20's World Championship Division II B.

Forward Davies, who has so far accumulated three goals and five assists in 21 games, has been a standout player for the Rays in his first season in the EIHL, while blueliner Mitchell, in his second season as a pro, has been one of the team's more solid defencemen, recording three assists in 19 games.

The pair will certainly miss Stingrays away fixtures against Nottingham (13th December) and Cardiff (18th December), while they are also unlikely to feature in the Rays home fixture against Nottingham on the December 19, the day after their final U20 fixture against Hungary.

The tournament, in which Britain will be expected to, at the very least, medal, sees them face China, Spain, Korea, Mexico and hosts Hungary.

It is expected that Sylvain Cloutier will call up players from the English National League's Kingston Jets to fill the void left by their temporary absence.

Elsewhere, former Stingray Stevie Lee, who has this season seen regular ice time with the Nottingham Panthers, recording just one assist in 24 games, has been named captain of the squad.

Stingray News

Stingrays shine as GB U20 beat Scims

Excel Hull Stingray pair Craig Mitchell and Matty Davies were selected and appeared for the Great Britain Under 20's last night against EPL side Sheffield Scimitars.

Davies, who has been a bright spot in the Stingrays season so far, recording three goals and eight points in 19 games, recorded the game winning penalty shot as the U20's beat Sheffield 4-3, while Craig Mitchell played a big part on the blueline.

Rays head towards full strength...no this is not a test

The Excel Hull Stingrays may, just may, ice this weekend with theoretically, a full strength squad, following the news that forward Jason Silverthorn and defenceman James Hutchinson will return to training this week and will most likely make a return to full action during this weekends home double header against table toppers Nottingham and Coventry.

Their return would leave the team with three lines of both defence and forwards, as well as a full compliment of imports for the first time since the opening weekend of the season and even then they were without Lee Mitchell

The Rays have been plagued by injuries ever since they joined the Elite League, and despite a change in coaching, this season has been no different, with no less than seven of the Stingrays squad being hit with by the injury curse.

Mitchell was the first to be struck down, missing the opening ten weeks of the season after picking up a knee injury during summer preparations, however, the Brit finally reappeared last weekend; this weekend will see just Pavel Gomenyuk (fractured rib) sitting on the sidelines.

The injury list has been long and varied for Sylvain Cloutier's side. A concussion, a fractured rib, a broken arm, a broken hand, two broken cheekbones, a serious knee injury, sinusitis and a number of other minor injuries have all been sustained this term, however, coach, squad and fanbase will be hoping the worst is now over.

Once Ukrainian Gomenyuk returns the team will be back up to 11 imports with just ten allowed to ice during each EIHL game. Cloutier will then be left with the tough, but welcome, choice of ditching one import should the team remain at full strength. Their performances over the next few weeks could be key as to who goes, with defencemen under particular scrutiny given the Rays poor defensive record and the surplus which Gomenyuk's return will find them in.

New boys make an impact offensively

Statistically, new signings James Sanford, George Halkidis and, to a lesser extent due to his injury, Jason Silverthorn have made a positive impact on what was a frail Stingrys side that relied far too heavily on a small number of players.

Sanford, while initially struggling to get to grips with the the style of play in the league, has lived up to his name as a powerplay quarterback, notching an impressive eight assists in ten games, while alongside him, George Halkidis has brought an experienced, calm and collected mentality to the team's blueline, adding a similarly impressive two goals and two assists from six games as a Stingray.

Up front, Silverthorn bagged a goal and assist on debut against Coventry before a puck released from Sanford's stick inadvertently broke his jaw in the same game. Nevertheless, with Silverthorn once again icing this weekend, the positive feelings, headed by the new blood, look to be making a welcome return to the Hull Arena.

Burns and Knight chip in

After coming under some criticism during the opening quarter of the season, defenceman Stephen Burns and Adam Knight have hit a purple patch of form during the last two weeks. While goals and points are not the only important factor, the pair have been both hitting the twine and putting in good performances over the last two weeks.

Knight, banned for five games on the opening weekend of the season, lost that offensive spark which impressed fans and coach alike in the Rays pre-season games, but recent weeks have seen the tough Canadian return to form, scoring in the late loss to Newcastle before adding a goal and an assist in the next game against Edinburgh. His importance to the team was never in doubt, and now, thanks to his recent form, neither are his abilities on the ice.

Meanwhile, Burns, who is admittedly the Rays only real stay-at-home import defenceman, netted twice in the loss to Coventry, taking his season total to three goals and two assists in 19 games, and has turned around a period of form that had some questioning his abilities in front of Tommy Sandahl.

Reynolds lands in Dijon

Last week it was revealed that former Stingrays forward Matt Reynolds had signed in France with Ducs De Dijon in the Ligue Magnus, the French top flight.

28 year old Reynolds enjoyed a successful first season in Britain last term, scoring 22 goals and 55 points in 51 games, however, he struggled to re-find that form in his second year in the country, this time under Sylvain Cloutier, recording just five points and one goal in 11 games.

Dijon are currently sitting top of the Ligue Magnus table, one point ahead of Morzine-Avoriaz, with four wins from five games.

Mitchell Brothers Join Forces At Stingrays

The Excel Hull Stingrays today announced the signing of brothers Lee and Craig Mitchell for the 09/10 season in the Elite League.

Forward Lee, 22, re-signs at the Stingrays after a career year, recording seven goals and 23 assists in his fourth season in Hull, meanwhile Craig, 18, last season iced in his rookie season in the Elite League for the Edinburgh Capitals, recorded one assist in 58 games from the blueline.

The brothers will ice together for the first in their careers, despite both progressing their talented young futures from their hometown in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, with the Fife Flyers.

The pair have both progressed through the junior ranks at national team level, with Craig achieving promotion with the U20's this year in the IIHF Division II Championships in Logrono, Spain, whilst Lee has been on the brink of the senior side for two years, this year being named as reserve for the Division I World Championships in Poland.

Lee has been a particular bright spot in the Stingrays three seasons in the Elite League, developing from a hard working forward into a play making top liner, capable of mixing it with the best the league has to offer. It will be hoped that, after an encouraging rookie season in the Elite League, where he racked up regular ice time and showed a consistent physical edge, Craig will follow in his brothers footsteps and achieve top line minutes and a try for a spot on the Great Britain roster.

Speaking of the double signing, Stingrays coach Sylvain Cloutier said that he hopes Lee will have a career year, not only by increasing his output, but by gaining that first Great Britain cap that has so far eluded him:

Lee will bring a physical element to the team as well as a lot of energy. He is also very strong defensively which I will be counting on this season. I will also count on his leadership on and off the ice. I expect Lee to have a breakthrough year this season and I do expect his first national team call-up will be around the corner if he works hard and stays determined.

Craig has been talked about as one of the Britain's better young defensive prospects and it is hoped that, with another year of regular Elite League action, this time under Cloutier, he will be pushing on for an appearance in Great Britain colours like his brother:

"Craig is a young defenceman who is coming into his own with a full year in the Elite League under his belt. I feel he has a lot of potential and will have a chance to prove himself with our club," said Cloutier.

"It's very important to have a strong British core. These two young players have a bright future in British hockey and they will be a big part of the national team one day."

Meanwhile Craig spoke expressed his excitement at the team that Cloutier is putting together in Hull, but also thanked former coach Doug Christiansen for the chance that he was given in the in Edinburgh, which has resulted into a move to Hull with brother Lee.

"Lee has told me a lot of good things about the club and after speaking to Sylvain Cloutier I am really excited about next season. He is putting together a really good team and I think we can challenge the big teams," said the young Scot.

"I want to thank [Edinburgh player-coach] Doug Christiansen for having confidence in me and giving me the chance to play last season. I saw a lot of ice time, more than I thought I would get, and I improved a lot because of that."

Craig will now have the opportunity to develop under the same roof that helped push forward blueliners Stevie Lee and Dave Phillips into slots on British junior and senior sides, as well as positions on top four teams in Nottingham and Belfast.

Craig becomes the first defenceman to sign for the team in front of new starting netminder Tommy Sandahl whilst Lee joins fellow Brit Lee Esders as the teams only signed British forward.

Recent rumour suggests that an American college defenceman may be joining the young Scot on the blueline for the 09/10 season, however one defenceman now not coming to the Stingrays, or the Elite League, is Canadian Mike Beynon, who is thought to have pulled out of a move to the UK according to his agents website.

Photos courtesy: fifeflyer.co.uk, FosterA@code.karoo.co.uk