Departures continue

 

Following the surprise departure of player-assistant coach Curtis Huppe last month comes the somewhat less surprising confirmation that tough guy Adam Knight and British defenceman James Hutchinson have both played their final games for the Excel Hull Stingrays.

The pair, both expected to leave the Hull Arena this summer after just a season with the club, have been confirmed by their respective agents as returning to the leagues they joined the Stingrays from last summer.

In his sophomore season in Hull Knight hit professional career best figures, scoring seven times, adding 13 assists and 131 penalty minutes while emerging as a true fans favourite, particularly following tussles with the likes of Sean McMorrow and Brad Voth.

However, the 29 year old, who is not thought to have been offered a deal to return to Hull, will rejoin the CHL where he joined the Stingrays from last summer and where he is likely to be relied on more for his on-ice presence than the offensive numbers which coach Sylvain Cloutier and the EIHL on the whole require from non-British players. He will return to the CHL with an, as yet, unnamed team, where last time out he recorded two goals and two assists in over 50 games with Colorado and New Mexico, following a season in Hull in which he likely doubled his time on the ice during each game and improved as a player as a result.

Meanwhile, Hutchinson will return to the English Premier League (EPL) after a wholly disappointing spell at the Hull Arena. Big things were expected of 'Hutch' after he played a massive part in Peterborough's EPL championship winning side of 08/09, in which he contributed a huge 58 points in 54 games from the blueline, however, for whatever reason, be it the higher standard of competition or the Stingrays struggles, he neither troubled the scorers nor provided Cloutier with the defensive solidity required and like Knight, he was an unlikely returnee.

The favoured destination for the 26 year old North East native seems to be a return to Peterborough in an attempt to reignite the success of 08/09 under former Stingrays netminder Curtis Cruickshank, who has recently been named head coach of the Cambridgeshire based side.

While the Stingrays off-season news has so far been confined to the assumed return of coach Cloutier and Stephen Burns for the second year of their two year contracts, unlike messr Huppe, the rumoured re-signing of the better part of last seasons squad including Lee Mitchell, Craig Mitchell and Konstantin Kalmikov will likely come within the next week or two as Cloutier looks to build a squad capable of challenging and, at least, making the playoffs come April 2011.

Stingrays Five of the Best...Netminders

In the first of eight part series looking at the best of the best at the Excel Hull Stingrays, in an attempt to make this incredibly long off-season seem that bit shorter, F Block Blog looks at the best netminders to have stood between the pipes during the teams six year existence.

5 Curtis Cruickshank (08/09): With just five import netminders having played for the Stingrays in six years, this 'five of the best' was not tough to compile. Nevertheless, Cruickshank was the fifth best, or worst if you want to put it that way, and that outlines the sad state of British netminders.

As for his performances for the Stingrays, well, either Cruickshank suffered from the lack of support he received from both the stands and his defencemen in his single season with the team, or he was as bad a choice as netminder as Stingrays fans immediately thought. In the end Cruickshank made mistakes on a fairly regular basis and his positioning was quite often a big cause for concern. Despite this he did have a handful of good games and at times proved why he was so highly rated during his, knee injury free, spells at Nottingham and Basingstoke.

4 Pasi Raitanen (03/04): The likeable Finn that is Pasi Raitanen became the Stingrays first ever netminder in the summer of 2003 and, in somewhat surprising circumstances, was released post-Christmas, despite recording a credible 90.9 save percentage in the Findus Cup. However, with the teams win column in single digits and with Raitanen possessing a lowly 85.3 save percentage in the league, he was cut, despite a distinct lack of errors. In hindsight, the move proved a good one, but Pasi, who retired this summer, will always be remembered as a fan favourite, not only in Hull but also around the country.

3 Anders Hogberg (03/04): Hogberg was the man that was signed to replace the considerable figure of fellow Scandinavian Raitanen. The Swede was cut from the London Racers at a similar time to Raitanen leaving his post at the Rays and, ideally for the Stingrays owners, was delighted to sign for the club. Surprisingly he more than adequately filled the gaping goal left by the Finn and also proved to be a big fan favourite, most notably endearing himself to the Hull Arena by performing a pirouette following one of the teams sparse wins during their first year of existence.

2 Ladislav Kudrna (07/08): Kudrna came to the Stingrays with much anticipation following a season in France and an impressive couple of seasons in Edinburgh, where he gained a reputation as a solid keeper. Replacing Miroslav Bielik, the main reason for Rick Strachan signing Kudrna was his ability to steal games, the staple of any good side, and, although it is in no doubt that the Czech netminder did steal games for the team, his inability to keep the close ones close was what cost him. A very good netminder on his day, but an uncharacteristically long list of bad games more than likely cost him his job for 08/09 and that unreliability in the majority of games became the final straw.

1 Miroslav Bielik (05-07): Joining the team in the EPL and ending his two year stint in the EIHL, Bielik was not only a consistent netminder, but also a good one. He stole games and also provided the team with a basis to build upon. Eventually, a very leaky defence and season scuppering injuries became his downfall, but for a bit more fitness and a little more luck, Bielik could have taken the Rays to EPL Playoff Weekend and the EIHL playoff Quarter Finals. Both goals that the Stingrays have, thus far, failed to reach.

Sandahl is shoo in for Hull

Sylvain Cloutier has today signed 24 year old Tommy Sandahl as the Excel Hull Stingrays number one netminder for the 2009/2010 season. The Swede will replace Curtis Cruickshank between the pipes and becomes the Stingrays fourth starting Elite League netminder in four seasons.

Soon to be 25, the Ljungby native will spend his first season out of his homeland after nine seasons spanning across the Junior EliteLeague, Allsvenska, Division 1 and Division 2.

Last season he returned to his hometown team, Troja-Ljungby in the Allsvenska, following a spell in with Gislaveds in the lower Division 1, and there he backed up former Nottingham Panthers netminder Petter Sandstrom, statistically outperforming the former ISL keeper albeit in fewer games.

After starting in ten games and also reliving for Sandstrom, Sandahl ended with a 90% save percentage and 2.92 goals against in 535 minutes of competitive play, and although these figures may not seem overly outstanding, the Allsvenska, Sweden's second tier, is thought to be a higher level than the Elite League.

Together they helped Troja-Ljungby surprise the league by ending the season in that seventh, and final playoff place, just outperforming former EliteSerien side Malmo Redhawks in the process, something that is hoped the Stingrays will achieve for the very first time with him between the pipes.

And coach Cloutier is very happy with the signing of the Swede, after requesting his brother, former NHLer, Dan Cloutier, find him the best possible netminder.

"He will do great here in the UK. He played at a high level in Sweden. The scouting report on him was good. He has quick feet, is very acrobatic, has a quick glove and more importantly he is a competitor. Tommy will be one of the better goalies in the league."

Meanwhile Sandahl expressed his excitement at playing overseas for the first time.

"I am very excited and looking forward to moving to a new country, a new culture and a different style of hockey. I wanted to look for a move outside Sweden and when I spoke to Sylvain Cloutier I felt comfortable. He seems to be a great person to lead the team and he told me he had full confidence in me being the starting goalie."

His signing spells the end for the wholly unpopular Curtis Cruickshank, who spent just one season in Hull recording a lowly 88.6 save percentage and a soaring 4.26 goals against average.

Obviously the Stingrays frail defence did nothing to ease his troubles, but it was more than Cruickshank's stats that bothered fans, it was his demeanor on the ice, positioning and erratic decision making that did not lead to a happy spell at the Hull Arena

Netminder is a position that the Stingrays have struggled to find continuity in. Miroslav Bielik was too injury prone, but Ladislav Kudrna and Cruickshank were too inconsistent, despite the odd jaw dropping save.

Sandahl revealed on the official Excel Hull Stingrays website what kind of netminder he is.

"Hull will be getting a stable goaltender who doesn’t give up too many rebounds. I play a safe game and am not a highlight goalie – I just keep things simple."

So with Sandahl filling the solid and stable, rather than the spectacular and unorthodox mold, he will hopefully bring about some stability in what is the most important position on any hockey team. And providing he is not injury prone, the Stingrays will hopefully see one of the more consistent keepers in their short history.

With Sandahl signed, and Andrew Jaszcyzk set to sign as his backup, the next aspect of the team that looks set to be covered is defence and as well as an element that is likely to feature heavily in this years team, toughness.

Andre Payette, Mike Beynon and Brit Craig Mitchell are amongst the names that have allegedly already signed for the club, as Sylvain Cloutier continues to build for a two season shot at the Elite League.

Sandahl's promotion video (courtesy 37 Hockey)

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

Rays Photo #1

Curtis Cruickshank v Manchester Phoenix

Strachan names his assistants

As expected coach Rick Strachan has named Russian born Brit, Slava Koulikov, as one of his two assistant coaches for the upcoming 08/09 season, which begins on Saturday with the visit of the Manchester Phoenix.

29 year old netminder Curtis Cruickshank has taken the other assistant coaches role after a 5 year career in British hockey, spanning from Nottingham, Newcastle to Basingstoke and now Hull.

The on ice captaincy has been handed to returning 38 year old defenceman Troy Neumeier, with the alternate captains being given to last seasons captain, Jeff Glowa, and new boy Jason Kostadine.

Strachan had this to say about his new on-ice management and captaincy:

"I think three heads are better than one. They [Koulikov and Cruickshank] are both senior guys and have been around. They know the game. With Curtis being a goalie he can see the whole picture from the ice. As a forward, Slava will give us a different perspective. Feedback from everyone is very important, especially for me."

"Troy has played 1,000 professional games. He's a well-respected, senior guy. He has all the qualities needed. He's very level-headed and doesn't get over-excited. He's seen it all, done it all and will make an excellent captain."

This move will give the Stingrays three avenues of thought for tactics, player lineups and other on ice details, and is likely to please a small section of Stingrays fans who have grown tired of Strachans tactics over the past few years. As Strachan says himself "three heads are better than one" and some new ideas, which will inevitable be thrown into the mix by Cruickshank and Koulikov will do nothing but help the team.

The additional of Neumeier as captain will help the Stingrays on so many levels. Neumeier is not only a brilliant defenceman (ok a little devoid of pace at 38), but he will put the squad into place both on and off the ice. Jeff Glowa will be reluctant to give up the captaincy however with him taking the alternate captain badge, the Stingrays will have twice the experience to rely on, meanwhile Jason Kostadine is likely to be the alternate captain who sets an example with his relentless work ethic and constant checking.

Good and bad news.

After losing the Yorkshire Cup to the Sheffield Steelers by 15 goals to 6, the Excel Hull Stingrays have receieved both good and bad news on the injury front following the double header exhibition games.

Paul Moran, who went down during a scuffle between Andrew Sharp, Jason Hewitt and himself, has been officially ruled out for 2 to 3 weeks with a dislocated shoulder. He suffered a similar, abeit more serious, injury last season, which restricted him to 51 out of the Belfast Giants 61 games. Moran told the Hull Daily Mail:

"I was trying to stick up for a team-mate, but I think I got jumped. I felt my shoulder go so I went down on my knees and didn't attempt to fight back. Somehow the officials let Andrew keep punching me"

"I knew my shoulder wasn't in the joint, but didn't know if it was completely dislocated, all I knew is it didn't feel right. That's why I didn't fight back - because I didn't want to do any more damage.

"I've seen the people at the hospital. They say it was not too bad so hopefully with a couple of weeks rest I'll be back playing."

However he was still very positive about the Stingrays chances this season:

"It's very unfortunate. I had really enjoyed last week's training sessions and was really enjoying myself out there. We were playing really well for the first 10 minutes on Saturday. We were skating well, finishing our hits. I liked the look of our team. Hopefully with a couple of weeks rest I'll be back and we will get back on track."

Meanwhile, Curtis Cruickshank, who went down after a shot to the body during the Yorkshire Cup on Sunday night, has received the OK to play the Stingrays opening EIHL fixture against the Manchester Phoenix at the Hull Arena on Saturday. The club sent Cruickshank for an X-ray to confirm whether or not he had cracked ribs, as feared. Stingray owner Sue Pack had this to say about Cruickshanks injury:

"We sent Curtis to hospital as a precaution, but I've received a message from him to say the x-rays have shown there are no breaks. I'm delighted Curtis will ice, as we didn't want to lose our number one keeper in the warm-up games. It was just a freak occurrence, it wasn't like anyone ran him or anything, it just happened."

The Stingrays move on to a full weeks training with a full squad (minus Paul Moran) with Troy Neumeier and Steve Slonina in the country and ready to face the Manchester Phoenix at 5.30 on Saturday.

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.