Coburn shock departure confirmed as Stingrays turnover continues

Excel Hull Stingrays coach Sylvain Cloutier yesterday confirmed in the Hull Daily Mail that Andrew Coburn, the club's rookie revelation last season, will not return for a second year in Hull.

Instead - having joined the Rays last summer from the University of Alabama - Huntsville hockey programme - the Mount Forest, Ontario native looks set to end his professional hockey career by likely retiring after an outstanding single season in which he recorded 20 goals and 42 assists for 62 points in 61 games just 61 games.

Cloutiers confirmation that Coburn, named the Rays most improved player, will not pull on the blue and yellow again - despite a "pretty good offer" from the Stingrays - brings the total number of confirmed departures this summer to six, with Matti Uusivirta taking, at the very least, a season out of the sport, Konstantin Kalmikov now all but officially confirmed as leaving the club following a poor showing last year and enforcer turned forward Jozef Sladok likewise also on his way out.

Departed: Uusivirta, Kalmikov, Sladok

With the club opting for a four defenceman, five forward import line-up, there remains just one forward spot to fill after the confirmed offensive foreign quota signings of Dominic Osman, Frantisek Bakrlik, Jason Silverthorn, Jereme Tendler and Cloutier himself, who will suit up for possibly the final year of his career.

Having initially whittled his shortlist down to five players, in the last week the Rays player-coach further narrowed his search for that final spot down to just two players, one new to the UK and one with previous experience in the country.

The pair - both of whom are said to have put up "some numbers" in the past - will likely join the club in an all-around third line role, similar to the one many expected standout forward Coburn to be last summer.

While it will be hoped the new signing will follow in his footsteps and out-do all expectations, Cloutier believes the club is largely set for offensive output with all signed-up import forwards capable, he thinks, of hitting the 20 to 30 goal mark.

The Stingrays are not likely to confirm the identity of the new signing until, at the earliest, next week, however, speculation has already linked the club to former Stingray Jason Kostadine and controversial former NHLer Mike Danton.

Kostadine in 07/08

Hard working agitator Kostadine - who had a career year in 08/09 in Hull netting eight goals and 15 assists in 54 games - fits into the hardworking bracket, although whether his pointscoring exploits last time out in the EIHL, not even good enough for less than half a point per game, would tick the box marked "has put up points previously" remains to be seen. He has since put up just four goals, 14 points and a massive 328 PIM's over two seasons and 125 games between the IHL and CHL, though admittedly the American was a very effective agitator and became a fan favourite at the Hull Arena two years ago.

Danton has a complex history, after being drafted into the NHL by New Jersey in 2000 he recorded 34 points in 69 AHL games  and 14 points in 87 NHL games but was jailed in 04/05 for conspiracy to commit murder.

He made a comeback to the sport following his release from jail in just 09/10 with Canadian college Saint Mary's University and returned there last season, excelling both on and off-ice. He recently stated a desire to take up an opportunity to play in Europe and - having played with 'Clouts' in Albany in 2000/01 - pure speculation turned to him signing in Hull.

The potential negative publicity caused by adding Danton to the roster would likely nullify this rumour as a no-goer but the 30 year old is highly likely to show up in Europe in the near future with Hull or the EIHL a likely destination. Provided he could obtain a work permit to play in the country given his criminal record, the Elite League would be traditionally be ideal territory for such a player to make a return to the professional game as NHL legend Theo Fleury did in 05/06.

Admittedly it may be highly unlikely that Kostadine or Danton will suit up in Hull colours next year, particularly the latter. However, one thing is for sure, the hole left by Coburn is sizeable and his replacement may have to be more than the all-around role player that Cloutier expects of him, especially given the importance of the role imports play in the UK and the lack of offence often attributed to low budget sides.

Excel Hull Stingrays 10/11 Season Review: Up Front

Forwards

Sylvain Cloutier (58GP 11+36 64PIM)

Grade: B-

Return: Yes

Bounced back from a particularly disappointing first year in Hull on-ice and, although he may not have been the threat he once was going forward, he was for the second year in a row the heart beat of the team emotionally. For a 38 year old he was all too often the only physical threat up front. After more than 1000 professional games, next season could well be the final chapter in a lengthy and memorable career.

Lee Esders (53GP 7+6 32PIM)

Grade: C

Return: Yes

A slightly disappointing year in which both his production and performance dropped off somewhat. Still, he was named East Yorkshire Sports Personality of the Year, which is an incredible achievement given who he was up against, and he still provided that constant source of energy that has seen him become a fan favourite on the Rays third line. It looks quite likely that he has reached his plateau in Hull and he may well depart this summer.

Jason Silverthorn (55GP 20+31 30PIM)

Grade: C+

Return: Yes

Silverthorn started the year on fire - recording more than a point a game in October - before that great start to the year was brought to a shuddering halt by a massive hit from Nottingham defenceman Guillaume Lepine. The resulting concussion killed an semblance of form he had, affecting the rest of his season, although to his credit he still came very close to maintaining his record as a point-per-game forward in the Elite League.

Lee Mitchell (27GP 11+13 23PIM)

Grade: B+

Return: Yes

Another injury hit year for the Scottish born forward as his season and progression was once again scuppered by a knee injury. Had it not been for his troublesome knee injury he would likely be one of the most sought after British forwards at this point, and a Great Britain regular to boot. However, after coming on leaps and bounds during his time in Hull, he has yet to reach that full potential, leaving many thinking what could have been had the Scot been fit.

Konstantin Kalmikov (59GP 18+24 6PIM)

Grade: C-

Return: No

The award for biggest disappointment of the season undoubtedly has to go to Kalmikov. Previously the go-to 36 goal forward for the club, 'Kalmi' looked a different player from the off this past season. For whatever reason the Ukrainian failed to hit the form that saw him so highly rated previously and he went on to register just 18 goals, half of his previous total. A return to Hull looks very unlikely, although he would be welcome after three years as a fan favourite, however, it seems more than likely that another EIHL club may roll the dice on the 32 year old.

Andrew Coburn (61GP 20+42 68PIM)

Grade: A

Return: Yes

Arguably the signing of the season for the Stingrays. Coburn signed straight from college for his rookie season and, after taking time to acclimatise to the British and professional game in the seasons first few months, outperformed all expectations leading the team in assists but more often than not leading with consistent performances game-in, game-out. A truly brilliant all-around player and one the club will do well to hold on to in the summer.

Jereme Tendler (59GP 50+31 22PIM)

Grade: A

Return: Yes

While many expected Tendler to score goals for the Rays, never in a million years did they expect him to hit the half century mark and end the year as the leagues second top scorer. In a truly remarkable season, he comfortably broke the Stingrays single season goalscoring record by a mere 14 goals and set a benchmark for all future goalscorers brought to the club. Okay, so his all around game may not be quite as good as his finishing abilities but that's fair enough when you hit the twine 50 times in 56 games, while adding 31 assists. Next up? The difficult second season.

Ben Lowe (57GP 2+0 18PIM)

Grade: C

Return: Yes

Lowe received his first meaningful ice-time this season, a year after riding the pine, and made steady progress. His first two professional goals will undoubtedly be a highlight, even if they did come against an understrength Edinburgh, but where he goes from here in order to aid his improvement and potential is the question. Whether there will be room on the Rays roster for him to receive more ice-time remains to be seen but the decrease in import limit may work to his advantage.

Matti Uusivirta (54GP 16+21 66PIM)

Grade: C-

Return: No

Brought in hoping kick a reputation that had seen him pigeonholed as a defensive forward in his homeland, the Finn did little to prove he much else in his locker in his first year in the UK. Injury played its part in restricting him to 16 goals and 37 points as, to his credit, he battled on through the pain for large portions of the season. A good defensive forward but, unfortunately, that role is a luxury British clubs probably cannot afford at present.

Ryan Lake (44GP 5+5 50PIM)

Grade: B-

Return: Yes

After a number of seasons away from the sport Lake proved his worth on the Rays roster this past year, returning alongside his all too familiar, and very entertaining, pinball style of play. A huge fan favourite with a fearless attitude, he also chipped in with a useful five goals and ten points. 

Jozef Sladok (61GP 2+8 193PIM)

Grade: C

Return: No

Brought in as a D-man, Sladok was shifted up front upon the release of Grundmanis, signalling the end of Cloutier's 'twin towers' experiment. Regardless of where he was playing, the Slovak worked as hard as anyone on the roster. Nevertheless, while his work rate and fighting abilities are unquestioned - with 14 fights to his name last season, including bouts with heavyweights Guillaume Lepine and Brad Voth - his efficiency as a forward is questionable, particularly in a reduced import EIHL.

Andy Hirst (19GP 2+2 2PIM)

Grade: C

Return: Yes

Signed in mid-season from the EPL following the departure of Matty Davies, Hirst impressively fired home in his debut for the Rays, again albeit against lowly Edinburgh. Immediately stepping in above Lowe on the depth chart, his contributions early on were positive, however, his ice-time soon diminished as the Rays returned to full-strength.

MIA

Matty Davies (36GP 4+16 11PIM)

Grade: C-

Return: No

Quit on the club mid-way through an important game win Dundee, after being dropped to the third line, before signing in the EPL with Peterborough, where he registered over a point a game.

Also iced: James Archer (EPL Manchester Phoenix), Craig Elliot and Christopher Sykes (EPL Sheffield Steeldogs), Kieran Beach (ENL Kingston Jets), Dean Tonks (ENL Solihull Barons) and Callum Rawson (ENL Sheffield Spartans)

Silver claims first FBB Player of the Month

Excel Hull Stingrays forward Jason Silverthorn has claimed F Block Blog's first ever player of the month award after putting in a string of team leading performances in October.

Despite arriving late for his second year with the club, the Canadian forward lead the club with points (13) last month, registered six goals and seven assists in 13 games along the way. Although the opportunistic Jereme Tendler currently leads the club in goals and also has 13 points on the year, Silverthorn has lead by example offensively, helping the club into seventh place in the Elite League.

Silverthorn pipped Christian Boucher to the post, claiming FBB's first star in the home and home double header against Belfast and Newcastle last weekend after the Rays netminder had claimed the opening two awards in standout performances against Cardiff and Nottingham.

Despite missing much of the month with a knee injury, Lee Mitchell finished in joint third, after being awarded second star in his goalscoring return to action against Cardiff weekend, alongside Finn Matti Uusivirta, who impressed in his first month in the UK.

Rays complete roster with Uusivirta and Lake

The Hull Stingrays can today finally look forward to the first game of a season that could easily have never been following the completion of Sylvain Cloutier's 19 man squad with the signing of forwards Matti Uusivirta and Ryan Lake.

25 year old centre Uusivirta joins the club for a second pro season away from his native Finland after spending the majority of his career with Espoo Blues of the SM-Liga, the top table of Finnish ice hockey and one of the best leagues in the world.

Used as a solid defensive forward in the top tier of Finland, he is another player that has experience of North America, having spent 30 games at Northeastern University in 05/06 where he registered nine points.

With that experience under his belt he returned to Finland, icing in 19 games with Espoo before being loaned to second tier Mestis side HC Salamat. With Salamat he went on to record career best numbers of 13 goals and four assists in 26 games, figures which compare fairly well with former Stingray Paul Cabana, who last year scored seven goals and 13 assists in 39 games.

A brief return to Salamat and a short stint with Kiekko-Vantaa aside, he went on to make 21 more appearances for Espoo before moving to SM-Liga rivals Ilves in 08/09, where he scored twice and added two assists in 41 games, continuing his role as a lower line defensive centre.

Last year the then 24 year old tried his luck with HKM Zvolen of Slovakia's top flight but went scoreless before finishing the year with seven game, one assist return to Espoo and he now joins the Stingrays once again looking to make a name for himself going forward.

Although the 6'3 centreman has just eight points in 88 SM-Liga games, he had a defined role as a defensive, shutdown centre and as such a notable offensive return was not expected. Another aspect that should be taken into account is the undeniable quality of the Finnish top flight and the lack of opportunity for first line minutes with such quality players available.

While it will undoubtedly be a challenge to put up real numbers in his first year in the UK as a relied upon import forward is expected to the in the UK, the drop in quality and increase in ice time should see him become a decent two-way centre at EIHL level with his defensive responsibilities likely to remain.

Cloutier told the Hull Daily Mail of his expectations of Helsinki native, particularly having played in the one of the worlds best leagues.

"Matti will be a big part of why our team will succeed this season. The Finnish Elite League is a very high standard and he's played very much a defensive forward's role when he's played at that level. When he's played games in the Second Division Mestis League he's had much more of an offensive role and he has put up some respectable numbers. I'm expecting him to make a really strong all-round contribution to the team."

Meanwhile, 27 year old Lake returns to the fold having previously iced for Hull Thunder in 02/03 and the Rays in his last season and the clubs single season in the EPL in 05/06.

A fans favourite previously with a fearless mindset, his career was brought to a premature halt after just one season with the Stingrays, primarily because the Brit was rightly unwilling to risk further injury to his troublesome back and with the club in the EPL.

He has totals of 17 goals and 12 assists in 61 games in Hull, sandwiched between which he spent two years in the Elite League with Sheffield, and he becomes to clubs 11th British forward for the upcoming season.

Cloutier believes that the fans favourite will bring that required depth and extra energy to the Rays lineup for the coming season.

"Ryan will bring a lot of grit and energy to our hockey club and his tenacious style will really frustrate the opposition. I want him to be a pest on the ice. He is fresh and ready and very excited to play in front of his hometown fans."

The Rays roster is now set at 19 players, consisting of 12 imports, seven Brits and two netminders, six defencemen and a healthy looking 11 forwards, ahead of the clubs opening night on 3 October in a Challenge Cup fixture against the Cardiff Devils.