In this part of the series I look at players from the Stingrays inaugural season in 2003-04.
2003/04
Position, Player Name (Last club, season)
G Pasi Raitanen (Sheffield Scimitars, 07/08): As one of the most liked goalies in British hockey history, Raitanen was brought in as the Stingrays first ever netminder but struggled in a team and organisation finding its feet. He was sacked mid season but has remained in Britain since, having short stints in Newcastle and Sheffield before signing for the Sheffield Scimitars of the EPL. He has been there for 3 seasons now posting a total of 116 appearances for the club and has never gone below the 900% mark for save percentage in a season.
03/04: 14GP 3.91 GAA 85.8% sv pct
Last season: 26 GP, 1 assist, 3.01 GAA, 90% sv pct
G Anders Hogberg (Dartmouth Destroyers, 05/06) :Hogberg replaced Pasi mid season in the Stingrays first season and well and truly cemented himself a fans favourite in a difficult first season. In the victories, which were few and far between, Hogberg was known to pirouette for the fans at the end of the game, an image that will be everlasting from the first season. Anders moved on to Swedish side Olofstroms IK in the Swedish Second division in 04/05 and Dartmouth Destroyers in the Canadian Elite Hockey League in 05/06. It seems since then he has retired from the game.
03/04: 20GP 3.07 GAA 90.5% sv pct
Last season: N/A
D Andy Munroe (Peterborough Phantoms, 07/08): Munroe was always a steady, stay at home defenceman for the Stingrays, and the Thunder before hand, and he has continued that trait throughout his hockey career. Since appearing for the Stingrays his hockey career has taken him to the Peterborough Phantoms of the EPL where he has been for 4 years now.
03/04: 36GP, 2 goals, 0 assists, 10 PIM
Last season: 40GP, 0 goals, 9 assists, 6 PIM
D Brent Pope (Cardiff Devils, 07/08): Pope began his one and only season with the Rays as one of the few players the fans had confidence in, at the end of the season this was turned on its head as he became one of the players who got fans pulling their hair out. After the Stingrays he made visits to Basingstoke and London in the EIHL before moving to the EPL in 05/06 with Sheffield, then Romford and Slough before pulling his British career full circle as he signed for Cardiff in 07/08, initially as bench coach then as player. He has now officially retired and has been assigned as General Manager in Cardiff.
03/04: 33GP, 4 goals, 15 assists, 122 PIM
Last season: 10 GP, 0 goals, 0 assists, 41 PIM
D Slava Timchenko (HK Gomel, 07/08): Timchenko was one of the few players to have come to the UK after playing in the Olympics. He came and went in one season without too much of hype but looking back was one of the most underrated players to have played in a Stingrays jersey. Since playing for the Rays he signed in Belarus with HK Gomel and has spent the last 4 years there whilst still playing for Team Ukraine at the World Championships. In 06/07 he had a particularly fruitful year in the Belarus league as he registered 10 goals and 20 assists in 40 games.
03/04: 31GP, 5 goals, 10 assists, 46 PIM
Last season: 29 GP, 0 goals, 5 assists, 42 PIM
Timchenko in action for Team Ukraine at the World Championships F Michael Bowman (Slough Jets, 07/08): Bowman was, and still is, one of the hardest working and most consistent Brits that the Stingrays have had. During the 03/04 season he stapled this reputation with some solid, hardworking performances in the BNL. Since his season with the Stingrays he moved to the EPL, firstly with Sheffield, then Chelmsford and Peterborough in 04/05 before he moved to the Slough Jets, where he has been for the last 3 seasons, in which he has recorded 53 goals and 41 assists in 118 games.
03/04: 36GP, 3 goals, 7 assists, 8 PIM
Last season: 31 GP, 18 goals, 15 assists, 16 PIM
F Noel Burkitt (London Racers, 03/04): Burkitt was one of the fans least favourite players of, pretty much, all time and his axing was seen with much joy at the Hull Arena. Many a time he was likened to another effortless forward Dan Currie. After his sacking from the Rays he joined the London Racers in the Elite league before retiring back to Canada.
03/04: 15GP, 1 goals, 4 assists, 8 PIM
Last season: N/A
F Stephen Johnson (Hull Stingrays, 03/04): One of Hulls greatest ever servants, who played at the club for a total of 13 years, who came to call Hull home. After an understandably disappointing season in 03/04 he made the decision to retire from the game. With that came the news that the Stingrays would retire his #10 jersey and that his number would hang from the rafters. Never again will the #10 be seen on a Hull jersey.
03/04:15GP, 0 goals, 2 assists, 12 PIM
Last season: N/A
F Linus Schellin (Ferencváros TC, 07/08): Schellin was possibly one of Strachan’s biggest regrets and worst signings. After just 8 games with the Rays he had just 1 assist and showed the Stingrays nothing, he was promptly shown the door before finishing the season with ENL side Kingston Jets, where he scored 5 goals and 6 assists in 7 games . He then moved on to Moval in the Swedish Second division, playing 4 games, before moving to Hungary in 05/06, where he played a season each with Dunaújváros AC and Ferencváros TC. He continued to play with Ferencváros last season although his stats are unavailable.
03/04: 8GP, 0 goals, 1 assist, 4PIM
Last season: N/A
F Stuart Brittle (Sheffield Scimitars, 07/08): Brittle was another of the Stingrays first season regrets. He was initially signed up to Telford Tigers before they played the Stingrays in a challenge game pre-season, after which Strachan signed him up. He played the majority of games for the Stingrays but received little ice time and as such only scored 1 assist whilst failing to impress the fans. He, like many others, signed in the EPL, this time with Sheffield Scimitars where he still is. He has recorded 70 points for the Scims in the last 3 seasons with them.
03/04: 30GP, 0 goals, 1 assists, 2 PIM
Last season: 39 GP, 7 goals, 11 assists, 30 PIM.
Next time....the difficult second season 04/05
