Player-coach Sylvain Cloutier has completed the Excel Hull Stingrays defensive corps for his maiden Elite League season as coach with the signing of former Rio Grande Killer Bees defenceman Stephen Burns on a two-year deal.The 24 year old, 6ft defenceman spent his rookie season, last term, with the Killer Bees of the Central Hockey League, recording two goals and six assists in 55 games whilst adding 94 penalty minutes.
Burns (right) v LaredoHe is highly regarded by former coaches in the CHL and NCAA, and although his stats suggest he will be a rock on the blueline, rather than a forward rushing offensive defenceman, Cloutier is adamant that he has the all around skills to be a highly effective defenceman in the Elite League.
"He is one of those guys who I got to see play last season in our 16 games against Rio Grande...He caught my eye because he competes every night and battles for his team-mates."
"I wanted him simply because he is my kind of player and he was always shutting down our top guys each time we played against him. Not only is he good defensively, he is also a great skater and will definitely put points up in the Elite league."
"He is young and hungry and wants to be here. He will be a great addition to our hockey club."
The Newmarket, Ontario native, who spent the early years of his junior career playing in his hometown, spent four years at Rocester Institute of Technology (RIT), combining his studies with playing hockey, and that is something that he will continue in Hull thanks to the Stingrays new link up with Doncaster Business School.
British Elite League teams have been using University link ups as bargaining tools against European clubs, who can offer more attractive exchange rates with the dollar, for a number of years now, however this is the first of such linkups for the Stingrays
"We're looking forward to developing our relationship with the business school in the future. It's a very progressive organisation and we hope our link-up will be very valuable in the years to come."Burns joins returnee Pavel Gomenyuk, Brits Craig Mitchell and James Hutchinson, and Canadians, Adam Knight and Ryan Jorde, on the Stingrays blueline for the 09/10 EIHL season. Cloutier pronounced his happiness with the teams defensive unit, saying that they will be tough side to score against:
"With the defensive unit that we have put together, players will have to always pay a price to get to our net."He now has one final signing, an import forward, to announce before rounding off his first off-season with news about the Stingrays pre-season training camp and fixtures, of which Cloutier has stated he wants as many as possible, in readiness for his first season in charge.
