Towering blueliner Sladok reunited with Cloutier

Tough defenceman Jozef Sladok has today become Sylvain Cloutier's fourth defensive signing for the Hull Stingrays ahead of the 10/11 Elite League season.

Slovakian Sladok, who registered a fairly solid 17 points in 31 games with the Romford Raiders, last seasons English Premier League cellar dwellers, will become one of the Stingrays youngest ever imports when he ices for the club on opening night against Cardiff early next month.

Standing at 6'5 and with over 300 PIM's in little more than two years as a professional, he comes to the club as the obvious and natural enforcer, and Cloutier believes he will more than adequately fill the physical role left by Stingrays departed defensive duo Guillaume Lepine and Matt Suderman.

"He's going to be watching everyone's back and he will do anything he needs to do for his team-mates."

However, while fighting is admittedly a large part of his game, his talents clearly stretch further than dropping the mitts once or twice a game. The blueliner was drafted in the 39th in the 2006 CHL Import Draft by the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League, a league that consistently churns out NHL talent year in, year out, and has 11 junior international caps with Slovakia on his CV, an indication that, given the chance, he can play a little.

That said, fighting is obviously something the 22 year old enjoys and excels at given his size, and that became particularly clear in the OHL, where he was utilised to protect future NHLers James Neal and Jared Boll. He fought 44 times in two years with Plymouth, won the OHL title in 2007 and closed his two year stint in Plymouth with seven assists and a massive 323 penalty minutes in 88 games.

He was then signed by current Stingrays coach Cloutier for the first time in 08/09 to spend his rookie season with the Central Hockey League's Corpus Christi Ice Rayz and went on to net one goal and one assist in 29 appearances under Cloutier as he continued his role as enforcer, racking up 154 PIM's.

He made a fleeting return to Slovakia last year, first with hometown side HKM Zvolen before appearing in a single game with HK Detva of the country's second tier. Romford, already struggling in the league, then came calling at Christmas time and the big blueliner was finally given a chance somewhat break out of his fighting mould, registering four goals and 13 assists in 31 games as the London based side finished bottom of the EPL. He even iced all 60 minutes of a game against Peterborough during a Raiders injury crisis, something Rays fans witnessed with Jason Coles of Wightlink in their lone EPL season.

There have been recent suggestions that Cloutier and the new ownership group plan to go with the maxiumum allowed 12 imports, two more than previous owners Mike and Sue Pack, with the extra import likely to be a defenceman giving the Rays a six strong, three line defensive corps.

Sladok will most likely be the Rays fifth or sixth defenceman, icing regular minutes but with limited special teams opportunities, although his most important role will be protecting and defending his team mates throughout the season. Rays fans will be hoping he is more successful in this role than the previous defence first goon signed to the team, Jonathan Bernier, who couldn't defend and could barely fight, his junior international credentials and experience in the CHL suggest he should easily outperform the French Canadian.

Cloutier will now focus his attentions on signing his final two or three imports, at least one forward and one defenceman, with one potential defensive target described as 'towering'.

Meanwhile, in other news the club confirmed that all Saturday fixtures will face-off at 7pm after an agreement was reached with Hull City Council to change the face-off time.