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Mizerek replaces outgoing captain Kurtis Dulle who is expected to retire from the sport at the end of the summer season in Australia - where he is spending what is thought may be his final season with Sydney Bears.
In a fairly inexperienced team Dulle was thrown into the captaincy upon signing from the Central Hockey League in early September last season as a late replacement for Mizerek - who left without playing a game after the club's financial issues - but turned out to be a popular on-ice leader for the club.
Questions over his captaincy were naturally raised when the club went through a rough patch in late 2010 and brought in 36 year old former NHLer Drew Bannister, however, standing by his captain, Cloutier instead handed Bannister Lee Mitchell's alternate captain's role.
The Rays boss said at the club's most recent fans forum that Mizerek's decision to quit last summer was based on his young family and a renewed opportunity to combine coaching with playing in Holland. Nevertheless he was eager to stay in touch, with Cloutier calling him "the Stingrays biggest fan" last season as he endeavored to keep up with results during his fourth season in Dutch capital Den Haag.
That eagerness to link up again was reciprocated by Cloutier as he wasted no time in signing the American and re-naming him captain. He said:
"It was an easy decision to make, Josh has been a leader wherever he has played. It is natural for him to be captain, he has captained championship-winning sides before. I was extremely excited to have him on board and I knew I wanted him to be my captain."With former alternate captain Bannister now player-coach of the Braehead Clan and fellow former alternate captain Trevor Read also moving on this summer Cloutier somewhat unsurprisingly named Silverthorn, last season's Coaches Player of the Year, and Dmitri Suur, on paper the most experienced member of this year's team, as their alternate captaincy replacements.
Silverthorn has become a reliable, experienced and valued member of the Rays set up, and not just for his on-ice performances while Suur will be entering his 21st season in the sport at the age of 36. Cloutier added:
"Jason and Dmitri have both been leaders before. Silvers has been a leader since he arrived here and Dmitri has captained Estonia at the last two World Championships. Both have a lot to give the team and they will help Josh and myself out."It was thought that, following his season coaching the youth set up in Den Haag, Mizerek may be named Bannister's replacement as player-assistant coach, however, it looks as though this time Cloutier is happy with Bobby McEwan as his bench and assistant coach and his all new on-ice leadership. He concluded:
"I am very happy with the choices I've made for all three positions and I just can't wait to get started."
