It's never Dulle in Hull as three sign up

The Hull Stingrays today revealed the capture of imports Kurtis Dulle and Jereme Tendler, and the return of young British forward Ben Lowe for the 10/11 Elite League campaign, set to get underway in exactly four weeks time.

30 year old defenceman Dulle and 26 year old forward Tendler join from the Central Hockey League, where last season the pair iced for coach Sylvain Cloutier's former side Corpus Christi Ice Rayz. Indeed, it was during Cloutier's difficult time in the CHL that he first witnessed the pair.

Dulle iced alongside new Rays keeper Christian Boucher and former defenceman Stephen Burns with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees in 08/09 and iced against Cloutier's Ice Rayz in a year he was named an CHL All Star after notching career bests in goals (7), assists (28) and points (35). Last year Dulle found himself on the Ice Rayz roster with Tendler after starting the year once again in Rio Grande before moving on to Colorado and Allen along the way, he finished the regular season with six goals and 21 assists.

Tendler also experienced playing against the Rays current player-coach with the Tulsa Oilers before impressing Cloutier enough to earn a trade to his Corpus Christi side, going on to hit nine goals and 13 points in 17 games in Texas

Well versed in the ways of the CHL having played there for at least part of the last five seasons, Dulle looks to have replaced the experienced hole left by Joshua Mizerek's defection to his former side HYS Den Haag. Although he is unlikely to take the place of Jeff Glowa as club captain, as Mizerek was expected to do, his stats going forward look ever so slightly more impressive than Mizerek's, with 33 goals and 98 assists in five CHL years, even if his leadership skills may not be enough for him to be handed the C.

Meanwhile, forward Tendler, who totaled 49 goals and 48 assists in 126 games in Springfield, Massachusetts at NCAA college side American International College is a boost to the Stingrays offensive line. He moved on to professional hockey in 08/09, after his stint in the NCAA, as he split the year between CHL sides Tulsa and Corpus Christi, and IHL side Kalamazoo. Between the three clubs he netted 18 times in 58 games, after starting the year with just four goals in 36 games, and he returned to Corpus Christi last year hitting career best figures.

However, he was left without a club this summer following the Ice Rayz reformation in the junior North American Hockey League (NAHL). With the club opting to for the junior league ahead of the merged CHL and IHL offering his much mooted move to the UK finally materialised.

The Saskatchewan native comes to the UK as a goalscorer rather than playmaker, with goals outnumbering assists at each of the five clubs he has graced in the last three years and with hat-tricks in both the CHL and IHL. With ice time guaranteed in the three line Elite League, it is fair to say goals are expected from the Canadian with hopes of another career year not beyond reasonable doubt.

And while a definite goal getter, on first glance he appears to be the 'extra' and 11th import promised by the new owners after Brit James Archer departed, as opposed a high spec replacement for star man Chris Korchinski, whose replacement is rumoured to be 40 point ECHL man Sean Berkstresser.

Meanwhile, 19-year old Beverley born forward Ben Lowe returns to the club having signed his first professional deal with the club last year. Seldom used until the result was beyond doubt, Lowe failed to register a point in 20 games with the club but will enter the season as a young prospect on the fringes of the squad.

There he may be joined by energetic 27 year old forward Ryan Lake, who has begun training with a mixture of players currently based in Hull after a few years out of the professional game. The former fan favourite has only just resumed training, however, an appearance later in the season is not completely out of the question.

The club now requires a minimum of two defencemen and one forward, all likely to be imports, taking Cloutier's roster to 17 players and 11 imports, ahead of an opening day Challenge Cup clash with Cardiff on Sunday 3 October.

Huppe re-joins Cloutier at Stingrays

31 year old Canadian forward Curtis Huppe has once again joined up with friend and former team mate Sylvain Cloutier, by signing a two year contract as player-assistant coach with the Excel Hull Stingrays.

6'1 Huppe is no stranger to the Elite League having spent three seasons in Belfast and a season in Coventry with Cloutier, winning the EIHL title in both cities, whilst racking up an outstanding 104 goals and 116 assists in 177 games.

Last season, Huppe came out of a very brief retirement to sign for Cloutier in Corpus Christi of the Central Hockey League, scoring 14 points in a short 28 game stint for the club, however once Cloutier was released, Huppe quickly followed after a disappointing season.

This signing is a statement of intent from the Stingrays management that they will not only do their best to sign one of their best ever teams, but that they are building the club for a crucial two year push for success with both Huppe and Cloutier contracted for two years.

Known as one of the best snipers to play in the Elite League, with more than a goal every other game and at least a point a game in the EIHL, Huppe developed his defensive game under Coventry coach Paul Thompson after gaining a reputation as a one dimensional forward.

Next season Huppe will be expected to hit the back of the net, and often, as he will rack up huge minutes on the Rays first line, as well as time on the powerplay and penalty kill.

Stingrays co-owner, Sue Pack, had this to say about the signing of the Winnipeg, Manitoba native:

"Curtis will bring seniority and leadership to the Stingrays. He's a points scorer and a skilled guy. He has played alongside Sylvain before. They have a good working relationship and he is very excited to be coming over to Hull and being part of something new for him."

The new era under new player-coach Cloutier is beginning to generate an element of excitement amongst not only fans, but also players.

Cloutier's vast experience in North America and reputation as an honest, hardworking player seems to be translating well into his recruitment of players and he indicated that his friendship with Huppe was key to the coup.

"We have a very good working relationship and we get along really well .There is a lot of trust and respect between us, two parts that should be there when you work together. Curtis is a very well-rounded hockey player and one I can count on every night."

"Curtis is a huge component to our team, he brings a lot of respect to the Hull Stingrays organisation. He is a proven winner and he knows what it takes to succeed."

It would seem that the Stingrays next move will be to sign tough guy Andre Payette from the Newcastle Vipers after strong rumours suggest that the 33 year old forward has agreed terms, meanwhile Tommy Sandahl looks set to sign as the teams number one netminder.

Photos courtesy Kingdom of the Giants and Coventry Telegraph

Cloutier handed Stingrays job

35 year old Canadian Sylvain Cloutier has become the Excel Hull Stingrays second ever head coach after signing a two year contract as player-coach.

The native of Mont Laurier, Quebec, became the popular choice to succeed Rick Strachan in the last week but Cloutier was favourite for the job with co-owners Mike and Sue Pack as soon as they heard that he was interested in a return to the UK after his first coaching spell, in the CHL, ended after less than a year.

"Sylvain got in touch early in the process, pretty well at the same time as one or two people mentioned his name to us as someone who might be worth approaching."

"We said at the outset it was not about getting the first guy who contacted us, but getting the right guy. We almost said 'hang on, let's have a think' as it seemed, as far as we were concerned, we had the right guy almost straight away," said Mike Pack

As a veteran of over 1000 professional games, as well as a reputation as a driven, determined player, Cloutier brings a certain, win at all costs mentality, that was lacking under his predecessor.

That reputation is reflected in his impressive CV which boasts a number of championships, including two league titles in his two years in Coventry, seven games in the NHL with Chicago in 1998, 600+ games in the AHL and two over a point per game seasons in the EIHL with the Blaze.

Cloutier is the kind of player that the Stingrays have never had. Skillful but incredibly determined, and able to use his experience and personality to help motivate his teammates, something that should transfer into his role as coach.

With experience as head coach of the CHL's Corpus Christi Ice Rays, where his recorded ended at 21 wins, 25 losses after being dismissed in February, he has, albeit brief, experience of a head coaching role, but it is his vast experience on the ice and his style of play that is most exciting.

The signing of Cloutier will no doubt set off a whole host of rumours about who he may bring with him.

Last season he brought in his brother of over 300 NHL games, netminder Dan Cloutier, as assistant coach, as well as former Coventry and Belfast sniper, Curtis Huppe.

There is no doubt that these rumours will quickly emerge, but with the team on a tight budget, thought to be one of the lowest in the league, it will be difficult to bring in players of the quality of particularly his brother.

Mike Pack added to the Hull Daily Mail that Cloutier is understanding of the budget that the Stingrays are forced to run with:

"It will be his team, although clearly, as always, there will be a budget constraint determined by how successful the business is."

"We talked about that and he is comfortable with that."

The next question now is how many of last seasons squad will return for the new season. With Cloutier naturally wanting to bring in his own recruits, it could spell the end for many of last years team, with the futures of even the more impressive performers such as Kalmikov, Reynolds, Glowa, Slonina and Gomenyuk, in doubt.

And so begins an exciting new era in Stingrays hockey.