Stingrays confirm Smith signing; complete import quota

The long awaited signing confirmation of 6'6 defenceman Jeff Smith has today completed the Hull Stingrays import quota for the 2012/2013 Elite Ice Hockey League campaign.

The rangy, physical blueliner returns to the UK for a second shot after sitting out the majority of the 10/11 season with the Coventry Blaze thanks to a knee injury - notching three goals and an assist as well as 25 penalty minutes along the way.

Smith - who has lifted the Canadian Hockey League (00/01), ECHL Kelly Cup (02/03), American Hockey League Calder Cup (04/05), Dutch Eredivisie (09/10) and Dutch Beker Cup (08/09 and 11/12) - moves across the North Sea for the second time having completed a second spell in Holland last season with HYS Den Haag - where he notched a goal and 12 assists in 37 games.

Having notched the championship winning goal for the Red Deer Rebels in the CHL Memorial Cup in 2001 - Smith became part of the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers organisation in 2002 signing a three-year, two-way deal. Though he never made the NHL, he iced in 57 AHL games and 96 ECHL games with the Flyers minor league affiliates the Philadelphina Phantoms and Trenton Titans respectively.

The next three seasons saw the Canadian spend a season apiece with Columbia Inferno - where he iced with former Stingray Derek Campbell - Alaska Aces and Phoenix Roadrunners in the ECHL before he made the move across the Atlantic to Holland.

He lifted the Dutch Cup for Nijmegen Devils in his first year abroad during 08/09, teaming up with another former Stingray in Christian Boucher in 09/10 to captain the Devils to the Dutch Eredivisie title before moving on to his short spell at the Skydome two seasons ago.

At a lofty 6'6, the 31 year old becomes the club's joint tallest ever player with James Demone and joins an almost brand new defensive corps - with Kurtis Dulle the only returning player alongside Smith's fellow new additions Shane Lovdahl, Tomas Valecko and enforcer turned utility man Ryan Hand.

While the club's undoubted enforcer will be Hand, Smith is no slouch when it comes to toughness and physicality - with more than 120 career fights to his name, including a career high 19 in his final year as a junior in 2001/2002. In an Elite League that appears to get tougher and more physical by the day, the extra force of Smith is by no means a bad thing - particularly given that this has frequently been the club's weakness in the past.

His abilities will likely reach much further than that however, and it seems probable that his solid, no-nonsense brand of play will be the backbone to a defensive corps that also appears to possess offensive qualities in Dulle and a shot from the point in Valecko as well as all-around ability in Lovdahl.

Speaking of his final import signing Cloutier said:

"Jeff is a big stay-at-home defenceman. He is not flashy but he will bring a physical presence at the back and make people pay the price in front of the net. If he has to send a message I know he is not afraid to. He has won everywhere, he is an experienced guy and he is a leader. We will need that from him and he will accept any role we give him. He wanted to come back to the UK, he is excited to be joining us and I am excited to have him on board."

Smith becomes the Stingrays 11th and final import signing of the 2012 off-season and, on-paper, his addition has strengthened the club's roster against opening night import quotas of the past.

With Brit Ben Bowns between the pipes the Rays are afforded the luxury of 11 outskating imports. Defensively, they appear stronger and deeper than ever with four (five if you include utility player Hand) at the back and the possibility of another British player as sixth defenceman.

While up front they may not compare quite so favourably given the loss of Campbell (11/12) and Coburn (10/11), and the addition of unknown quantities Ozolins and Tanaka at EIHL level. However, the retention of last season's scoring brunt in Jereme Tendler, Jason Silverthorn and Dominic Osman - who will be looking to continue his scintillating end to last season - is reassuring and bodes well for the club's offence going forward.

Undoubtedly the biggest question now is the strength of the club's Brits given the detraction of Sam McCluskey, Dan Scott, Andy McKinney, Tristan Harper and Jack Watkins this summer, and apparent lack of quality available at this time of year.

How the Stingrays opening night import quota shapes up (2008-2012)

08/09	09/10	10/11	11/12	12/13
Cruickshank	Sandahl	Boucher	Boucher	-
Neumeier	Burns	Dulle	Mizerek	Dulle
Gomenyuk	Gomenyuk	Read	Ondrej	Lovdahl
Kerr	Jorde	Grundmanis	Rodin	Valecko
Bernier	Halkidis	Sladok	-	Smith
-	-	-	-	Hand
Kozak	Cloutier	Cloutier	Cloutier	Cloutier
Glowa	Glowa	Silverthorn	Silverthorn	Silverthorn
Riddle	Huppe	Tendler	Tendler	Tendler
Reynolds	Reynolds	Coburn	Osman	Osman
Kalmikov	Kalmikov	Kalmikov	Bakrlik	Ozolins
Kostadine	Knight	Uusivirta	Campbell	Tanaka
11	11	11	10	11

Mizerek back for a second crack

33 year old American defenceman Joshua Mizerek has today rejoined the Excel Hull Stingrays, the club he quit 12  months ago following its untimely demise, signing from Dutch Eredivisie side HYS Den Haag.

He becomes the fourth former Adirondack player to join the club following the signatures of fellow blueliner Dmitri Suur, power forward Frantisek Bakrlik and player-coach Sylvain Cloutier, as the head coach looks to recruit known players ahead of his third year in charge in Hull.

The experienced Minnesota native spent four full seasons in the ECHL having graduated from Miami University in Ohio in 99/00, opening up his career in Baton Rogue, where he netted 11 goals and added 18 assists. He went on to ice in more than 250 games in North America's third tier, accumulating 20 goals and 65 points before moving on to the CHL in 04/05.

Mizerek joined up with Bakrlik, Suur and Cloutier in Adirondack for a 55 game spell during 05/06 moving on to ice for CHL side Amarillo Gorillas in 06/07.

He moved overseas in 07/08, opting to sign with HYS Den Haag and lifted the Dutch championship in just his second season, playing a big part in the success recording three goals and four assists in ten games. He hit a career hit in points in 09/10, bagged 36 in 44 games, before Cloutier made an approach to sign the veteran last summer.

Having initially agreed to join the Rays, the right shooting defenceman understandably opted out following owners Mike and Sue Pack's decision to leave with no new owners on the horizon. Although the Rays returned under Coventry ownership, Mizerek returned to Den Haag signing in a role that allowed him to combine playing with coaching of their junior section. On-ice he hit a four year low 24 points but once again captained his side to a Dutch championship, his second in four years at the club.

Mizerek, a pro of some 600 games, looks to have balanced out a backline that looked questionably imbalanced in the experience stakes with Sam McCluskey and Dan Scott combining for just over a 100 appearances and fellow import defenceman Suur hitting above the 650 mark. It is an area of the team that was all too often the weak spot last season but with hard-working all-around blueliner, and likely captain, Mizerek in the ranks there will be at the very least a continual leader in the defensive zone, another thing the club needed so urgently prior to the arrival of, the now departed, Bannister last term. Cloutier said:

"He is just the type of player I want in my team. He is a competitor, he is a leader and he comes to play every night. Miz has won championships before so he knows what it takes. We have recruited a number of players who have won before - it is import to surround the team with those kind of players, ones who care and have a winning attitude. Josh is a solid, all-around defenceman who takes care of his own end and he makes it hard back there for the opposition. He will do a great job for us."

The Rays now require just one import defenceman to complete their five strong blueline although Cloutier may yet sign further reinforcement and injury insurance at the back with a British player.

It is thought that the Rays player-coach has completed his import roster for next season with that defenceman and a forward with EIHL experience signed up and ready to be announced.

Captain Mizerek rejects Rays

Defenceman and captain to be Joshua Mizerek has become the fifth player to reject a renewed approach from the Hull Stingrays following the clubs demise and sudden takeover.

The 32 year old initially joined in July from Dutch Eredivisie club HYS Den Haag, where he was a lynch pin on the blueline, however, he has now opted to remain in Holland instead of risking what he will view as a fluid situation in Hull.

Of course, the new Stingrays owners are almost as solid financially as they come in the UK but for a new player joining with little knowledge of the country, committing to a club for a full year with even a slight risk of having to up sticks halfway through the year, is risk enough.

When your former club, at which you have been offered a player-youth coaching role and at which you are a fan favourite, offers you a chance to return for a fourth year on the trot there really isn't much competition.

The American hit eight goals, 28 assists for 36 points in 44 games in his third year in Den Haag last season and had visited Hull earlier in the summer, when Cloutier confirmed the veteran would be the Rays captain for the season ahead.

He joins Chris Korchinski, James Archer, Matt Suderman and Guillaume Lepine in leaving the club, although positive news is likely to follow soon with goalscorer Konstantin Kalmikov, defenceman Trevor Read, young forward Andrew Coburn and two new signings close to being announced.

Boucher is Stingrays number one choice

As speculated a number of weeks ago, Sylvain Cloutier has appointed 26 year old Canadian Christian Boucher as his starting netminder for the 10/11 Elite League campaign.

The French Canadian goalie, who becomes the Rays sixth import netminder in five seasons and replaces Latvian Marty Raitums between the pipes, has been signed from last seasons Dutch double champions Nijmegen Devils.

The Devils, led by Boucher, pipped the Tilburg Trappers, the side the Rays beat in last seasons pre-season P&O Cup, to last seasons Eredivisie title by seven points with the keeper registering a 2.95 goals against average. He improved that goals against average to 2.88 in the playoffs as he led his side to the finals and a three games to zero series victory, again over the Trappers.

A former Rio Grande Valley Killer Bee, he was team mate and room mate of Rays defenceman Stephen Burns in 08/09, registering a 2.89 goals against average and 91.1 sv.% in 37 games in the Central Hockey League, in which he posted 17 wins, 14 losses and two shut outs.

Prior to his one year stints in both Texas and Holland, Boucher spent three seasons at NCAA Division 1 college Robert Morris University, in Pittsburgh, PA, where he combined playing with studying. In those three years he consistently posted averages around the 90% save mark with his goals against average hovering at the 3.2 mark.

Undoubtedly, his friendship with Burns has played a large factor in this signing, nevertheless, Cloutier coached against Boucher in his single year in the CHL and he will certainly come to the UK as a known quantity.

"I saw Christian 15 or 16 times and coached against him in the CHL. His side didn't have any right to make the play-offs, but they did and he was one of the reasons why.

With just two seasons as a professional under his belt, the new recruit may be viewed as somewhat inexperienced, however, he was a winner last season and it is clear that Cloutier believes championship winning credentials will prove very useful in the year ahead.

"We believe we're bringing in a winning goalie, with good college experience."

On a similarly positive note, Boucher was a fan favourite last season in Nijmegen and the Devils were desperate to re-sign their championship winning netminder for another year. This left Cloutier with a tough choice particularly as Raitums was dragging his heels on a new deal.

"He [Raitums] could not give me an answer...Boucher's team wanted him back badly and I had to make a decision too. Sometimes you could wait for both and you could lose both and get zero and start again."

 The 5'10 stopper exclaimed his happiness about signing in Hull and is eager to get to the UK and begin the upcoming EIHL campaign.

"I am very excited about signing with the Stingrays...I want to get the fans excited about Hull being a winning team. I can't wait to get things rolling. I am looking forward to the challenge and hope we can bring success to the city of Hull."

He joins new captain Joshua Mizerek in signed from Holland and becomes the Stingrays seventh summer import signing for the 10/11 EIHL season, leaving just three imports, thought to be two defencemen and a forward, to be signed.

Stingrays Fans Forum Pt.3: Korchinski and Mizerek finally kick off import signings

After an agonisingly long wait, Sylvain Cloutier finally revealed the names of seven of his squad for the 10/11 Elite League season and, while five British players returned to the side, the capture of North American imports Josh Mizerek and Chris Korchinski particularly caught the eye as Cloutier looks to replace the departed George Halkidis and Curtis Huppe.

24 year old centreman Korchinski joins the club from ECHL side Elmira Jackals, where last season, in his second year with the club, he netted 18 times and hit 12 assists in 46 games before adding a goal and two helpers in five playoff games with the New York based side.

He began his junior career with four very productive junior years in Yorkton of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) and that success continued in his first pro season in Laredo of the Central Hockey League (CHL) with a call up to the American Hockey League (AHL) for a two game stint with the San Antonio Rampage.

He spent both his rookie and sophomore season with the Laredo Bucks and thanks to a combination of both ability and work ethic he returned a total of 47  goals and 106 points in 122 games. From there, the 6ft forward went on to Las Vegas of the ECHL and, while he couldn't find success in nine games in Sin City, he could in Elmira, NY, where scored 23 goals and 48 points in 55 games, being called up to nearby Binghampton of the American Hockey League in the process. He returned to Elmira last season and Cloutier admitted that it had been a long battle for his signature:

"I have been trying to get him for the last three years. I wanted him when I was in Corpus Christi and also last summer, that's how highly I think of him. He is a really big signing for us. If I was to compare him with someone I would say he is Dan Carlson with an edge. He puts up numbers and is not afraid to mix it up."

Korchinski will likely be the Rays first line centre and will be forced to both produce offensively and lead by example in all aspects of play.

Joining him as a new face on the Stingrays roster is veteran blueliner Mizerek. The 6'0 tall recruit, who can play both D and forward, has joined former team mate Cloutier in Hull and was immediately named captain by the Rays boss following three successive seasons as captain of Eredivisie side HYS Den Haag.

The Miami University alumni joins the Stingrays after spending five years in the ECHL, two years in the CHL, a year in the UHL and three seasons in Europe with the Den Haag Wolves. During his time in the 'E', which he split between Dayton, Florida, Baton Rouge, Lexington and Louisianna, he played a solid, dependable role on the blueline, however, he did gradually accumulate over 80 points in over 250 appearances in the third tier of North American hockey before moving down to the CHL and IHL.

It was there, in the UHL with Adirondack, that Mizerek played with Rays coach Cloutier and, after being part of the captaincy team both in college and with Louisanna, his influence and leadership abilities immediately made an impact on 'Clouts'.

The 32 year old spent his second year in the CHL with Amarillo, hitting a goal and 18 assists, before making the decision to move to Europe and, more specifically, Den Haag. In three years in the Dutch capital Mizerek has not only become a fan favourite while resuming his role as a leader and dependable defenceman, but he has also played a part offensively, scoring 30 goals and adding 61 assists for 91 points in 116 games.

Although those three years were productive individually, as Mizerek last year hit career best totals in assists (28) and points (36), he also won the first championship of his career in 08/09, with the Minnesota native hitting three goals and four assists in ten playoff games.

According to a scouting report on his agency's website, the words which best describe the American defenceman are "hardworking, reliable, experienced, dedicated and committed" and this was echoed by his new coach Cloutier upon signing.

"He knows how to win and he doesn't accept losing. He is a winner. I have played with him before and he is a competitor, he never gives up and they are the positive vibes I want in the team."

Both Korchinski and Mizerek have previously won titles in their respective careers and Cloutier went on to admit that this was an important aspect of next seasons squad:

"Both of these guys have won championships before and know how to win and that's the kind of guy I want on my team, they are winners and that is what we want to be next season."

Mizerek to ignite Rays off-season?

Veteran defenceman Joshua Mizerek looks set to become the Excel Hull Stingrays first signing of the 2010 post-season after his former side, HYS Den Haag in the Dutch Eredivisie, announced he had rejected a contract offer from the Dutch capital in order to sign in England with the Stingrays.

The 32 year old American, who captained his side last term and also stepped in as coach for a number of weeks, is a good bet to replace club legend Jeff Glowa as captain at the Stingrays with the evergreen Canadian expected to leave the club this summer, possibly for another EIHL rival, after six years in Hull.

Mizerek's signing will likely be made official in the coming weeks alongside a number of other recent signings, whose announcement has been delayed by Stingrays owners Mike and Sue Pack for an, as yet, unspecified reason.

Stingray news

Defencemen Move On

Three of the Stingrays defensive corps from last season have now officially moved on to pastures new.

Canadians Aaron Wilson and Stuart Kerr, who both joined the team from the Central Hockey League's Austin Ice Bats, have signed for Holland's Heerenveen Flyers and the CHL's Odessa Jackalopes respectively.

Meanwhile Brit Richie Thornton, who iced just five times for the club last year, has re-joined Elite League rivals the Newcastle Vipers.

Kerr, who recommended friend Wilson to the club following Jonathan Bernier's sudden decision to quit, played just 24 games after a knee injury effectively ended his season in November. The club honourably stuck by the Canadian in the hope that he would return prior to seasons end, however that return frustratingly failed to materialise.

Kerr has returned to the CHL where he amassed seven points and 208 penalty minutes in 62 games in 07/08.

Wilson (left), in a tussle with Newcastle's Andre Payette

Wilson, 27, ended the season with career best figures of two goals and 17 assists in 50 games and became one of the few defencemen able to avoid injury, an attribute which made him an important part of the team during the Rays lowest moments.

However, his solid form early on soon deteriorated and his own goal against Edinburgh in the team's final game of the season summed up a disappointing spell with the club. He has followed in the footsteps of fellow former Stingray and Trenton Titan Cole Byers by signing in Heerenveen.

Pre-season Preparations Announced

The Stingrays last week announced a three way pre-season tournament which will take place the Hull Arena featuring Elite League rivals Nottingham Panthers and Dutch side Tilburg Trappers.

The tournament, which will occur on August Bank Holiday weekend (29-31), a week before the 09/10 Elite League season kicks off, will see the Stingrays face foreign opposition for the first time in their history, before Tilburg and Nottingham matchup on Sunday, with the Rays ending the tournament by taking on the Panthers in a re-match of one of last season's most heated rivalry's.

The Panthers are likely to start the season as one of the favourites for the Elite League title after the signing of Cameron Mann, a former NHLer of over 80 games and DEL player of eight years, and last season reached the EIHL Playoff Final.

Whilst Tilburg, from the Southern provinces of the Netherlands, have signed Japanese former LA Kings netminder Yukata Fukufuji and are seen as a real force in Dutch ice hockey, having won the Eredivise title in two of the past three seasons.

Ticket prices and further details on the tournament will be unveiled at a later date.

Brotherly Love

Finally, former Stingrays defenceman Kevin Phillips has pulled out of a deal to re-sign in the EPL with Slough Jets, where he produced 40 points last season, in order to replace his brother on the Elite League's Belfast Giants.

Brother Dave Phillips last month made a U-turn on his contract with the Giants to join the American Hockey League's Rockford Ice Hogs on a two-way contract with their ECHL affiliate, and after his departure the Giants approached brother Kevin to replace him.

Kevin left the Stingrays in 06/07 after a difficult season in which he recorded two points in 50 games in the Rays first EIHL season, whilst Dave left the Rays a year ago, however in his two seasons in the EPL with the Jets Kevin has combined for 54 points in 94 games.

Photo's courtesy: Arthur Foster