A lot of Giants signings this off season have came in pairs and this week is no different with the Giants announcing another pair of forwards to go to their already new-look line-up. Evan Cheverie and Paul Deniset (left) join a team that is going to look significently different to the one that left the ice last March. Cheverie, a 28 year-old forward from Canada has previous Elite League experience with Coventry in 05-06 and joins the team from Morzine in France while Deniset, a 27-year old centre, also from Canada, will be new to the Elite League coming in from Schwennigen ERC in the German 2nd division.

The new signings mean that the Giants only have two spots to fill on their roster before the new season, meaning that with just 5 players re-signed from last season (all, except Shane Johnson of which are Brits), only a potential high of 7 players could return from last season.

I have no idea who the last two players could be but I would hedge my bets that one of them will be a returning forward from last season, possibly George Awada.

Anyway, here is what the press-release had to say about the latest two signings for the team:

Coors Giants Sign Two More Forwards…

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 - The Coors Belfast Giants are delighted to announce the signings of forwards Evan Cheverie and Paul Deniset. They are both very highly skilled forwards that are going to add to the excitement in the Odyssey this season. Cheverie is no stranger to the Elite League as he led the Coventry Blaze in scoring during the 2005/06 season. It will be Paul Deniset’s first time in the UK but he has already tasted European success last year finishing in the top ten in scoring in the highly rated German Bundesliga.

Coach Thornton on signing Evan Cheverie:

“Evan is a former East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) all-star and was on the Elite League first all-star team when he played for Coventry. He is a proven star over here and has put up numbers everywhere he has played. He was the top scorer for the Blaze in 2005/06 as well as his ECHL team so we have very high expectations for Evan. He also knows how to win having won the French Elite League title while playing with Stevie Lyle in Morzine. With a lot of new faces coming in this season, it is nice to have another guy in the room that knows the league and has performed well in the UK before. He will be a big part of our offence this season and there aren’t many gifted forwards out there that can also take shifts on defense, which is a huge bonus.”

Cheverie speaking from his home in Canada:

‘I am thrilled to be part of the Belfast Giants. I have talked to both Steve Thornton and Todd Kelman and I think all three of us are extremely excited about next season. After being away from the UK for two years I am certainly looking forward to being in an environment where people have a lot of passion for hockey. I remember playing against the Giants when I was part of the Blaze. It was very clear that the fans in Belfast were very supportive of their team and that the organization was committed to winning and that made my decision to come to Belfast an easy one. I can’t wait to put the skates on and start playing for the Giants. I didn’t like the way my season played out in Norway last year, I feel as though I have a lot to prove this year. As I said before I just can’t wait to put the skates on again, I wish the season started tomorrow. I am looking forward to winning some trophy’s this season and I believe we have the team to do it!’
Coach Thornton on Paul Deniset:

“Getting one of the top players from the German Bundesliga is a major coup for the Giants. Paul is very fast and very skilled and excels on the big European ice. He is a proven leader having worn a letter 3 out of 4 seasons while starring for the University of Manitoba. He battles extremely hard on the ice and has game breaking skill. He was one of the top players in Canada during his last few collegiate years and managed to land himself a job in Germany as a result. I think Paul is going to be one of those players that will make his linemates better.”

Paul Deniset speaking from his home in Manitoba:

“I am very excited to be coming to Belfast and playing for the Giants this year. I have talked to many people about Belfast as a city and I have heard nothing but positives. The same holds true for the Giants organization. I hear the fans are passionate and supportive and I look forward to having a great year with the team. See you soon!’

GM Todd Kelman speaking on both players:

“I was unfortunate enough to have to play against Evan a few years ago. At that time I felt he was one of the best players in the league. I was quite happy that he left Coventry the following season! He spent one third of the year playing defence and still managed to finish amongst the top scorers in the league. He can play a lot of minutes and a lot of different positions and do some damage in many different ways. He finishes his hits, he plays gritty, he is strong on face-offs and he can put the puck in the net.”

‘We feel Paul Deniset is a huge signing for the Giants. We got the chance to see Scotty Cameron last season and he had a great deal of skill. Paul played on the same team as Scotty in Germany and actually finished with more goals than Scotty had points, which means we should be expecting great things from him next season! He will be an important figure on the powerplay and will certainly provide some entertainment for the fans. We added a couple more great guys to the locker room which was the direction we really wanted to take the team in as well.”

Paul Deniset, along with recent signing Andrew Martin will be the inaugural Giants to attend University locally and earn their Master’s Degrees as part of a recent partnership with University of Ulster at Jordanstown.

Belfast now have only 2 spots left to fill on their roster and expect to make another announcement next week.

Category: Player Signings » » Evan Cheverie, Paul Deniset |

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