Superb news Giants fans. It’s been fully confirmed that Jason Ruff is a Belfast Giant yet again! The 36 year old power forward has signed on for a 4th season with the Giants, though this will be the first time he has started back to back seasons with the team, even through he left mid-way through last year.

Ruff is the most complete player the Giants team have ever had, he can score, pass, hit, fight, he is a great leader (captain in the 03-04 season), and he is a well disciplined player on top of all that. It’s expected he’ll be assistant-coach of the team for a second year in a row when he arrives in September.

Ruff may be 36 now and have a lingering injury that cut last season short, but I know for sure that Ruff wouldn’t come back if he didn’t feel he could play and play well, and his influence, experience and leadership will be huge for the Giants in this coming season. I know I’m not alone in thinking had we had him this past April, we would have won the playoff championship. After all, we certainly missed his calming influence in the league championship run in.

Jason is just 10 points shy of tying the all-time points lead for the Giants currently held by Curtis Bowen. I know I said no doubts he’d pass it last year but this time out I fully believe he’ll very quickly get the necessary points to move into top spot.

With Dutiaume already signed that’s the top two point’s scorers from the 03-04 league season now on our roster. Roll on some more signings…

Rumour coming out of Sheffield and Newcastle this weekend reports that Giants legend Jason Ruff could be set for a sensational 4th tour of duty to these shores. At least thats what ex-Giants coach and current Steelers coach Dave Whistle believes. The man who first brought Ruff to these shores claimed on the Steelers official site, “I get on well with Jason and we briefly discussed the possibility of him coming to Sheffield, however i think the deal is already done with Belfast”

The Newcastle Vipers official website reported that Jason Ruff is at the centre of a tug-of-war between the Basingstoke Bison, the Belfast Giants and the Sheffield Steelers as he considers a return to British Ice Hockey. The charismatic Canadian has already spoken to the Mobilx Vipers and could yet feature in player-coach Rob Wilson’s plans for the 2006-07 season.

They also claimed that he had actually left last season, not due to an injury but because he was unable to work with Theo Fleury. These reports however appear to be false and well wide of the mark.

Ruff who actually left last season at Christmas with a season ending injury, took on an assistant coaching role with his home town junior team Lethbridge Hurricanes on the WHL.

It was thought he was gone for good from these shores and fans believed they had seen the last of the man who was odds on to take the Giants all-time scoring lead from Curtis Bowen when he signed at the start of last season.

In 134 career games for the Giants, Ruff has scored 67 goals, 110 assists for 177 points and 269 penalty minutes. He’s regarded by many as the Giants greatest ever player. On leaving last season he remained 10 points off the all-time scoring lead of 187 points.

Rumours doing the rounds on various Elite league team message boards suggest that the Giants are on the verge of signing ex-Coventry Blaze tough guy Jeff Hutchins.

It raises questions with Giants fans on weather this would be a replacement for Shawn Skiehar who added the main physical element to the Giants roster last year? The vast majority of Giants fans will tell you that losing Ski is not something they want as he proved to be one of the best two-way forwards in the league as well as the best fighter. Most fans will hope that Ed is looking to combine the two together to add a little more grit through the Giants line-up.

It was revealed by the Sheffield Star today that Steelers star forward Mark Dutiaume was leaving the Sheffield team to join another Elite league team. The Star reported that, “there was speculation in Northern Ireland today that Belfast Giants may be the team that benefits from his change of heart. Ed Courtenay is keen on adding a big name to his championship-winning squad.”

Dutiaume, 29, who finished top Elite league goal scorer two years ago, would be a huge asset to the Giants as the league champions search to replace Theo Fleury on the top line.

Origionally drafed in 1995 by the Buffalo Sabres in round two number 42nd overall the 6ft, 200lbs left winger played his junior hockey in Brandon before spells in the AHL, UHL and ECHL. It was in the 2000-2001 season he first made his move to this side of the pond to play with the London Knights.

Dutiaume has played five season in Sheffield since 2001-2002 with his first season beginning in Fife and his forth in Sheffield beginning in Italy with Bolzano. As a Steeler he has picked up 80 goals, 119 assists for 199 points in 174 regular season games. He has also helped the Yorkshire team to the playoff title in 2002 and 2004, the league title in 2004, the Challenge cup in 2003 and the British Cup in 2006.

It’s believed Dutiaume and ex-Steelers coach Dennis Maxwell did not see eye to eye and this may be the reason the Canadian, from Winnipeg is looking to move on.

It would yet again show the Giants ability and ambition to sign the best players in the league.

EIHL experience, or EPL playing time… thats Nathan Craze’s decision over staying in Belfast for another year or going to Bracknell. According to icBerkshire the Bees are looking for a top notch British netminder and amoung others, Craze is catching their eye.

Giants fans will be hoping Craze stays on in Belfast to further his career there behind a top quality netminder whom he can learn from, but the decision will be his in the end. Theres no doubts though that Belfast and Bracknell are not the only teams interested in the young teenage prospects services.

Reports out of the Sheffield Star appear to be reporting that ex-Giants superstar Jason Ruff could be in the running for the Basingstoke Bison coaching job. Ruffles who played half a season with the Giants last term but returned home after a season ending injury to help coach his home town junior team looks like he could once again return to the UK but this time, and for the frist time as a non-Giant.

The star reports that Paul Adey is in the running for the job but, “Adey could face competition from ex-Belfast star Jason Ruff for the Bison job”.

Ruff has played 134 games for the Giants during the 2001-2002, 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 seasons, where he racked up 67 goals and 110 assists for 177 points, an average of 1.32 points per game. He sits 4th in the all-time scoring charts for the Giants.