It appears that veteran Giants blue liner Roman Gavalier is leaving town for pastures new. Roman has signed for MHK VTRJ Kezmarok in what I assume must be his homeland Slovakia. Gavalier will go down as one of the all-time best Giants defensemen and a true fan favorite. The Slovak joined the Giants in the 2004-2005 season before leaving to play the following year in Poland. He returned yet again in the 2006-2007 season where he played right through until this past season. Read More»

The Daily Mirror and the Giants official website are today reporting that the team have signed defenseman Roman Gavallier, who played with the Giants in 04-05, and young British defenseman Leigh Jamieson who will ice for his forth season as a Giants player.

This is superb news. I know this time last year I was sitting hoping that Roman Gavallier would be soon announced as a re-signing by the Giants. As it turned out that wasn’t the case as the Slovak took his trade to Poland but I’m happy to say that a year on and he’s finally re-signed with us again.

Roman will bring speed and a superb skating ability to the Giants blue-line and should compliment a player like Todd Kelman very well. Leigh Jamieson who is getting better by the year with each year of experience he gains will be an important piece and this season should see him play an even more important role. Look to see him jump into the attack as much as possible like last year.

Ed Courtenay has said that he needs only one more defenseman to complete his defensive group but as yet there are no clues as to who that last man could be.

Ed’s style is very much offence first and you wont hear me complaining about that, I love an attacking brand of hockey, something the Giants have prided themselves on in nearly every year of their existence but it does leave me wondering could big Ed be really thinking about starting the season with just four defensemen? It’s all well and good to play all out attack but you still need a few guys to cover the rear.

With Jamieson, Kelman and Gavallier all having an offensive side to their game it doesn’t leave much in the way of stay-at-home defensemen and certainly doesn’t leave much scope for injuries.

Still there is always the strong possibility that one or two more are already signed but not yet announced to the press. That being the case you would think that Jason Bowen and Shane Johnson are the likely already signed candidates. However, going back to the thought that we could go with just four defensemen and that means one of either Jason Bowen or Shane Johnson are not coming back, or possibly even both of them. That would certainly be the end of an Era.

Certainly losing a guy like Jason Bowen would be huge. His physical presence is as good as anybodies in the Elite League and he is coming off the back of a fine season, possibly his best season as a Giants player. If Ed has a younger, similar version in mind and feels this is the direction he wishes to go then that is fine, but unless it’s a man who can play the Bowen game then not inking the big-man to a new contract may well be an error.

Still until I know for sure that Bowen and even Johnson are not returning I’ll hold off on the “thanks for the good times, boys” talk and keep the belief that at least one of them, especially Bowen, will return.

Tony Hand has been busy over the last few weeks in building the Giants squad with the signings of some new players and the return of some old faces.

Fan favourites Jason Bowen and Shane Johnson where quick to sign up for another season and where followed by the youngest player on the Giants roster last season Leigh Jamieson.

New players coming in are Curtis Huppe and Roman Gavalier as well as familiar names with the signings of ex-Panthers forward Marc Levers and Manchester Phoenix captain George Awada.

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