I was in the process of doing a little research on past Giants players for an article for the blog when upon searching for artciles on Colin Shields among others, I came across a breaking story that ‘claims’ Colin Shields is on the verge of signing for the Giants again. MORE »

There have been rumors doing the rounds this past week that Dundalk may be ready to enter a team into the EIHL next season as the league looks to expand. It may answer why the league was looking to up the number of imports, if they are expecting more teams to join the league.

The Giants have played four games out of Dundalk already this season as the home team and the Giants fans have taken over the arena, selling it out on their last trip and making a serious amount of noise. With that, it poses the question, could Dundalk create it’s own set of fans to do the same? MORE »

Trust the week that I’m away for the Giants to have their most news-active week of the season. Latest rumours/news suggest that struggling Giants forward Ryan Smith has left the team for the lower-German leagues were he originally came from. MORE »

One of the original Giants is coming home. After two years away from Belfast after six seasons with the team Shane Johnson is back as a Giants player. I will write more about it in a day or two but right now I sit in the airport waiting to board a flight to Canada for four days.

In other quick news, the Bison have released goalie Stevie Lyle and forward Peter Campbell. Rumours suggest both are coming our way . . . Watch this space.

Remember super Kory Karlander?  He was a Giants hero from the inaugural season of the Giants and the playoff winning side of 2003?  Well he appears to be on his way back to the UK.  If reports in some newspapers this morning are to believed he’s on his way to Giants rivals Nottingham Panthers.

It’ll be a sour taste in the mouths of Giants fans to see an ex-star sign in Nottingham just as Rod Stevens did the season before but at 35 fans also wonder if Karlander still has the legs.

It’s not as though the Giants haven’t signed their fair share of mid-late 30-year old players though what with Gavallier, Ruff and Courtenay all set to play for the Giants and so it’s probably for the best that the Giants keep their attention turned towards a young speedy centerman this year.

One more quick rumour to throw into the melting pot… Likely to be confirmed or denied in the coming days… Ex-Panthers and Steelers player Paul Moran to sign for the Giants according to today’s Sheffield Star.  British born and trained the gritty player would be a nice pick-up for the Giants third line.  What it means for Marc Levers remains to be seen but if the Giants can find a way to bring him back they could compliment each other well.  More to follow…

UPDATE: This one can now be confirmed, Moran has indeed signed for the Giants for the upcoming seeason as the first new face to the Giants team.

Now that Ed is back in command he’s wasting no time about building his 2007-2008 team.  Looking to get a core of players together he’s hoping to bring back Jeff Hutchins, JP Morin and Graeme Walton.  Hutchins was good for 38 goals last season, a real offensive explosion hat the Giants could really do with again this coming season.  Walton was the best British player on the team and it earned him a call-up to the senior British team for the World Championships.  Morin was an offensive threat from the defence and brought an excellent passing game to the team.  MORE »

Been a while, hasn’t it!  Don’t worry, the Giants haven’t disappeared, there’s finally some news to report.

It looks like Ed Courtenay will be back as Giants coach for a third term, continuing how he left off last season as a player as well as coach.  Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph today, Ed has said he believes he’s the best player-coach out there and is the right man for the job.  I love the confidence Ed.  Turning 40 this season Ed obviously believes he can still do a top job and still has the legs to last an Elite League season while coaching the team.  We’re sure hoping he’s right.  MORE »

BelfastGiants.com — The Coors Belfast Giants Head Coach Ed Courtenay announced today that he will be registering himself to play for the weekend’s two away matches against the Nottingham Panthers and Edinburgh Capitals. Courtenay is still deciding which player to deregister as there are a couple of players that are awaiting x-rays and medical clearance to play. A player, once de-registered, has to sit out 6 games which would give an injured player 3 weeks to rest and would have them back in the line-up for the home match on March 9th against the Newcastle Vipers. At that point whether Courtenay takes himself out of the line-up or decides to sit out a player remains to be seen. The recent dip in form for the Coors Giants had Courtenay threatening changes in the roster and with a couple of players nursing injuries he has taken this opportunity to possibly add an offensive spark that has been lacking as of late.

“Offensively we have been struggling as of late but besides the Coventry and Hull games, our form defensively has been fine,” said Courtenay, “I still have confidence in this team.”

“It will take me a couple of games to feel fit on the ice again but I have been training with the team most of the season in case something like this came up.”

–

There has been hot rumours of late that the guy to be replaced would be Curtis Huppe who must be carrying an injury and who just a few days ago became a father for the first time to his Belfast wife.  It would be a real knock for an already struggling team to lose a guy like Curtis Huppe for six games, a guy who’s at least been able to put the puck in the net even during the goal slump of late.

More to follow…

It seems like Shawn Skiehar is on the verge of signing a contract with the Giants.  Ski added the muscle to the Giants forward lines last season and ended up in 12 scraps in all, a record by any player in one season in the Giants history.  With a skillful attacking team already lined up, adding a player with power and defensive abilities to the forward lines was essential and who better than with Shawn Skiehar.

Watch this space…

According to the final paragraph in an article from Belfast Telegraph regarding the return of Todd Kelman to the Belfast Giants for a 7th season, it mentions that other locally based players, including Belfast natives Graeme Walton and Mark Morrison, plus Jason Bowen, Shane Johnson and Curtis Huppe, are all expected to put pen to paper on new contracts with the club in the coming weeks.

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.