Devils Line Up Second Signing Of Day

Cardiff Devils will announce their next signing at 2pm today.

Head coach Andrew Lord revealed this morning that Mark Louis is returning, taking their total of import signings to eight.

Elite League clubs can feature 14 import players plus five British players on their roster, while they can also sign three UK trained players born in 1994 or later.

Craig Moore, aged 21, has been signed from Dundee Stars to fill one of those spots. He can play on defence or offence and is likely to start on the wing.

Lord could well look for young British players to sign on two-way contracts, which would allow them to keep playing National League hockey.

He is building a team to defend the League title plus play European Champions League and he has some big decisions to make.

One of those is whether to add a tough edge to his team by bringing back enforcer Patrick Bordeleau or a similar style of player.

He will be influenced by Jay Rosehill (Manchester Storm), Zack Fitzgerald (Sheffield Steelers) and Matt Nickerson (MK Lightning) will be playing Elite hockey again.

Lord will weigh up whether all-round toughness, provided by the likes of big D-men Mark Louis Mark Louis, will be enough to protect his top end creative forwards.

Elite teams can sign 22 players and Devils now have 12 confirmed – netminder Ben Bowns, four D-men and seven forwards.

Lord is now set to announce his next signing this afternoon.

Devils signings for 2017-18 season so far:

Netminder: Ben Bowns.

Defence: Mark Richardson, Gleason Fournier (import), Drew Paris (import), Mark Louis (import).

Forwards: Andrew Lord (import), Joey Martin (import), Joey Haddad (import), Sean Bentivoglio (import), Matthew Myers, Craig Moore (British u-23), Justin Faryna (import).

Players from 2016-17 roster confirmed not returning: David Brine (signed for Medvescak Zagreb), Denny Kearney (signed for MK Lightning), Chris Culligan (retired from playing, appointed assistant coach at Cape Breton Unionized Tradesmen club, Nova Scotia), Guillaume Doucet (signed for MK Lightning).

Players from 2016-17 roster yet to confirm where they will be playing next season: Thomas Murdy (nm), Andrew Hotham, Scott Hotham, Josh Batch, Patrick Asselin, Layne Ulmer, Patrick Bordeleau, Josh Batch, Jake Morissette.