Posted on Thursday, August 2nd, 2012 at 7:00 am
The Stena Line Belfast Giants are pleased to confirm the addition of former Montreal Canadiens forward Gregory Stewart for the upcoming 2012/13 season.
Stewart played in the National Hockey League (NHL) as recently as 2 years ago for the most famous hockey team in the world, playing a total of 26 games over two seasons with the Canadiens. Stewart was an 8th round draft pick of Montreal’s in the 2004 NHL Draft.
The hulking left winger has played 246 games in the American Hockey League, most with the Canadiens top affiliate – the Hamilton Bulldogs, and most recently with the Oklahoma City Barons in 2010/11.
Stewart stands 6’2” tall and weighs in at over 14 stone. His hard-hitting style of play and willingness to drop the gloves made him a fan favourite everywhere he played and will most certainly make him one with the Giants fans in Belfast.
Coach Doug Christiansen commented on the addition of Stewart:
“Adding a player who is in the prime of his career and played in the NHL two years ago is a massive coup for our organisation. Stewart is a hard-nosed player who plays the game the right way – he can skate fast, hit hard, fight and score.
“He will create space for players around him and his overall skill set should allow him to make an impact every game. You just don’t make it to the NHL as a 8th round draft pick if you do not play the game with passion. I expect him to be a big part of our team and I expect our fans to love him.
“Last season, he had an injury-shortened season but was dominant in the first round of the play-offs. His coach stated that he ‘single handedly won us our first round play-off series.’ His former coaches and competitors raved about what he can bring to a team. He should be a fan favorite at the Odyssey.”
Stewart is 26 years old and hails from Kitchener, Ontario in Canada. He will wear number 17 for the Giants next season, a number made famous by another former NHLer, Jason Ruff.
If you want to see Stewart in action with the Canadiens, check out this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MXJDvPYLnc
For Stewart’s career stats, click here:
http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=14187
