Photograph of Excel Hull Stingrays player-coach Sylvain Cloutier courtsey of Mark Tredgold: www.tredders.com.

Player-coach Sylvain Cloutier marked his 1,000 professional game with a win as Excel Hull Stingrays beat Newcastle Vipers 5-3 at Hull Arena in the Elite League.

Konstantin Kalmikov and Jason Silverthorn (powerplay) twice put Stingrays – without Adam Knight (stomach bug) - ahead only for Nathan Salem and Brent Hughes to level before Jerramie Domish (powerplay) edged Vipers in front.

Pavel Gomenyuk restored parity and Silverthorn (powerplay) put Stingrays back in front but Kalmikov’s empty-net marker with four seconds left secured victory.

Cloutier said: “To play my 1,000th game and to do it with that group of guys was an honour and a pleasure, they are a great bunch and I couldn’t ask for a better group to play with. The win was the most important thing. The guys did a great job and responded well after the performance in Nottingham.”