Giants sign Seeley and Welch

Giants sign Seeley and Welch

Aer Lingus Belfast Giants are pleased to announce the signings of Canadian Rich Seeley and American Dan Welch for the incoming season.

Standout defenceman Rich Seeley, who has played 399 AHL games, joins the Giants from Austria, where he returned from injury in the 2009/10 season to play 28 regular season and 11 playoff games for Medvescak Zagreb.

In Seeley, Coach Doug Christiansen is delighted to have found the defensive leader he has been searching for:

“Rich Seeley has been a captain of 8 of the 11 professional teams he has been on. The fact that he has captained 3 different American Hockey League (AHL) teams shows the quality of person and player he is. He was also nominated 3 times for AHL Man of the Year. He is a strong defender who can play on the power play but he is known as a steady defender who can play against other teams top lines.”

“I am looking for Rich to be a leader on our defensive core. He brings experience at many levels and can help our d-core improve over the course of the season.  He has a great hockey mind and is someone who will help us in crucial games throughout the season.”

Christiansen continued, “One of my main goals is to have a much improved road record and I believe adding leaders helps the team find ways to win on the road. Rich has seen it all and will be a player who will rise to the occasion in those tough road games.”

Forward Dan Welch returns to the Elite League for a further season, having played for Christiansen in Edinburgh last season, scoring 16 goals and 24 assists in 44 games.

Christiansen has a specific role in mind for Welch: “Dan Welch is a well known player in our league. He is a player who has great skill and can make something happen out of nothing. He has played 3 seasons in the AHL, had a point a game in the ECHL, and won an NCAA University Championship. Having coached him last season in Edinburgh, I know what he brings to the table. He is a player who can play any line and can kill penalties.  He gives us depth on all 3 lines and can play a defensive role when needed.  Dan is excited to be coming to Belfast. Of all of the players I recruited this summer, he was the one who wanted to come to Belfast the most. He was great in the contract talks and said that he understands that his role for the Giants will be different than it has been in other places.  I think his role as a depth forward allows him to produce but helps our team by having someone with his pedigree on every line.”

Commenting on the latest signings, GM Todd Kelman said: “Bringing Rich Seeley to Belfast gives added strength and depth to our defensive core for this season.  I think Seeley completes the strongest defensive unit in the league and last year we built a championship team around solid team defence. He is a proven penalty killer who will notch up significant ice time over the season against the opposition’s top lines.  Dan Welch joining the Giants also ensures we are bringing depth to our forward lines.  I know Dan Welch can put points up and can play on all three lines.  When you look at our forward lines, we are shaping up nicely and will have three lines that can put the puck in the net.  I think getting Dan is a great move for us.”

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6-2
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4-5
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2-4
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6-1
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6-2
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  Club GP W L OL GF GA Pts
1 Belfast Giants 41 33 8 3 167 83 69
2 Nottingham Panthers 40 30 10 2 182 87 62
3 Sheffield Steelers 35 30 5 0 133 77 60
4 Coventry Blaze 40 25 15 1 153 113 51
5 Cardiff Devils 39 20 19 10 124 112 50
6 Braehead Clan 39 22 17 2 146 127 46
7 Hull Stingrays 41 11 30 4 107 165 26
8 Edinburgh Capitals 38 11 27 3 89 170 25
9 Dundee Stars 40 7 33 5 95 163 19
10 Fife Flyers 39 7 32 5 79 178 19
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3-0
5th February 2012 18:30
4-2
5th February 2012 18:00
6-3
5th February 2012 17:30
6-8
5th February 2012 17:30
3-0
4th February 2012 19:30
1-3
4th February 2012 19:00
  Club GP W L OL GF GA Pts
1 Guildford Flames 38 26 12 3 172 111 55
2 Manchester Phoenix 39 24 15 3 145 123 51
3 Slough Jets 37 24 13 2 167 117 50
4 Sheffield Steeldogs 38 22 16 4 119 101 48
5 Milton Keynes Lightning 37 22 15 1 116 99 45
6 Basingstoke Bison 38 21 17 2 135 126 44
7 Swindon Wildcats 39 15 24 5 126 134 35
8 Bracknell Bees 37 13 24 8 107 142 34
9 Peterborough Phantoms 38 14 24 2 123 164 30
10 Telford Tigers 39 9 30 2 106 199 20
  Club GP W L OL GF GA Pts
  Club GP W L OL GF GA Pts
  Club GP W L OL GF GA Pts
  Club GP W L OL GF GA Pts
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