For Paul Dixon’s injury-hit Guildford Flames, the cavalry has finally arrived.
Former Florida Panthers draft prospect Jonathan Racine will skate for the Elite League side for the rest of the season, inking a short-term in Surrey.
The 32-year-old joins the Flames following a five-year stint on the continent, which includes spells in Austria, Sweden, Norway, France, and his latest stop in Romania.
“We have some injuries at the back and bringing in a player with this much experience will add a great deal to our blueline,” said Dixon.
“Jonathan is a defensive defenceman with some size, but he is also mobile and can get around the large ice in this league. We’re looking forward to adding him into the line-up as soon as his paperwork is in place.”
Who is Guildford Flames defenceman Jonathan Racine?
Jonathan Racine, Guildford Flames (Image: Hartford Wolfpack)
Racine is a product of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, in which he played four seasons before graduating into the American Hockey League.
The Canadian split his junior career between the Shawinigan Cataractes and Moncton Wildcats, recording 45 points (13 goals, 32 assists) in 245 regular-season appearances.
In 2011-12, he was a blueline mainstay as Shawinigan clinched the Canadian Hockey League’s postseason crown, the Memorial Cup.
The 6-foot-2 blueliner’s solid defensive efforts caught the attention of National Hockey League scouts, with Florida taking him 87th overall in the 2011 Entry Draft.
Racine inked his entry-level contract with the Panthers in 2012-13, kickstarting an eight-year minor league career which yielded 30 points (eight goals, 22 assists) in 79 ECHL games and 29 points (three goals, 26 assists) in 275 American Hockey League outings.
The Montrealer ventured overseas for the first time in 2020, signing s short-term deal with Tappara of the Finnish Liiga, before signing with Austrian side HC Innsburck the following season.
After stops in HockeyAllsvenskan, Norway’s EliteSerien, the Danish Metal Ligaen, and France’s Ligue Magnus, Racine joined CSM Corona Brasov, scoring seven points (one goal, six assists) in 22 Erste Liga and Romanian League appearances.
How will Jonathan Racine help the Guildford Flames?
The Flames have endured a bumpy first half of the season.
And yet they remain comfortably in the playoff places, nine points clear of the ninth-placed Dundee Stars, and only three points outside the top five.
With the Coventry Blaze, Fife Flyers, and Dundee struggling so profoundly, the Flames have the opportunity to consolidate their playoff status, despite making, by their own admirable expectations, a so-so start to the year.
Guildford’s early struggles are mainly due to injuries.
Sean Comrie hasn’t played since 12 November. Jake Gravelle missed time to start the month. Matt Alvaro didn’t make his season debut until early November.
Adding one-time NHL’er Racine to the mix is a wise move by Dixon.
The Flames need depth and the Canadian will provide exactly that.
Unspectacular on the puck, Racine is a big-bodied blueliner who thrives when tasked with clearing the net-front.
He’ll drop the gloves when needed (he has three 100+ penalty minute seasons on his resume, including last term), but isn’t famed for his fighting ability.
Guildford coveted a no-nonsense defender, and that’s exactly what they’ve signed in Racine.
Will his arrival lift them into the top half?
It’s unlikely, but strength in depth is never a bad thing.
