Braehead Clan have confirmed the return of netminder Gary Russell for his second season at the club.

Russell moved to the Elite League in the summer of 2015 from NIHL North’s Solway Sharks and proved to be a more than capable backup to Chris Holt and Travis Fullerton last year.

Head Coach Ryan Finnerty said: “It was really important to get Gary back. Whenever we needed him, he was there for us and he was a huge part of our team.

“Having Gary back in the team is a good security to have. There’s not that many British backups that have his quality and, for me, he’s of the best.

“Being a Glasgow boy, it’s a good fit for both parties.

“He developed a strong bond with Chris Holt and having the two goalies get along is a always really good thing.

“Holtsy showed him a lot and Rusty learned a lot from that in his first year in the league. We had to throw him into the fire a few times and when we did, he played strong for us.

“Getting him back was crucial and I’m glad we were able to work it out with him.”

(Image permission: Carol Ann Jardine)