The new season is just around the corner. And the exceptional Belfast Giants have geared up with additional team members to participate in the Elite Ice Hockey League 2021-2022 season. We can only squeal in excitement to see the amazing performance these past champions are going to deliver.
The team announced the final signings during an exclusive ‘Roster Wrap Up’ virtual fan event through YouTube and Facebook channels. Let’s take a look at all the past achievements of the new members and their roles in the roster.
J.J Piccinich
He is a 25-year-old hockey player from the USA, well-known for his huge fanbase. He has an impressive six years of pro hockey experience to attest to his talents as a forward. He has also played for teams in the USA, Canada, and the UK. Not only that, but he was also a part of the 2015-2017 London Knights team. What’s more interesting is the fact that he started playing ice hockey at the age of four. When most of us were struggling to even wear a shoe properly.
Popularly known as JJ, he became one of the most sought-after players post the Beanpot Championship. The young star is exceptionally popular for turning things favourable for his team even in the most difficult situations. This remains one of the best reasons for teams to choose him. Joining a team where he could expand his talents has always been the thing for JJ. These impressive track records have landed him among the 2021/22 roster of Belfast Giants.
According to JJ, Belfast Giants show an impressive work ethic, which inspired him to show interest in the team. He is also no stranger to one of the Giants’ team members, Cam Knight. Cam Knight and JJ played alongside in the year 2019-2021 with The Edmonton Oilers. In almost every interview, he makes it clear that he likes interacting with the fans the most. He expects to have a full stadium of an audience when he plays for the Belfast Giants this season.
It is undoubtedly a daunting task to move away from home to play sports in a different country. But that hasn’t stopped JJ, who is very much enthusiastic to start the season already. In a recent interview, he also said that he knew it was time to broaden his horizons and that this opportunity to join Belfast Giants came at the perfect time. He will be playing the forward position in ice hockey for the Giants this season. For the new ice hockey fans, forward is the player whose primary aim is to score and help others to score. So, we can say that he is going to be one of the star players of the team in no time.
Griffin Reinhart
The signing of Griffin Reinhart on the same day as JJ drew a lot of attention to the Belfast Giants. He is already quite a popular defenseman in Canadian Ice Hockey. This defenseman rose to popularity after scoring 36 points in the 2012 WHL Playoffs with the Oil Kings. Furthermore, the Oil Kings team won the WHL championship for the second time with Griffin Reinhart as their leader in 2014. For his excellent performance in the game, he also won the WHL Playoff MVP award. The star player of the team also hails from a family of hockey enthusiasts. His father is Paul Reinhart, a former professional hockey player of the National Hockey League.
Griffin Reinhart has worked in several nations, just like JJ did. He has played in Germany, Canada, the USA and China. Plus, he has also won many championships with his excellent defenseman skills. In a recent interview, he also said that he is looking forward to working with the highly competitive Belfast Giants. He also hopes that Belfast Giants will be up for another successful year.
Slater Doggett
Slater Doggett is definitely the right pick for the centerman position for Belfast Giants this season. With excellent track records, he outshines almost every other candidate. Despite the pandemic, he had enough time on ice for HC Nove Zamky in Slovakia. Back in 2018, he was a top scorer with 42 goals and 44 assists throughout the season. This Canadian Hockey star was also coached by the Belfast Giants legend, Dustin Whitecotton. Hence, we can expect a power-packed performance during the upcoming season when he plays alongside the other members of the Belfast Giants.
Other signings…
Apart from these last two signings, the Belfast Giants have signed two returning players. They both will be returning from playing with the GB national team at the World Championships. Let’s take a look at their achievements now.
Lewis Hook
Back in 2018, Lewis Hook sprinted on the ice alongside the Belfast Giants. His left-winger career has gained huge popularity among his fans. Moreover, he also scored 6 goals in his debut season. The 25-year-old professional player has also played four times for the national hockey team of Great Britain. Lewis Hook is also known for his excellent teamwork and assisting multiple team members towards making the perfect shot. Since he is already comfortable with the team members, we can expect nothing less than pure entertainment on the ice hockey field this season.
Ciaran Long
Just like Lewis Hook, Ciaran Long was also a part of the Belfast Giants who played for the national hockey team this summer. The 28-year-old forward has been named the ‘British Player of the Year’. He is also known for his consistent success with the Great Britain team on an international level. Since he already has a friendly past with other team members, he’s hoping to continue his winning streak alongside other team members.
Finally…
If you are a Belfast fan and you are excited about the new members of the team and you are confident that the odds of the games will be in your favor, you can do a search on the new UK betting sites where you will find interesting information and odds for the upcoming matches.
