Hull Pirates have confirmed Marty Raitums will be their new starting EPL netminder – after the surprise release of Jon Baston.

Raitums returns to Humberside after previously playing 23 games for Hull Stingrays in the Elite League during the 2009-10 season. Since leaving Stingrays he has played in Kazakhstan and Austria, as well as for the Latvian national team.

Player/Coach Dominic Osman said: “I’m genuinely excited about Marty coming here, but at the same time I’m aware it has come at a cost to Jon. We decided that we needed to get a little bit more experience in the locker room.

“Marty was one of those guys I was thinking about signing earlier in the year, but I decided to go with youth. I feel we need to make the change now as I think there has been a lot of pressure on Jon.”

Team Owner Shane Smith added: “I feel it’s the right decision to make progress since we are a young team. We feel we need a few more leaders in the side.

“Marty will bring more to the table as he has had the pressure of winning the World Championships and has played in the KHL, which is a hell of a league, and has rivalled the AHL in the last few years.”

Raitums will make his debut for the Pirates in Saturday’s game at Swindon Wildcats.

(Image permission: Romāns Kokšarovs)