Coventry Blaze have signed defenceman Jordan Stokes on a two-way deal.
The 17 year-old who is a product of the Coventry Blaze Academy will spend the majority of his time next season playing with the English Premier League’s Hull Pirates but he will also regularly train with the Elite League Blaze team and be available selection where possible.
Director of Hockey, James Pease said to the Blaze website: “Jordan is a great kid with a big future in the game. We think he can be a very good player. At his age though, he needs to play regular minutes and be relied upon in all situations. Currently, we recognise that he won’t get that opportunity in the Elite League so we are delighted to have worked with Dominic Osman in order to get Jordan a spot in Hull, and us both be able work with him and give him the chance he needs. We will do our up-most to aid his development in having him train with us and get him ice time where we can, so that he gets exposure to the Elite League standard, and is able to see how the guys prepare, work-out and look after themselves at the professional level.”
Stokes said: "I am very proud to get this opportunity with the Blaze, in addition to being able to play at a high level with the Hull Pirates. I'm looking forward to learning more about myself as a player. My aim is to improve myself each time I’m on the ice. Playing in the EPL and getting to spend time with the Blaze is great for me as I get to learn as I go playing a good standard of hockey with better players all round. The season can’t come quick enough!”