BLAZE head coach Danny Stewart has confirmed that defenceman David Clements and back-up netminder Renny Marr will return to the club for the 2016/17 Elite League season.
Originally part of a two-way contract between Milton Keynes Lightning and Blaze, Clements spent six seasons playing junior hockey in North America and the 21-year-old said he is thrilled to be back at the Skydome after appearing on 41 occasions for the Blaze last season.
“I couldn’t be happier to be back in Coventry for next season,” said Clements. “I feel like I’m ready for this opportunity and want to play at this level. I can’t wait to get started in August.”
Marr put pen to paper for a second season with the Blaze after joining from the Fife Flyers 12 months ago.
He will back-up for Canadian netminder Brian Stewart and last year he impressed when playing over 250 minutes in the Elite League – most notably against his home-town club Fife and at the Skydome against Manchester.
The 18-year-old, who is also a member of the Scotland under-20 squad, said: “I am looking forward to working with Brian Stewart again.
“I am also excited to be playing under Danny Stewart and I look forward to being back in a professional environment again.”
Blaze have also confirmed that long time player Ashley Tait will become his assistant coach for the forthcoming season.
Tait, who will still continue to play, will also take on a back-room office role with responsibilities for the commercial side of the club.
The 40-year-old, who returned from Croatia last week with the GB squad, said: “It looks like I am going to be a busy guy. I am really looking forward to both of these new opportunities.
“On the commercial side I am looking forward to learning more from the business point of view – it’s obviously a different area of the game for me to learn about and I can’t wait to get stuck in.”
“It’s exciting for me to be involved in the coaching side of things again. It’s something I have done before and when I was asked to become Danny’s assistant I jumped at the opportunity.”
Coach Stewart added: “Having an experienced guy like Ash is a huge resource for myself and this club.
“He has an invaluable amount of experience at this level and is very well respected around the league and most importantly in our room.
“I will rely heavily on him, along with our leadership group to keep our room a good place, whilst also helping me on the coaching front.
“Having someone to confide in and trust is important and the fact that he continues to play at a high level allows him to lead by example and help keep guys motivated and on the right course.”
