COVENTRY BLAZE head coach Danny Stewart has only one spot left to fill after announcing 26-year-old defenceman Shawn Boutin as the latest addition to his roster.
With Blaze’s pre-season just three weeks away, Stewart has swooped to sign the 5’10” hitter from Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL – where he skated as an assistant skipper.
The Canadian native was drafted in the first round of the 2006 QMJHL entry draft, where he went on to post 90 points over a five-year period from over 300 games.
Boutin turned professional in 2011 when icing for the Arizona Sundogs – he arrives in Coventry on the back almost 350 games of experience in the CHL and ECHL.
Career highlights include helping Stockton Thunder win the Western Conference Championship in 2013, where he made 92 appearances in one single season, and posting 17 points last season when skating for the Idaho Steelheads.
Head coach Danny Stewart said Boutin is an excellent defenceman who skates well.
He added: “Shawn will bring some added mobility to our back-end and also play in all situations.
“He’s a puck moving guy that makes us better going forward – the more our forwards have the puck in good areas the better and he does this.
“With Shawn we get another competitor and high work rate, but also a guy that will be a big hit in the room.
“We had the luxury of speaking to a couple of our current players about him and the references could not have been more positive and similar.”
Blaze now just have one slot left to fill for their 2016/17 campaign, which starts with a pre-season game against the Nottingham Panthers at the Skydome on Wednesday (August 24).
