BLAZE teenager Connor Ranby has been promoted from the club’s National League side to become number two goaltender for the 2014/15 Elite League season.
With former goalie Adam Goss moving to America for next season, Ranby, has been rewarded for a string of fine performances for the NIHL side last term.
In 19 games the 19-year-old posted an 89.3 per cent save percentage and a 3.53 goals against average.
After completing his junior career in the Blaze Academy Under 18’s, Ranby spent a season with the Peterborough Islanders in the English National League before returning to Coventry as the starting goalie for the Blaze’s English National League side last season.
During the campaign he also trained with the senior Blaze team on many occasions and deputised for Goss for several Elite League games.
“This is a great opportunity for Connor.” said Blaze chairman Andy Buxton.
“He’s a good young goalie who will only get better through being a permanent part of the main Blaze team.
“He will benefit from training with a professional squad full time and I am sure we will see him come on leaps and bounds during the season.”
Buxton also thanked Goss for his services to the club.
He added: “We’re delighted for Goss that he has such a great opportunity to play and continue his education in North America next season.
“He’s been an important part of the Blaze organisation for the last couple of years and he has really developed as a netminder.
“He’s done really well as part of the Great Britain Under-18 and Under-20 teams during the last couple of years and hopefully in time we will see him continue to develop such that he can begin to stake a claim for involvement in the full GB squad.
“We thank him for his service to the club and wish him every success in the future.”
Ranby joins Mike Egener, Cale Tanaka, Mark Smith, Steven Goertzen, Ashley Tait, Russell Cowley, Ross Venus, James Griffin and Steven Chalmers on the Blaze roster for the 2014/15 season.