PrairieThunder signs three
Published on July 9, 2009 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Bloomington PrairieThunder News Release
BLOOMINGTON, Ill - High-scoring forward Craig Macdonald joined the Bloomington PrairieThunder family by signing a contract for the upcoming International Hockey League season.
The addition of Macdonald to the team's preseason roster was announced Thursday by head coach Jarrod Skalde, along with the signings of Central Illinois products Logan Bittle of Peoria and Cole Ruwe of Pekin.
Macdonald, a 27-year-old native of Milton, Ontario, scored a career-high 71 points in 64 games last season with the New Mexico Scorpions. He had 35 goals and 36 assists, along with 66 minutes in penalties.
"Craig has progressively gotten better throughout his career," said Skalde about the 6-foot, 200-pound Macdonald, who has set personal highs for goals scored and points scored in each of his first five seasons in the professional ranks.
"We will definitely be looking for Craig to provide offense to our team. With the people we have in place, this could be a breakout year for Craig,'' added Skalde. "He also fits the mold for what we are trying to accomplish here in that he is a quality person and a quality leader."
Macdonald began his career with the Elmira Jackals of the UHL in 2004-05. He spent two seasons with the Jackals before playing the last three years with New Mexico of the CHL.
During his five-year pro career, Macdonald has scored 200 points on 96 goals and 104 assists in 258 games with 456 penalty minutes. In three seasons with the Scorpions, he scored 180 points on 88 goals and 92 assists.
He also scored nine goals with 11 assists for 20 points in 24 playoff games with New Mexico. Prior to his professional career, the right-handed shooting Macdonald played four years at Elmira University.
Ruwe and Bittle both played a handful of games at the professional level last year, but are still considered rookies this season.
The 25-year-old Bittle played 11 games with the Dayton Bombers of the ECHL, earning two assists. The 6-1, 200-pound Bittle played four seasons in college at Robert Morris University.
Ruwe, who stands 6-2 and weighs 205 pounds, saw action in six games with the Wichita Thunder of the CHL last season and scored one goal. The 24-year-old played four years at Nichols College.
The announced signings of the three players bring the PrairieThunder roster to 10. Per club policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
International Hockey League 2 Stories from July 9, 2009
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