Rage Sign Veteran Winger Nathan Gillies
February 10, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Rocky Mountain Rage News Release
Broomfield, Colo. - While the Rocky Mountain Rage did not complete a trade at yesterday's Central Hockey League trade deadline, the club did make a roster move today by signing Nathan Gillies. The veteran right winger arrived last night in Memphis, Tenn., and is expected to make his Rage debut this evening when the club battles the Mississippi RiverKings at the DeSoto Civic Center just outside of Memphis.
"Nathan Gillies is a character guy who brings a tremendous work ethic with him to the rink every game," said Rage Head Coach and General Manager Tracy Egeland. "He comes highly recommended by my brother, who coached him for parts of three seasons, and by Daymen Rycroft, who was a teammate of his. Gillies' hard-nosed style of play will be well-suited for the challenges we face on the ice in the coming weeks."
Gillies turned pro in 2003-04 following a four-year career at Union College. He spent his first two pro campaigns playing in the United Hockey League where he helped lead the Elmira Jackals to the Colonial Cup Finals during his rookie season. The Cambridge, Ontario, native also received two call-ups to the American Hockey League during his time with the Jackals. He spent nine games with the Binghamton Senators in 2003-04 and eight games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers during the 2004-05 campaign.
Following his two years in the UHL, Gillies joined the ECHL's Charlotte Checkers for 2½ seasons. In Charlotte, he played for Egeland's brother, Allan, who was an assistant coach for the Checkers, and along side Rycroft where the two were linemates for the entire 2006-07 season. In addition to Rycroft, he also played in Charlotte with Rocky Mountain defenseman Mark Smith and his older brother Kenton.
Gillies was traded from Charlotte to the Phoenix RoadRunners in the middle of last season and began this year's campaign with the Sheffield Steelers of Great Britain's Elite Ice Hockey League. He is in his sixth year as a pro and is classified as a veteran player (more than 280 professional games played) under CHL guidelines.
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