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ECHL South Carolina Stingrays

Stingrays Welcome Back Marcus Perrier for 5th Season

September 25, 2018 - ECHL (ECHL)
South Carolina Stingrays News Release


NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - The South Carolina Stingrays, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Washington Capitals and AHL's Hershey Bears, have agreed to terms with Marcus Perrier for the 2018-19 season. A versatile skater who has played both forward and defense during his four-year career with South Carolina, Perrier will begin his fifth campaign in the Lowcountry this fall.

"My wife and I love Charleston and we're excited to come back," Perrier said. "Last year didn't end how we wanted it to at all, but we're excited to be back with the Stingrays for another year."

The 27-year-old Thunder Bay, Ont. native has played 259 career regular season games with the Stingrays and has been with the team since the start of the 2014-15 season. During that time, he has secured a total of 83 points on 31 goals and 52 assists along with a +51 rating. Most recently, Perrier played a large part in the team's record-setting defensive season in 2017-18, suiting up for 59 games while scoring six goals and nine assists for 15 points.

"We have a lot of guys coming back from previous years which is always good," Perrier said. "It's always tough to lose guys in the offseason and after spending four years there I've made a lot of friendships with guys from different teams but I think this year's roster is good, we've got Joey Leach coming back to be the top defenseman, he's going to give us a great base to build the defense off of. Up front, we've got Patrick Gaul doing his thing like he always does, and all the other guys that are coming back this year are going to help us out a lot. But looking at the lineup there's a lot of new faces and we need to build a nice tight knit group right away as soon as we get going."

Perrier has also appeared in 61 postseason contests for South Carolina, recording 14 points (six goals, eight assists) and helping the club to two Kelly Cup Finals appearances in 2015 and 2017.

"We felt it was really important to get Marcus back this season," said Stingrays Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Spiros Anastas. "It's a tough market for defensemen this summer and it seems that every team is looking for them and someone who has a presence. We get both in Marcus and we're excited to welcome him back. He's been a big part of building the culture here and we will lean on him heavily to continue the winning environment. He's a tough competitor who can chip in offensively. Steve Bergin and I are excited to see what he brings to the table this season."

During his time with the Stingrays Perrier has also played a large role in the community. He was named the recipient of the team's 2016 Jerry Zucker Community Service Award for his dedication to the Lowcountry community and has continued to attend many events to stay involved each season.

"When I learned about Coach Anastas, I called around and tried to see who I know that's played for him to get their take," said Perrier. "I think he's going to be great for the Stingrays and I'm excited to get down there to get the season going. From what I've heard I'm going to be starting on the back end and hopefully it's long-term because it's always nice to get comfortable with where you're playing and makes things a little easier. But the coaching staff and the team knows that if something were to happen, I'm always down to go wherever I'm needed. I'm not really set in stone anywhere. Wherever I'm needed I'm going to do my best to help the team. That's always been my mindset so I'm excited to be starting out on defense but wherever I'm needed, I'm happy to do the job."

Perrier joined the Stingrays after three seasons at Bowling Green State University from 2011-14, and three seasons with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League (USHL) from 2008-11.

The 26th season of South Carolina Stingrays hockey begins in Jacksonville against the Icemen on October 13. The Stingrays will open their home schedule vs. Greenville on Saturday, October 20.

Season tickets are on sale now! For more information or to purchase, contact the Stingrays by phone at 843-744-2248 or visit 3300 W. Montague Ave. Suite A-200 during business hours.

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