NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – The South Carolina Stingrays, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Washington Capitals and AHL’s Hershey Bears, announced that forward Barret Kirwin, defenseman Ryan Orgel, and goaltender Kristian Stead have all agreed to terms with the Stingrays onThursday.
Kirwin, 21, joins the Rays after beginning the season playing collegiate hockey at Dalhausie University. With the Tigers, Kirwin played in 18 games and tallied 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists). The native of Barrie, Ont. will rejoin teammate Derek Gentile in South Carolina.
Prior to attending Dalhausie, the 5-foot-9, 187-pound forward played four years in the OHL, splitting time with the Guelph Storm and Owen Sound Attack. Kirwin recorded 142 points (69 goals, 73 assists) in 250 appearances from 2016-20, averaging nearly a point per game his final season.
A 24-year-old hailing from Los Angeles, Cal., Orgel comes to the lowcountry after beginning the season out west where he appeared in three games with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies.
Prior to signing with the Grizzlies this year, Orgel began his collegiate hockey career at the University of Denver where he played with current Stingrays Tariq Hammond. Following two seasons with the Pioneers, the 6-foot, 190-pound defenseman transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point where he finished out his final two years, tallying 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 21 games with the Pointers.
Stead, 25, joins the Stingrays after beginning the season with the Knoxville Ice Bears of the SPHL. In 14 games between the pipes, the Merritt, BC native posted a 10-0-1 record along with a 2.34 goals against average and .914 save percentage.
Previously, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound netminder played at the University of Anchorage-Alaska where he appeared in 23 games for the Seawolves. Stead will reconnect with Travis Ward who was his equipment manager with the Seawolves from 2019-21.
The Stingrays are back in action tomorrow, January 21st against the Jacksonville Icemen as the team heads to VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena for a 7:00 p.m. puck drop.
Single game tickets for all your Stingrays home games for the upcoming 2021-22 home season are on sale now via Ticketmaster.
Save money with group tickets! For more information or to purchase, contact the Stingrays by phone at 843-744-2248.
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