NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – The South Carolina Stingrays, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Washington Capitals and AHL's Hershey Bears, announced the following roster changes today:
- Forward Ryan Hofer has been re-assigned by Washington from Hershey to South Carolina
- Forward Grant Cruikshank has been recalled by Hershey
Hofer, 22, is in the second season of a three-year entry-level NHL contract with Washington. The Capitals selected Hofer in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. In 2023-24, Hofer tallied eight points (four goals, four assists) in 40 AHL games with the Hershey Bears. He was a black ace for the Bears during their run to a second consecutive Calder Cup Championship. Before turning pro, the Winnipeg, MB native spent three seasons in the Western Hockey League, where he tallied 135 points (64 goals, 71 assists) in 155 WHL games split between the Everett Silvertips and Kamloops Blazers. In Hofer's final season of junior hockey, the Silvertips traded him to the Blazers, where he tallied 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 14 WHL playoff games. Hofer joins Alexander Suzdalev, Mitchell Gibson, and Garin Bjorklund on the list of NHL-contracted players on the Stingrays' roster.
Cruikshank, 26, joins the Bears as he leads the Stingrays with 13 points in 12 games. He is in a four-way tie for the team lead in goals (6) and power-play goals (2). The Delafield, Wisconsin native is in his second season of professional hockey. In 2023-24, Cruikshank tallied 43 points (21 goals, 22 assists) in 35 ECHL games with the Newfoundland Growlers and four points (one goal, three assists) in 19 AHL games with the Toronto Marlies. Before turning pro, Cruikshank played five seasons of NCAA Division I hockey split between Colorado College, the University of Minnesota, and St. Cloud State University. The 5-11 187 lb forward amassed 98 points (60 goals, 38 assists) in 164 career NCAA games.
The Stingrays are back in action on Friday night against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. The puck drops at 7:05 pm at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville.
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