NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - The South Carolina Stingrays, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Washington Capitals and AHL's Hershey Bears, announced today that the club has added defensemen Jackson van de Leest and Nolan Krenzen to their roster.
The Utica Comets of the American Hockey League have loaned van de Leest, 23, to the Stingrays. A native of Kelowna, British Columbia, van de Leest is in his first full season of professional hockey. The 6-foot-7, 238-pound blueliner joined the ECHL's Adirondack Thunder in February 2024 and helped them reach the Eastern Conference Finals. He signed an AHL deal with Utica on July 1, 2024.
Since turning pro in February 2024, van de Leest has 12 games of AHL experience with Utica and 54 games of ECHL experience with Adirondack. Known for his physical presence on the ice, van de Leest has accumulated 57 penalty minutes in 40 games for Adirondack this season.
"Jackson is still a young defenseman, and the first thing I notice about him is his size," said Stingrays Head Coach Jared Nightingale. "I thought he gained valuable experience last year on Adirondack going to the Eastern Conference Finals. He fits our identity and plays with a mean streak and some jam. He will be a great fit for our group."
The Stingrays signed Krenzen, 23, to an ECHL contract. The Duluth, Minnesota native recently completed his fifth season of college hockey at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. Krenzen served as Omaha's captain this season and produced 40 points (four goals, 36 assists) in 161 career NCAA games. While at Omaha, Krenzen was a teammate of current Stingrays Tyler Weiss and Seth Eisele.
"Nolan was coached by a good friend of mine, Peter Aubry, at Omaha," said Nightingale. "We have been watching him throughout the year, and I think he has a bright future. He is a smart player who defends hard and moves well. He checks all the boxes for us."
The Stingrays are back in action on Friday at 7:05 pm when they host the Greenville Swamp Rabbits at the North Charleston Coliseum.
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