South Carolina Stingrays Newest Assignments from Hershey Bears - AHL to ECHL

MLN Newswire –mlntherawfeed.com - North Charleston , SC – The South Carolina Stingrays and Head Coach Jared Bednar announced today that defenseman Grant McNeill and right winger Tommy Maxwell have been assigned to the team from the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears.

McNeill, 24, is in his fifth professional season after spending the majority of the 2006-07 campaign with the Wheeling Nailers, where he amassed seven points (3g, 4a) and 254 penalty minutes in 63 games. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound blueliner began the 2007-08 season with Hershey, recording seven penalty minutes in one game.

“He gives us another solid stay-at-home defenseman,” Bednar said. “He’s a guy that’s proven he can play in this league and at the American League level, for that matter. He adds a lot of toughness to the lineup and he’s a guy that’s miserable to play against. He plays hard, he plays physical, and he’ll kill penalties for us.”

McNeill’s resume includes three games with the NHL’s Florida Panthers during the 2003-04 season, as well as stops in the AHL with San Antonio, Rochester, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Hershey, and Texas and Florida of the ECHL. In 199 career pro contests, the Vermillion, Alberta native has registered 14 points (4g, 10a) and 843 penalty minutes.

A 3rd round draft choice of the Florida Panthers in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft (68th overall), McNeill spent four seasons with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders, accumulating 32 points (11g, 21a) and 929 penalty minutes in 260 junior contests.

Maxwell, 21, is in his second professional season after spending the 2006-07 season with the Phoenix RoadRunners of the ECHL. In 53 games with the RoadRunners, the Spokane , Wash. native totaled 13 points (5g, 8a) and had 213 penalty minutes. In addition, the 6-foot, 200-pound right winger had a goal and an assist in four playoff games.

“Maxwell adds to the quickness of the team for the upcoming season,” said Bednar. “He’s also not afraid to show his physical presence on the ice. We expect his contributions this year to help solidify a playoff run.”

Prior to turning pro, Maxwell spent four years with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL tallying 33 goals and adding 40 assists for 73 points in 244 contests. Maxwell was also a member of the Anaheim Ducks team that participated at the 2006 Pacific Division Shootout rookie tournament in El Segundo , Calif.

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