Flint, MI - The Flint Generals knew they almost had the right pieces of a championship team last season and the hockey club continues to build what they hope will not only compete but capture the 2009 Turner Cup Championship this season. Today the Generals are proud to announce the signing of a scoring forward with post season experience in Steve Rymsha.
Rymsha, a 6-foot, 4-inch 225 pound left winger split time between Europe and the Central Hockey League last season. The 28 year-old had 18 goals and 17 assists for 35 points in 44 games with Esbjerg EfB Ishockey in Denmark before returning to North America to play for the Arizona Sundogs. He played the final six games of the regular season where notched two goals and 11 assists for 13 points in six games. In the post season, Rymsha had eight goals and two assists for 10 points in 17 games, while helping the Sundogs win the CHL Championship.Rymsha scored the first goal in the championship clinching game for his team.
It was his second first goal of the series.
“Signing a player of Steve Rymsha's caliber is definitely a feather in the hat of the Flint Generals organization”, said Head Coach Peter South. “Steve's history of scoring, leadership and winning championships will definitely play a major part in our quest to bring the Turner Cup to Flint.”
The St. Catharines Ontario native, who now calls Michigan home, has spent four of his past five years playing professional hockey oversees including stops in Germany with Schwennigen ERC and in Italy with Fassa HC and Ritten Renon. In 120 games he had 80 goals and 80 assists for 160 points and263 penalty minutes.
“As indicated many times over the past year, we as an organization have acknowledged that we believed that last year, we had a talented team that was very close to being able to win a championship,” said Director of Hockey Operations Ron Sanko. “We as an organization believe with today's addition of Steve who at 6'4 gives us a physical presence for a true scorer we now have acquired a necessary piece of championship team puzzle.
“As a true scoring power forward, he will be difficult to move in the offensive zone and he will bring to us a critical element that all championship teams required to compete and win in the post season. His experience at elite levels of professional hockey around the world brings to our team the qualities we look for in every player with professional experience, talent and character.”
While in North America, Rymsha played for the Greenville Grrrowl and Reading Royals of the ECHL along with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League. In 140 ECHL games, he notched 66 goals and 64 assists for 130 points and 139 penalty minutes.
“I am very excited to be coming to Flint,” Rymsha said. “I have heard nothing but great things about Peter and the organization. It gets me excited to come back home and play North American hockey, again.”
Rymsha, who now calls Huntington Woods, Mi, home said playing in Michigan again will allow him to play in front of people he cares about.
“That's probably the most exciting part about playing in Michigan,” he explained. “My sisters haven't seen me play in about five years and now my nieces and nephews will be able to watch me, too.”
He said his time away playing in Europe helped him work on several aspects of his game.“It's a wide open style of hockey in Europe and being over there helped me with my speed and moving the puck a bit quicker,” he said.
Rymsha played four years in the NCAA with the Western Michigan University Broncos. In 137 Collegiate games, he picked up 48 goals and 50 assists for 98 points and 269 penalty minutes.
“I have circled the date on my calendar when we first go to Kalamazoo,” he said. “I haven't been up there since a couple of years after I graduated. It's going to be fun and exciting and hopefully, I can put on a show.”
