Offseason roster building for the Jacksonville Icemen continues, as today, the team announced the addition of one more defenseman for the upcoming 2023-24 season. Chays Ruddy has agreed to a one-year deal with the team, making him the seventh defenseman to sign with the team for the upcoming season.
Hailing from Cobourg, Ontario, 25-year-old Chays Ruddy is joining the Icemen for his third season in the ECHL. The 6’2” 205-pound blueliner got his start in the ECHL with the 2020-21 season, splitting the year between the Fort Wayne Komets and the Kansas City Mavericks. In 32 games with the Komets, Ruddy registered four assists, adding an additional pair of assists to his points total through 17 games with Kansas City. Last season, the d-man spent the first part of the year playing for the Manchester Storm of the EIHL, the United Kingdom’s tier one league. Ruddy played 13 games with Manchester, contributing three assists, before returning back to the States to join the Cincinnati Cyclones. Ruddy appeared in seven games for the Cyclones, where he scored one goal before being a waiver pick-up by the Toledo Walleye. In 22 games last season for Toledo, the defenseman recorded three assists.
Prior to his 78 games of ECHL experience, Ruddy played two seasons at the University of Windsor. He registered two goals and seven assists in 47 games with the university from 2018 to 2020.
Described as a defensive defenseman, Ruddy will add some more toughness to the Icemen blueline. Much like recent signing Jack Van Boekel, Chays Ruddy is not afraid to drop the gloves and go to battle for his teammates. His tenacious play style is evident in his 117 penalty minutes over the course of just 78 ECHL games. As the Icemen have a game designed for fast, physical play, an addition like Ruddy should help the team with clearing out space on the ice. When asked about Chays Ruddy and what he brings to a team, Manchester Storm Head Coach Matt Ginn had this to say: “Chays is a big presence on the blueline that loves playing a tough style of hockey and will always look to close out his opponent along the boards. He is calm and confident on the puck – with his ability to consistently clear the zone a huge reason for pursuing his signature. Chays takes a huge amount of pride in clearing traffic out in front of the net and is always willing to stick-up for his teammates.”
Icemen fans can catch Ruddy in action alongside the team when the season begins on October 21st.
