Coventry Blaze have signed another Big Red Canadian.

Andrew McNiven is a 22 year old forward from the Cornell Big Red, the same American University team as new netminder, Ian Burt.

Standing 6’1” and weighing 215 lbs, McNiven is described by former coaches as a solid, physical player. His points tally in NCAA hockey belies his skills as he played much of his college hockey on a third, checking line and was relied upon for defensive rather than offensive skills.

A dominating physical player, the Vancouver native is strong on the puck and in one-on-one situations and has a great shot. In addition, he was the Big Red’s Captain last year and saw significant action on the team’s penalty kill unit.

Despite his size and style, McNiven is not a heavy penalty taker and will make a big contribution to the Blaze with his all round hockey skills. The Blaze were keen to sign a physical player who brings more to the game than just their size.

Coach Paul Thompson confirmed:

“Andrew is coming in to play a power forward role. He’s a big, strong, physical guy who will give us the size to drive to the net and make things happen - an area that we needed to improve on from last season.

“Being the Captain of Cornell shows his leadership qualities and I’m sure he will be a big ‘hit’ over here in Coventry. I’m also sure that he will give us what we need offensively – a big physical presence.”

McNiven, a graduate in Operations Research and Engineering said:

“I am really excited at the opportunity to play in the FBNL. The past couple of years I have been playing in a very defensive league in a defensive role and I haven’t been in a position to put up strong offensive numbers. I am looking to expand my game and to put up some good numbers through playing solid hockey for the Blaze.”