Minnesota Wilds’ Clayton Stoner signs with the HC Banska Bystrica in the Slovakian Hockey league
Clayton Stoner, a professional ice hockey player from Canada, who plays in the National Hockey League (NHL) for Minnesota Wilds as a defenseman, signed a contract with the HC Banska Bystrica in the Slovakian Hockey league and would be playing for them until
the lockout ends.
The 27-year-old player, who has been playing for the Wilds in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the NHL, was made to leave the team because of the lockout that begin in the September of this year, when the previous Collective Bargaining
Agreement expired.
Although Stoner could not get as much chance as he would have expected, but he was affiliated with the Wilds’ team for a long time and played many times for their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliates Houston Aeros.
Port McNeil, British Columbia native had signed a two year extension with the St. Paul, Minnesota based side and was given an increment in his salaries, compared to the money he got in the seasons before that.
In the previous contract with the Wilds, which he had signed in the 2010-2011 season, he was given a salary of $525,000 for the two years, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. But the new contract with he signed in 2012 season said that he would be paid 1,050,000 for
the two seasons, 2012-2013 and 2013-2014.
But now he would have to play in the Slovakian League and would have to make sure that he is able to keep himself in the form and best possible fitness so that he is in the best shape to return and keep going his progress when the NHL lockout ends.
The 6-foot-3 inch, 205 pounder will have some people related to NHL around him when he joins the Slovakian side, as Michael Handzus, the forward of San Jose Sharks also plays for the same side and he would have former Nashville Predators’ player Vladimir
Orzagh there as the head coach. Vladmir previously worked as the assistant coach of the same team, but now he has been made the head coach. These are few factors which should help him adjust quickly in his new team.
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