ANTIGONISH, NS – StFX men's hockey head coach Brad Peddle is pleased to announce the additions of forwards Jean Dupuy and Declan Smith to the line-up for the 2019-20 season.
Jean Dupuy is a power forward who most recently played with the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL. The 24 year old has three years of AHL experience where he was an assistant captain with the Rochester Americans and won an AHL Calder Cup Championship with the Toronto Marlies in 2018.
The 6'3", 207 pound native of Orleans, Ont. tallied 24 points in 33 games with the Solar Bears. He played four years in the OHL with Sault Ste. Marie and Kingston, and signed an NHL contract with the Buffalo Sabres.
Coach Peddle notes, "We are very happy to add Jean to our program. He is a strong skating two-way power forward with great size and speed who can contribute offensively, but is also very competitive on both sides of the puck. He will bring a wealth of experience to our group with his three years in AHL, several NHL camps, and a Calder Cup Championship. Jean will be an impact addition up front next season and we look forward to seeing him in blue and white in September."
Declan Smith is a native of Antigonish, N.S. and grew up playing with the Antigonish Bulldogs minor hockey association and the Junior X-Men program. The captain of the QMJHL's Cape Breton Screaming Eagles this past season, he has been with the Screaming Eagles organization for the past five years. A 5'11", 194 pound center, the 20 year old Smith has racked up 98 points in 219 games to date.
"Declan is having a great final season in the QMJHL as captain of the Screaming Eagles," comments Peddle. "He is a fierce competitor who plays a very gritty and honest game. He is dependable in both ends of the rink and is very tough to play against. We are very familiar with Declan as he has come up through our local Antigonish Minor Hockey system where he has been a part of all our Junior X-Men programs for a long time. He will be a great fit to our group and we look forward to seeing him come back home to join our X-Men program."
Smith and Dupuy join Jeremiah Addison, a forward from the AHL's Laval Rocket, who has already committed to the X-Men program. All three will be eligible to play come September, 2019.
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