Cardiff Devils sign forwards Sam Duggan and Josh Waller
- Published
Sam Duggan returns for his third season with Cardiff Devils
Forwards Sam Duggan and Josh Waller have signed for Cardiff Devils for the coming season.
Great Britain's Duggan, 22, returns for his third season but had his first full professional season in 2019-20, scoring four goals and five assists.
Waller, 22, joins Devils after two years with Guildford Flames.
"Both these guys are going to have a big season for us and... they both are just at the start of long pro hockey careers," boss Jarrod Skalde said.
Duggan spent the 2020-21 season in Sweden with Segeltorps IF, where he scored 11 goals and 13 assists in 39 games, before returning to the UK to play in the Elite Series with Coventry Blaze, scoring four goals and one assist in 14 games.
He was then selected to play for Team GB and played three games at the IIHF World Championships in May.
Waller played his youth hockey in Guildford and Bracknell, then moved to the Czech Republic for two seasons before returning to play for Flames in 2018-19.
Last season he had a brief stint in Sweden before icing for Sheffield Steelers in the Elite Series, scoring three goals and four assists in 16 games.
"Waller caught my eye in the Elite Series because of his speed and composure on the puck. He got better and better each game and you could see the Steelers coach was giving him more opportunity to play in key situations as the tournament progressed," Devils head coach Skalde added.
"The Devils fans obviously know Duggan well and again, I think this season is an important one for him. He scored some timely goals in the Elite Series and also had a solid World Championships in the games he played. He skates so well and he does the little things well that help the team win.
"I love working with young guys like this that are excited to get better every day and speaking to both Josh and Sam, they are pumped to get onto the ice this season. I expect them to bring energy and fun every day to the locker room and to the ice."