Head coach Sean Easton is excited to see what new Canadian import Ryan Shaw can do for Everyone Active Raiders in the 2022-23 season.

The club announced the signing of the 25-year-old as a replacement for Czech forward Lukas Sladkovsky, who scored 42 goals and 49 assists in 87 appearances in a gold and blue jersey.

And Shaw, who grew up in Barrie, Ontario, will arrive at the Sapphire Ice & Leisure Centre following a brief spell in Belgium last season, having studied at and played for the University of Windsor.

"Ryan has played five years in USports in Canada which is a highly respectable league," said Easton.

"Ryan comes highly recommended to us and everyone I have spoken to about Ryan has nothing but good things to say."

After playing for his home-town Barrie Colts at under-18 level, Shaw spent the next four seasons between the GMOHL and OJHL, scoring 81 goals and 92 assists in 230 league, cup and play-off games, with 66 penalty minutes.

He won a league title in that time and was named as an all-star, before attending university, where his major was criminology.

Shaw scored 19 goals and 13 assists in a total of 73 league and play-off matches for the University of Windsor Lancers, with 30 penalty minutes, and went on to add six goals and 13 assists in 13 league and play-off appearances for HYC Herentals in Belgium last season.

Easton added: "I've watched a lot of video on Ryan and he is a big body power forward with a big shot, but has great vision for a pass.

"I've been speaking with Ryan a lot and he is excited to get going, as we are all to meet him."

Elite League outfit Guildford have hired several players from the world of USports, which is considered a good standard, in recent seasons.

And Raiders captain Aaron Connolly cannot wait to meet his new teammate, adding: "It's exciting times in Romford as the 2022-23 season is rapidly approaching and Ryan will be a key part of roster.

"I haven’t had the opportunity to see Ryan play, but from what I have heard and where he has played I think the Raiders gold and blue will be over the moon with this news.

"For people that have been around hockey in the UK the last few years you would've noticed that a lot of the Elite League teams are now taking a chance on players from Usports so I think it's safe to say we have a very high calibre player on our hands. "

Shaw will join a long list of nearly 70 Canadians to have iced in Romford since ice hockey was first introduced to the local community in 1987 by Gord Jeffrey and Marc Chartier, with goalie Greg Blais the most recent in 2019-20.

Romford Recorder: Canadian duo Marc Chartier (left) and Gord Jeffrey (right) wowed Romford crowds when ice hockey first came to the town in 1987Canadian duo Marc Chartier (left) and Gord Jeffrey (right) wowed Romford crowds when ice hockey first came to the town in 1987 (Image: Recorder Archive)