Bauman to Display Skills in Oklahoma City

The Oklahoma City Blazers of the Central Hockey League signed former Yale defenseman Stacey Bauman, head coach Doug Sauter announced today.

Bauman, a 6-1, 187-pounder from Hanover, Ontario, is entering his fifth season as a pro, his fourth in the Central Hockey League.  Each of the last three seasons, Bauman played for Blazers associate head coach Chris Dashney's Lubbock Cotton Kings.  In three seasons with Lubbock, the graduate of Yale University recorded 59 points (14-45-59) and served 184 penalty minutes in 147 games played.  He broke into professional hockey during the 2003-04 season with the Greenville Growl of the ECHL where he scored 13 points (3-10-13) in 69 games played.

The 27-year old Bauman played four seasons at Yale, earning a degree in economics.  The two-time Defensive Player of the Year at Yale played in 115 games with the Bulldogs, scoring 25 points (3-22-25).

"The addition of Stacey Bauman is nice for our hockey club," said Sauter.  "He was one of Coach Dashney's main guys in Lubbock and someone I always thought would be a good fit for our team.  He is a smart player that will make our team's defensive players better both offensively and defensively."

"This summer presented a very different dynamic for me, being a free agent," said Bauman. "As Dash knows, I approach decision making a little differently and it takes me some time to pray through and think through my decisions, but throughout this entire process Oklahoma City has been at the top of my list."

Bauman continued, "Everything about the opportunity to play in Oklahoma City excites me. Everything I have heard and the research I have done on the team and the organization confirms that this is a first class organization. I have experienced the top quality of the on-ice product first hand playing against the Blazers the last three seasons; I have heard nothing but excellent reports on the character quality of my new teammates; I can't think of a better situation than learning from a Head Coach with more experience and more success than that of Doug Sauter, coupled with the opportunity to continue to learn from Chris Dashney, whom I have the utmost respect for and who has been incredibly loyal to me during my time in the CHL; I relish the thought of playing in front of such dedicated fans night in and night out; and when I put this all together, I consider it an honour to be a part of the Blazer's pursuit of the Ray Miron President's Cup."