The Florida Eels are excited to announce the Re-Signing of 2001 Defenseman Stephen Huitt from Broomfield, CO 6’02 150 lbs. Stephen is a right -handed shot that brings good size to the Eels blue line. He was one of six players who came to the Eels last season from Colorado. In fact, the Eels have had over 20 players from Colorado to have played for the Eels including Coach Alex Sanchez.
The Eels coaches first scouted Huitt at the CCM Junior Prospects Showcase last May. Premier Coach Frank Scarpaci and Elite Coach Alex Sanchez were indeed impressed with Stephen’s skill set and intestinal fortitude on the ice at the CCM Showcase and knew right there he had the makings of an Eels. He had size, good skating and was quite mobile with the puck. He joined the Eels in August as a rookie. He stepped right into the line-up. He used his 6’02 size to his advantage and was more than generous throwing his weight around on opposing players. He made opposing teams aware when he was out there. Huitt was a fast learner. He saw there were some very talented players on his team and on opposing teams. Juniors was a big jump; the USPHL had some of the best talent in the USA and there was no taking any time off; he recognized he had to close the gap and become a student of the game real fast. There was a golden opportunity for him to be a key guy here and he seized the moment with hard work and determination.
Huitt became a steady force on the Eel’s blueline. He impressed the coaches with his development. Keeping things simple. Getting the puck quickly out of the zone. Nice first passes out. Winning net presence battles. Jump in on the transition game. Deny zone entry and maintain his gap; and when on the offensive blueline get the puck through to the opposing goalie. These were hard lessons for any defensemen to master. When playing defense, you have to be the smartest players on the ice. Making a mistake at the Junior level often results on shots on net. Huitt grew very versed in his task and became one of our most steady D men on the backend.
Stephen was a very determined young man. He had great work ethic and brought unwavering dedication and commitment to his team. He did very well this season working with some of our veteran seasoned players. He was like a sponge. He wants to be better. He has a strong hockey IQ. Moreover, he is a high character young man. He fits perfectly into the Eels mold as player they build their program around.
We welcome back Stephen to the Eels family. He like all of the returning players have a job to complete. He is eager to get started.
