Gaul set for fifth season with Stingrays

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC - The South Carolina Stingrays, ECHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, have re-signed forward Patrick Gaul, Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Ryan Warsofsky announced.

For the fourth straight year, Gaul, 26, is South Carolina's first signing of the off-season. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native returns to the Lowcountry for his fifth season with the Stingrays. Gaul served as an alternate captain for South Carolina during the 2015-16 campaign, and scored 20 points (7g-13a) in 47 games. He also notched two assists in three playoff games.

Gaul earned a promotion to South Carolina from Mississippi of the Southern Professional Hockey League during the 2012-13 season. In 210 career games with South Carolina, Gaul has registered 87 points (35g-52a) to go along with a +43 rating. Additionally, he has played a key role on South Carolina's penalty kill which has finished first in the ECHL for two straight seasons. Gaul, who played his collegiate hockey at Notre Dame, is very active in the Lowcountry community. He was the winner of the 2015 Jerry Zucker Community Service Award.