Stingrays sign trio of rookies

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – The South Carolina Stingrays, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Washington Capitals and American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears, have agreed to terms with forwards Anthony Del Gaizo and Sean Gulka as well as defenseman Kylor Wall for the 2022-23 season.Del Gaizo, 24, joins the Stingrays for his rookie season after completing four seasons at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. In 132 games for the Minutemen, he accumulated 40 points (17g-23a). Del Gaizo’s successful four-year run at UMass included an NCAA National Championship, back-to-back trips to the NCAA National Championship Game and three Hockey East championships.Prior to attending UMass, the native of Basking, New Jersey played parts of three seasons in the United States Hockey League with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, amassing 100 points (53g-47a) in 157 games. During his final season in Muskegon from 2017-18, Del Gaizo was named the USHL Player of the Year and a First Team All-Star after leading the league in goals with 40 and points with 72. His brother, Marc, currently plays for the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals.Gulka, 22, begins his first professional campaign with the Stingrays following a four-game stint with the Southern Professional Hockey League's Pensacola Ice Flyers last season where he tallied one assist after not playing during the 2020-21 campaign.Before turning pro, Gulka spent parts of three seasons in the Western Hockey League, appearing in 80 games with the Spokane Chiefs and Victoria Royals, recording 27 points (10g-17a).Wall, 24, is set to embark on his first full professional hockey season after finishing last season with the Fort Wayne Komets. He tallied five points (3g-2a) in 17 games while with the Komets after beginning the season at Trinity Western University.Prior to turning pro, the native of Edmonton, Alberta spent four seasons playing college hockey in the USports system. Wall collected 28 points (6g-22a) in his first three seasons at Nipissing University before transferring to Trinity Western where he posted six points (2g-4a) in 20 contests.