Wranglers add veteran forward

By Steve Silver

Published Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009 | 2:55 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009 | 4:23 p.m.

The Las Vegas Wranglers agreed to terms with 26-year-old forward Shay Stephenson on Thursday.

Stephenson joins the Wranglers after spending last season with the Krefeld Penguins of the DEL League in Germany where he posted 20 points in 50 games.

"Shay is a big skilled forward who is a presence on the ice," said Wranglers coach and general manager Ryan Mougenel. "We look for him to be a go to guy on offense. He is a player who's been in the NHL and wants to continue to develop all aspects of his game and get back as soon as possible."

The Edmonton Oilers drafter the 6-foot-4, 200-pound forward in 2001 and then the Carolina Hurricanes drafted him in round seven (No. 198) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Stephenson spent one season in the ECHL with the Reading Royals in 2005-06 and one full season in the AHL with the Manchester Monarchs in 2006-07. That year he was called up to the NHL for two games with the Los Angeles Kings.

UPDATE: Former Wranglers captain Shawn Limpright signed with the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs on Thursday too. In five seasons with the Wranglers, Limpright became the all-time franchise leader in games played, assists, points and penalty minutes. He now joins former Las Vegas goalie John DeCaro with the Mudbugs.

Steve Silver can be reached at 948-7822 or [email protected].