Goaltenders Ben Bowns and Thomas Murdy have committed their futures with the Cardiff Devils after agreeing new deals to remain with the Elite League champions.
The pair successfully backstopped the Devils to back to back league titles as well as last season’s Play-Off Championship.
Team GB starter Bowns has been voted the league’s Netminder Of The Year for the past three years and returns to the Devils for a fifth season.
Bowns, 27, played 51 games last season, posting a 91% save rate and a 2.49 GAA (goals against average), as well as leading the league with 47 wins and recording seven shut-outs.
Backup Thomas Murdy signs for a third season with the team. In 11 games last term, Murdy recorded a 3.28 GAA and a 88% save rate which also included a single shut-out.
Since the end of last season, Ben Bowns has also played a starring role for Team GB at IIHF World Championships.
Bowns played five games, recording a 2.89 GAA and 91.9% save rate as he helped Team GB to a second straight promotion and Gold Medal.
Coach Andrew Lord feels the quality and depth of the Devils goaltending can give them a competitive edge as the Devils target a third-straight league title.
“The strength of our goaltending gives us a chance to win every night,” explained Lord.
“I believe we have the best goaltending team in the EIHL. Bownsy has been superb for us and has now proven himself as the best in the league over the last few years.
“Murdy is the perfect goaltending partner to compliment Bownsy. He is always an option and pushes Bownsy every day to get better. When he steps into a game, nothing changes in front of him. The guys are comfortable playing in front of either one of them.
“To win in this league you need to have two goalies that you have confidence in. There is always going to be a starter and a backup, but you need to have two guys that comes to work every day with an attitude of wanting to improve and wanting to push the team to get better. We have that with Bowns and Murdy.”
The duo become the Cardiff Devils’ six and seventh re-signings since the end of last season, following in the footsteps of Mark Richardson, Joey Martin, Joey Haddad, Matt Pope and Craig Moore who have all committed to the club for the 2018/19 season.
The Cardiff Devils begin pre-season on August 11 when they face Nottingham Panthers on back to back nights. Their first competitive fixture of the new campaign will be on August 30 when Red Bull Salzburg visit Ice Arena Wales in the Champions Hockey League.