Pearce’s Giants departure casts more doubt on the new season
New chapter: Elgin Pearce has opted to move on from Giants
CANADIAN forward Elgin Pearce will not be returning to the Belfast Giants next season after agreeing a deal with French side Amiens.
The 28-year-old joined the Giants midway through last season from Scottish rivals the Dundee Stars and made 24 appearances, scoring 11 goals and adding 21 points prior to the campaign being cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Pearce was brought in by head coach Adam Keefe after the Giants’ lack of scoring in the early part of the season and he duly delivered as a strong offensive player, playing key minutes as part of the top two lines and on the powerplay.
He leaves a sizeable gap on the roster for Keefe to fill.
The British Colombia native is the second Giant to announce he will not be playing in teal next season, following confirmation from Jordan Smotherman last month that he would be returning to the Worcester Railers in America’s ECHL.
As the Giants work in the background to assemble a roster for the upcoming season, they remain one of only two Elite League sides not to have officially confirmed any signings for next campaign, the other being the Nottingham Panthers.
As a capable offensive player in the Elite League, Pearce’s decision to move to the Ligue Magnus, which is considered to be of a slightly lower standard than its British equivalent, casts even more doubt on the viability of the EIHL for next season as questions continue to persist over whether or not the 2020-21 campaign will even take place at all.
Other talented players such as Coventry’s Andrew Johnston, Fife’s Chase Schaber and Nottingham duo Brian Connelly and Brett Perlini have also joined sides that would be perceived as being of a lower standard than those currently at the EIHL level.
Currently, the full 54-game league schedule is due to get under way on December 5 with the first ever Magic Weekend in Nottingham.