(Courtesy of the Amarillo Gorillas) Amarillo, TX – The Amarillo Gorillas of the Central Hockey League (CHL) announced today that the club has re-signed defenseman and captain Mark DeSantis, goaltender Jamie Vandespyker (pictured), and forward Brent Hughes for the 2006-2007 season.

DeSantis, a 6’2”, 220 pound defenseman from Bampton, Ontario returns to the Gorillas for his fifth consecutive season. Last season, DeSantis lead all Gorillas defenseman with 11 goals and 34 assists, for a total of 45 points in 62 games played. He has totaled 177 points in 250 regular season games played during his four seasons with the Gorillas.

“After four successful years, Mark has obviously shown his loyalty to this organization. He has been a great leader on and off the ice and has been an All-Star caliber defenseman at every level of his career.” Head Coach Joe Ferras continued, “DeSantis is in tremendous condition and every team at the double-A level would want to start their organization with this type of athlete. We are proud to re-sign the cornerstone of our franchise for the fifth consecutive season.”

“As an older player it’s nice to have security where you don’t have to move around much. I feel that I’ve found a great home in Amarillo. I take great pride in the leadership role that Coach Ferras has given me and I look forward to another successful season.” DeSantis continued, “We’ve had a ton of success making the playoffs in the four years I’ve been here. We are looking to make the next step and win the President’s Cup next season.”

Vandespyker, a 6’1”, 185 pound goaltender from Campbellville, Ontario, will be entering his second consecutive season and third total with the Gorillas.

Gorillas Head Coach Joe Ferras said, “With Shawn Degagne signing in Elmira, we expect Jamie to be our number one goaltender and have a breakout season. As a starting goaltender in Wichita, he earned 21 wins in 35 games played. When given his shot, Jamie has proved to be successful. He’s earned the spot here in Amarillo and we feel confident he will be successful.”

Vandespyker said of returning to Amarillo, “The support from this city is tremendous. It’s not only a great city to play in but also a great organization.” Vandespyker continued, “I look forward to being the number one goaltender. This is an exciting opportunity for me and I look forward to the challenge.”

Last season, the netminder was 11-10-1 with a 3.00 goals against average and a .907 save percentage. Vandespyker has a two-year total of 20-15-2 in 46 games played with Amarillo.

Hughes, a 5’7”, 170 pound forward from Toronto, Ontario returns to Amarillo for his third season. Hughes had 14 goals and 20 assists for a total of 34 points in 57 games played last season. During his career in Amarillo, he has totaled 79 points in 116 regular season games played.

“With Scott Wray signing elsewhere, we are looking for Brent to take the lead as a proven scoring threat on a nightly basis.” Ferras continued, “As we strive to build a young and hungry team this season, we will be looking for Hughes to step up as a leader in the dressing room and help these young guys adapt to the pro game.”