Clay Plume Returns to the Rage
D-man is Only Player to Suit-up in Each of the Team’s Three Seasons

Broomfield, Colo. – The Rocky Mountain Rage have re-signed defenseman Clay Plume, who returns for his third season with the team.  He is slated to make his season debut on Thursday when Rocky Mountain hosts the Colorado Eagles at Broomfield Event Center at 7:05 p.m.

Plume skated with the Rage during each of the team’s first two seasons in the Central Hockey League.  He was one of the few bright spots during Rocky Mountain’s inaugural campaign in 2006-07, leading the club in scoring among defensemen with 26 points (8g-18a) and garnering the franchise’s first-ever Player of the Week Award.  Last season Plume returned to the Rage and posted a career-high 32 points (7g-25a), second among blue-liners behind Tyler Butler.

The fifth-year pro was a true ironman.  Beginning in 2005-06 with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, Plume played every game for three consecutive seasons.  But early last off-season, he suffered an injury during a pick-up game that kept him out of action until now.  On Thursday night, Plume will become the only player to don a Rage sweater in each of the team’s three campaigns in the CHL.

“Clay Plume brings to the table everything I look for in a hockey player.  He works tremendously hard every time he hits the ice and is the ultimate team player,” said Rage Head Coach and General Manager Tracy Egeland.  “Clay’s been extremely loyal to me for years having followed me to Broomfield from South Texas.  After his injury, I had my fingers crossed that he’d be able to return at some point this season, so I’m excited to see him back out there.  I know he’s going to give our blue line a real shot in the arm as we now get ready for the playoffs.”

In a separate transaction, Butler has been placed on 14-day injured reserve.  He, like Plume, appeared in all 64 games last season plus another 56 in a row this year before getting dinged this past Saturday in a 3-2 loss to the Oklahoma City Blazers.