The Stena Line Belfast Giants are pleased to announce the return of Chris Higgins for the 2015/16 season. Higgins, who helped the organisation to a record breaking Elite League title triumph in the 2013/14 season, re-joins Belfast after a season spent with the Nottingham Panthers. The announcement was made at Thursday’s annual season Ticket Holders event at the Odyssey Arena.

Posting 61 points in 55 games in the 2013/14 Giants championship winning season – Higgins returns to Belfast as the organisation continue to build a team to challenge for their fifth ever league title and a third in five seasons. The forward, nicknamed the ‘Belfast Datsyuk’, by the Giants fans during his previous season in Belfast for his skilled play, will once again take to the Odyssey Arena ice when the 2015/16 Elite League season begins in September.

The 29 year old American is a Boston University graduate – where he won the 2008/09 NCAA national championship, has also played in the ECHL for Gwinnett, Las Vegas, South Carolina, Utah and Wheeling with seasons also spent in Italy with Ritten and Tingsryds of Sweden.

Steve Thornton, Head of Hockey Operations, on his signing of Chris Higgins,

“Chris was pretty excited when I spoke to him – he was one of the first guys I got in contact with after the season ended. Chris Higgins and his line did a lot of damage against us last season for Nottingham. We struggled to produce offence last season and I believe that Chris is a player who will produce offence and make players around him better – so it was an easy decision for me.”