The South Carolina Stingrays, affiliate of the NHL’s Washington Capitals and AHL’s Hershey Bears, have named their official team leaders for the 2024-25 season. Defenseman Jacob Graves has been named team captain, while Josh Wilkins, Blake Thompson, and Grant Cruikshank will serve as alternates.
Graves, who will make his Stingrays debut tonight, will wear a C on his sweater for the second consecutive season. Last season, he captained the Atlanta Gladiators before being traded to the Toledo Walleye in March.
“I’m really thankful to have Jacob on board,” said Jared Nightingale, Stingrays Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations. “He has already been a captain in the past and is one of our veterans. His game speaks for itself. He is a hard-nosed defenseman who loves defending his teammates and has a team-first mentality. Those are the qualities that we look for in a leader.”
The Barrie, Ontario native has skated in 327 career ECHL games and 42 AHL games over the last eight seasons from 2016-24. He has accumulated 72 points (11 goals, 61 assists) and 639 penalty minutes in his ECHL career.
“It feels good,” Graves said of being named captain. “There’s a lot of leaders on our team. Everyone in the room should have a voice, and it feels like they do.”
The full South Carolina Stingrays 2024-25 schedule can be viewed here.
