The South Carolina Stingrays, ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Washington Capitals and AHL's Hershey Bears, have re-signed forward Jack Adams to an ECHL contract for the 2024-25 season. Adams, 27, returns to the Lowcountry for his second season of professional hockey. The 6' 6 ", 216-pound forward skated in 71 of 72 games last season and finished the 2023-24 campaign third on the team in points with 62 points (27 goals, 35 assists).
"Jack had a really productive season last year," said Stingrays Head Coach Jared Nightingale. “He can skate, he's 6' 6", and he has a good touch around the net, and I think that's really rare. We're very fortunate to have Jack, and I look forward to him having a big role this season."
Adams finished the 2023-24 season fifth among all ECHL rookies in goals (27) and points (62). His nine power-play goals were the most on the Stingrays and tied for the 13th most among all ECHL skaters.
Adams was also recognized for his work off the ice. Last season, he dedicated over 32 hours to various community initiatives in Charleston and won the 2023-24 ECHL Community Service Award. Adams returns to South Carolina looking to build on a strong first season.
"First and foremost, I'm super grateful for this opportunity with the Stingrays. I'm thankful to Rob Concannon, Coach Nightingale, and the Rays alumni. It's such a privilege to play for this organization," said Adams. "Charleston is a place that I call home now, and it means so much to me to represent this city and play in front of our amazing fans. I'm going to work as hard as I can to make them proud, and I will give everything I have this season."
Before turning pro, Adams played five seasons of Division I college hockey and tallied 64 points in 142 games. The Boxford, MA native most recently played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the past two seasons and scored 29 points in 70 games. The Detroit Red Wings selected Adams 162nd overall in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Adams' older brother, Mark "Roo" Adams, played five seasons of college hockey for Providence College and won a national championship in 2015. Sadly, Roo passed away due to a heart attack in 2018 at the age of 27. The Adams family founded the Mark Roo Adams Foundation to honor Roo's legacy and focus on charitable endeavors close to his heart. Specifically, the foundation organizes an annual golf tournament to raise funds for causes such as supporting children in foster care, aiding animal rescue efforts, and awarding an annual scholarship to a Providence College student who exemplifies Roo's values and character traits. The 6th Annual Roo Adams Golf Classic will be held on August 12th, 2024, at the Turner Hill Golf Club in Ipswich, MA.
Fans can support the Mark Roo Adams Foundation here.
The Stingrays 2024-25 season begins on Saturday, October 19, with the Home Opener against the Savannah Ghost Pirates at 6:05 p.m. The full schedule can be viewed here.
