Belfast Giants Sign Mike Radja

The Belfast Giants have signed Mike Radja for the 2015/16 Elite League season.

The signing completes the Giants roster for the 2015/16 roster.

The American 6ft forward with a left shot will add firepower upfront for the Giants, posting an average of over one point per game since the 2011/12 season. Radja, 30, arrives in Belfast following three seasons spent in the Asia League – two with the Nippon Paper Cranes, where he won the Asia Championship, as well as last season with High1 & posting 72 goals and 88 assists in that time.

Radja graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2008, where he was an NCAA East and Hockey East First All-Star. He split the 2008/09 season between the ECHL's Fresno Falcons and the Rockford IceHogs before moving to Finland to play for TPS in 2009. The remainder of Mike's 2009/10 season was in the AHL with Syracuse and Bridgeport before playing 2010/11 in the DEL with Augsburger Panther.

Steve Thornton said: "All reports on Mike says that he is a goalscorer – when he gets chances, he scores and he has done it in great leagues. He's played in Japan and done extremely well – being one of the top goalscorers in that league. We saw last season with what Mike Kompon brought to this team coming from Japan.

"We've given ourselves another creative forward who can help our production and we now have a good number of guys who can put pretty good numbers on the board – especially in those tight games which is just so important."