Matheson signs for Belfast Giants

The 25-year-old left shot defender, who is known for his tenacious defensive game, will wear number two for the Odyssey side.

Matheson is entering his second year as a professional and coach Doug Christiansen said he will have an important role to play as the Giants look to defend their title.

"Brock does not have numbers that are going to jump off the page but he plays a role that we need," explained Christiansen.

"We have excellent forwards who are going to be aggressive and attack our opponent and what I wanted was a defenseman that would relish the challenge of shutting down the other top forwards in the league, guys like David Ling, Jeff Legue, Shea Guthrie.

"Brock loves one on one battles. He blocks shots, hits and competes every night.

"His defensive style of play would be similar to former Giants Nick Kuiper and Tim Cook who were both valuable pieces on very successful teams here in Belfast. I expect Matheson to play a very similar game to Kuiper."

Brock Matheson said he is equally excited about coming to Belfast.

"I am extremely excited to be coming to an organization as professional and competitive as Belfast," the new signing enthused.

"I am looking forward to getting there and starting the road to a championship."

The Belfast Giants will play their final pre-season match against the Tilburg Trappers on Saturday 1 September at 7pm at the Odyssey Arena.