Veteran Bannister will have a role educating Hull's younger players

Hull Stingrays have made their biggest ever signing with the capture of 36-year-old NHL star Drew Bannister.

The Canadian has played for Edmonton, Tampa Bay, Anaheim and the New York Rangers in the NHL, and joins Hull from the Binghampton Senators.

Rays operations director Mike Cowley told BBC Radio Humberside: "Drew has played in the best league in the world.

"He's no youngster and has all the experience in the world, and is just what the side needs."

He added: "He's probably the best player to have played in Hull, and that says a lot."

Bannister has also played in the DEL in Germany for Nuremburg and the Kassel Huskies, and Karpat and Blues in the SM-Liiga in Finland.

The much travelled blue-liner also can also list Atlanta, Las Vegas, Hartford and Cincinnati as clubs he has played for the in the minor leagues in the USA.

Cowley says Bannister will have a role in educating the club's young players.

He added: "We've made an investment in the team and we decided a short time ago we needed to bring in quality rather than quantity.

"Overall the squad will be stronger and the defence will be stronger, and I think that's an area we needed to improve."

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