"I'm thrilled to have Jordan back this season. He is a cornerstone player for us; a high character player who leads by example," said Jackals head coach Pat Bingham.
Pietrus, 26, was an in-season acquisition by the Jackals last campaign. After signing with Elmira on November 18 he went on to post 39 points (12G, 27A) in 59 games for the Jackals and finished fifth in team scoring. He played to an even +/- rating and added 86 penalty minutes. The 5-11, 180-pound forward also garnered ECHL Player of the Week honors for the week of January 16 to 22 after potting six points (3G, 3A) and a +4 rating in just two games.
Pietrus has skated in 128 ECHL games over his career between the Jackals, Trenton Titans and South Carolina Stingrays. He has 54 points (18G, 36A) and 139 penalty minutes to his credit in that time. Prior to turning pro he garnered 41 points (18G, 23A) and 101 penalty minutes in four seasons at Brown University where he majored in Commerce, Organizations and Entrepreneurship.
"I'm extremely excited to return to the Jackals for a second season. We have a great group of guys coming back with the ultimate goal of winning the Kelly Cup. There's a lot of unfinished business from last season," said Pietrus.
A native of Vermilion, Alberta, Pietrus is quite accomplished off of the ice, as well. He received the Jackals' Community Service Award last year and was a finalist for the ECHL's Man of the Year Award. The highlight of his community efforts in 2011-12 was coordinating the "March Madness: Score With the Jackals" program alongside Center Street Elementary in Horseheads. Students in Grades 1-4 tracked their reading minutes through the month of March and the winning students participated in a floor hockey game with Jackals players. His off-ice work goes back to his days at Brown when he was a finalist for the Hockey Humanitarian Award as a senior in 2010.
Click here for Jordan Pietrus' player profile.
