Melbourne Ice sign Gavoille; Erdugan for season 2020

The Melbourne Ice have announced the signing of two players for season 2020.

32-year-old forward Ben Gavoille will don the blue, white and red this season.

It is Gavoille’s second year in the AIHL, having played last season for the Adelaide Adrenaline, putting up 19 points in 18 games.

After spending most of his career in his native France, Gavoille made the move to New Zealand where he has spent 4 of the last 5 seasons playing for the Dunedin Thunder. Gavoille has also become a naturalised NZ citizen and represented the Ice Blacks last year at the IIHF Division 2B Worlds, putting up 2 goals and 1 assist.

Joakim Erdugan has also joined the Ice from Tranas AIF, a team he has spent 5 of the last 6 seasons with. The 26-year-old forward most recently registered 19 points in 38 games in 2019 for Tranas in Division 1. Erdugan also played for Chamonix in the French League, putting up 17 points in 41 games in 2018.

Erdugan has signed with the Ice for the 2020 and 2021 season and along with Gavoille will be available from the beginning of the AIHL season, when many Ice players will be representing Australia at the IIHF World Championships in Serbia.