Ben joins the club from the Iowa Heartlanders of the East Coast Hockey League, where in his first season of pro hockey, he posted 24 points (12G, 12A) in 58 appearances.
The 25-year-old has also previously played in the NCAA with Niagara University, the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) and has represented his country in the 2015-2016 World Junior A Challenge, playing for Canada East U19’s.
The Port Hope, Ontario native spent four years playing at the Niagara University and in 98 games, he contributed 23 goals and 24 assists, putting up 22 points in his final year as a Purple Eagle.
The 6-foot-tall, centerman has not played alongside any current or former Stars during his career so far, however he has crossed paths with a few current and former Elite League players.
After adding his 11th forward for the new season, Stars GM and Head Coach, Jeff Mason said: “Ben is as a right-shot centerman, which is something we needed and he can also play on the wing if need be, so he is a great addition.
“He is good in the face-off circle and having the balance of left and right-handed centers is key for a lot of different situations.
“He has a good frame on him and good size with good mobility and a great skillset and those are attributes that he is going to be able to use to limit the other teams time and space defensively.”
Mason continued: “With Ben, one of the things I saw and really liked when I was watching him in the NCAA and ECHL, was that he goes to the hard areas to score.
“A lot of production comes from that area right in front of the net and he is not afraid to get in there, establish his presence and work pucks past the goalie.
“Ben has a lot of skill and can play that way too and he is mobile enough to get in the zone and create plays and turn pucks over, but his size also allows him to go straight to the net and be a danger there too.
“So, he also fits in perfectly to this type of team where we want to be mobile and limit other teams time and space with the puck.
“He will be a key player for us and he is someone that is very hungry and given the opportunity to establish himself a bit more offensively, he can do that and be consistent then I am confident that he will be a great player for us.”
Once he had sealed his first move to Europe, an excited Ben added: “I am extremely happy and excited to be joining the Stars.
“I Chose to come to Dundee because I feel like it is a good fit for me and I have always wanted to take my hockey career to Europe and I know this is going to be an incredible experience.
The Canadian then shared his first thoughts on what to expect when he makes his Elite League debut in September and what type of player, Stars fans can expect to see.
He said: “Honestly, I am not really sure what to expect.
“It will definitely be different than hockey in North America but I am excited to see what the future brings in Scotland.”
Ben continued: “I am a speedy and skilled forward, I can get in fast on the forecheck and create turnovers and I can use my speed and skill to open up the ice and create plays.”
Sokay also admitted that he spoke to friend of his who currently play in the Elite League.
“I do have a buddy that plays for Coventry and I have reached out to him quite a bit during this process.
“He has nothing but good things to say about the league and Dundee which had helped lead me to making my decision”, said Ben.
Finally, Sokay shared a message for all the fans in Dundee and he said: “I cannot wait to come to Scotland and meet all of you!
”Lets have some fun this year!”
In his career so far, Ben has featured in 339 matches, scored 91 goals, assisted 102 times, and has collected 148 penalty minutes, whilst also making 13 playoff appearances and collecting 10 points (7G, 3A) and 2 penalty minutes.
Ben is our 14th signing of the summer and joins Drydn Dow, Craig Garrigan, Philippe Sanche, Chris Gerrie, Brython Preece, Mac Howlett, Toms Rutkis, Kris Inglis, Carter Folk, Elijiah Barriga, Ryan Verrier, Fabrizio Ricci and Devon Daniels on the roster for next season.
You can get your season tickets to watch these 14 players and the rest of the team in the 2022-2023 campaign by contacting: [email protected]
Sokay will again wear the #24 Stars jersey next season.
To view Ben’s career stats on Elite Prospects click HERE.
Banner Image: Niagara University Athletics.
Featured Image: Niagara University Athletics.
