The 2013 SPHL President's Cup Champion Pensacola Ice Flyers have acquired defenseman Drew Baker from the Bloomington Thunder in exchange for forward Ron Cramer. "Drew will have a positive impact on our hockey club," said Ice Flyers head coach Rod Aldoff. "This is a great acquisition for us as he has proven himself to be one of the best defensemen in the league. I look for him to be a leader on our blue line and to contribute at both ends of the rink night in and night out." Baker is a native of Dawsonville, Georgia who stands 6' 2", weighs 210 lbs. and shoots right. He spent the majority of last season with the SPHL's Augusta RiverHawks where he played in 54 games, had 21 points (8 goals, 13 assists), 66 penalty minutes, and a +4 plus/minus rating. He had two separate call ups to the Greenville Road Warriors and the Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL in which he played a total of 4 games and had 10 penalty minutes as well as a +1. Baker was named the SPHL's Easton Player of the Week for the week of March 11-17, 2013. During that time span, he played in 3 games and had 6 points (5 goals, 1 assist), 7 penalty minutes, and a +10 plus/minus. During the 2011-12 season, Baker played for the RiverHawks when they won the William B. Coffey Trophy as the SPHL's regular season champions. In 56 regular season games he put up 27 points (8 goals, 19 assists), 135 penalty minutes, and a +19. "Our fans in Pensacola will love Drew's style of play as he possesses both a skilled and an aggressive element to his game," Aldoff commented. "I look forward to seeing him in an Ice Flyers' jersey and working with him this season."
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Ice Flyers Acquire Defenseman Drew Baker from the Bloomington Thunder