The Alaska Aces have added a ring collector to their mix – former Aces defenseman Patrick Wellar is headed back to Anchorage as the club's player-assistant coach.
Wellar owns four championships – three ECHL Kelly Cups, including one with the Aces (2006) and an American Hockey League Calder Cup.
Wellar, 31, spent last season with ECHL Utah as a player-assistant coach. For the Aces, he steps in to help coach Rob Murray after longtime assistant coach Louis Mass this summer moved over to UAA as an assistant.
Wellar also won the Kelly Cup in 2009 with the South Carolina Stingrays, who defeated the Aces in Game 7 at Sullivan Arena. Next, Wellar won the Calder Cup with the Hershey Bears in 2010. Then he won yet another Kelly Cup with the Reading Royals in 2013.
Wellar played two seasons with the Aces – 2005-06 and 2006-07. The Aces made it to the conference finals in his second season here. They were eliminated by the eventual Kelly Cup champion Idaho Steelheads.
Pencil in Wellar as a stay-at-home defenseman who will likely get penalty-killing duties.
Wellar has played 675 regular-season games as a pro and another 134 playoff games. Last season for Utah, he went 2-10—12 and plus-2 in 60 games.
Also, he's a total pro – accountable, even-keeled and a guy who answers questions straight-up.
UPDATE: Spoke with Wellar on the phone a few moments ago. Here are some tidbits from that conversation:
On returning to Aces and Anchorage: "I'm pretty over the moon about it. I loved it so much up there.''
On staying motivated after winning four rings: "After you've done it (once), it's all you can think about, and all you want to do.''
On playing here: "Two of my favorite years ever. I tell that to everyone who asks about Alaska. They're so intrigued by it.''
Check back later at adn.com/sports for more on Wellar returning to Alaska.