Haden, 27, most recently iced with the Manchester Storm, where he recorded 53 points in 65 combined games and helped the club reach the Playoff Weekend in Nottingham for the first time in franchise history.
A veteran of more than 200 EIHL appearances, Haden previously played two seasons with the Glasgow Clan, having joined the Braehead side ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. He led the Clan in points, goals and assists during both seasons, registering 122 points in 140 total appearances.
Following the 2023/24 campaign, he was named to the EIHL All-Star Second Team after recording 56 points in 54 games, and finished tied for fourth in league scoring with 27 goals alongside former Star Ryan Valentini.
After departing Glasgow, Haden would go on to spend time with the Florida Everblades (ECHL) and Lausitzer Füchse (DEL2), before returning to the EIHL with Manchester last season.
Prior to turning professional, he spent one season with the University of Alberta (USports), recording 21 points in 20 regular-season games. He added a further eight points in seven playoff appearances to help the Golden Bears capture the Canada West Championship and earn a place on the Canada West All-Rookie Team.
After putting pen to paper in Dundee, Haden said:
“I’m very excited to get to Dundee and get started. I’ve been in the rink many times, and the fans bring a lot of passion and emotion.
“Games in Dundee can turn pretty quickly. I’m hoping that’s the case this year when the fans get behind us and we can ride that momentum to a successful season.”
On his past experience with Head Coach Scott Dutertre:
“Being a Western Canadian guy, Scott and I have crossed paths before, whether that was when I was playing in the WHL or when he was in Tulsa trying to get me to go down there.”
Finally, Haden shared what he’s hoping to achieve this season in Dundee:
“Obviously it was a successful season in Manchester, making the final weekend for the first time in the club’s history.
“Having the taste of that, it’s something I want every year. I’m hoping to bring that experience to Dundee and help make that happen with the Stars.”
Head Coach Scott Dutertre on finally landing Haden:
“Gary’s a guy I’ve been trying to recruit for a number of years. I remember him from the WHL, where he always seemed to have success against my team.”
“He’s an opportunistic shooter. A lot of players might not get the puck to the net, but Gary keeps things simple. If there isn’t a play to be made, he gets the puck to the net, and even when he doesn’t score himself, he creates great secondary opportunities.”
Haden is our 9th signing of the summer, joining Josh Nelson, Jonathan McBean, Ben Brown, Travis Ewanyk, Keaton Jameson, Craig Moore, Evan Brand and Tyson Laventure on next season’s roster.
You can see Gary’s complete career history and statistics by clicking HERE!
Fans are able to hear more from Gary and Scott in an exclusive interview on Stars TV, available now, with more signing news to follow in the coming days.
