Vaive, Schultz return to Cyclones

Action photos of Justin Vaive and Jesse Schultz

Cincinnati, Ohio - The Cincinnati Cyclones have re-signed captain and player/assistant coach Justin Vaive, along with 2019 ECHL Most Valuable Player Jesse Schultz, to contracts for the 2021-22 ECHL season.Vaive returns to the Cincinnati for his seventh season in a Cyclones’ jersey, and his fourth while serving as either captain or an alternate captain. He spent the 2020-21 season with Fort Wayne, capturing a Kelly Cup with the Komets while posting six points in 13 playoff games and 18 points in 47 regular-season contests.The 32-year-old enters his 11th pro season, having split time between both the ECHL and American Hockey League, including the bulk of the 2016-17 season with Cincinnati’s AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans.Joining Vaive is veteran forward Jesse Schultz, who skated in 18 games for Greenville this past season. Schultz, 38, has clicked at over a point-per-game pace in his three previous seasons with the Cyclones, tallying 219 points (65g-154a) across 205 regular season games.Schultz enters his 19th professional campaign in a career that spans over 1,100 games across eight different countries. His highlight in Cincinnati came in 2018-19, where an 80-point regular season earned him the ECHL MVP award.