British Ice Hockey Roundup: ‘Tough’ to lift short-benched Glasgow Clan, Dyson Stevenson says
The Glasgow Clan’s season took a turn for the worse, with back-to-back defeats to the Manchester Storm and Coventry Blaze compounded by media comments from behind the bench.
The Glasgow Clan’s season took a turn for the worse, with back-to-back defeats to the Manchester Storm and Coventry Blaze compounded by media comments from behind the bench. Shortly after the final buzzer sounded on the Braehead Arena club’s loss to the Storm, associate coach Dyson Stevenson bemoaned the lack of depth at his disposal.
“It’s tough [to lift the locker room] because we’re playing short-benched and have been all year,” explained the 29-year-old Canadian. “I’ve been on the horn, calling ten players every day, but something happens every time we’re close to a signing. It’s been really frustrating. We just need a full lineup – and we haven’t had one in months.”
Despite opening the week with a hard-fought win over the Dundee Stars, the Clan remain bottom of the Elite League with a minus-49 goal difference and just six wins on the season.
Dyson Stevenson’s side are also in a world of pain off the ice.
They lost Nolan LaPorte to the Slovak Extraliga last month, doubling the damage inflicted by Mathieu Roy’s switch to the ECHL.
Clearly, the promise of a takeover looms large — with Dyson Stevenson’s squad no closer to receiving the support they need from the boardroom.
Elsewhere in the Elite League, the Guildford Flames recorded a four-point weekend to vault the Sheffield Steelers into top spot. The Belfast Giants also punched their ticket to the final four of the Challenge Cup with a comeback win over the Nottingham Panthers.
In the National League, the Leeds Knights reinforced their lead at the top of the table with a pair of emphatic wins over the Bristol Pitbulls.