Fife Flyers coach Todd Dutiaume says there is ‘no hiding’ from their previous Elite League campaign as he begins his plans for the new season.
The top flight in ice hockey is scheduled to return in September and Dutiaume is back for his 17th year in charge of the Kirkcaldy side.
And he can’t wait to hear the sound of the Flyers faithful in the rink since the sport stopped in March 2020 due to the coronavirus lockdown.
“It has been a long time coming but I cannot wait to finally get behind that bench again at the Fife Ice Arena and put a winning team on the ice,” he said.
“The past year has been incredibly difficult for our loyal fan base and it will be a special moment when we can hear that unique atmosphere in Kirkcaldy again when the season gets going once more.
Fife Flyers coach Todd Dutiaume is taking charge for his 17th season (PHOTO: Scott Wiggins)
“We have been working behind the scenes to get a winning team on ice. There is no hiding from our performance last time out, so it’s so important that we hit the ground running and have a team that is capable of competing night in, night out.
“As we are working to put a competitive team on the ice, we will also work to ensure that everyone in the arena is safe, we want to make hockey in Fife a safe environment for everyone and we are determined to make that happen.”
Fife finished bottom of the table when the 2019/20 campaign suddenly ended and a place in the play-offs was looking precarious at the time when that season halted.
Dutiaume will again be assisted by Jeff Hutchins, who is returning for his fifth season with the club, resuming his role as director of player development as well.
“I am very much looking forward to returning and putting a team back on the ice in just a matter of months after such a difficult year for everyone involved in the Fife Flyers organisation and around the world in hockey,” Hutchins added.
“We hope to build a team with great strength in depth for the coming season that will win games and compete with the very best in the Elite League. We have seen in previous years how anyone can beat anyone on a given night and we need to be at that level every single game night.”
