New Braehead Clan signing Harry Quast says he can’t wait to hit the ice this weekend as he embarks on a new chapter in his career.
The 25-year-old is preparing for his Elite League debut against Dundee Stars on Saturday and has spent the week settling into life in Glasgow.
“I had an opportunity to go back to Manchester Monarchs for the full season, but decided to try my hand at something else and I took this option,” Quast said.
“I was given the opportunity to come here to play for Braehead for the rest of the year and decided it was too good to turn down.
“I felt like I was ready to come over and help the team win, so I was happy to get on a plane and come to Scotland.
“It’s been a whirlwind couple of days and it’s been everything I could dream for so far. There had been a lot of travel plans as well with what I needed to pack and what I had to leave at home.
“It was hectic, what with Thanksgiving in the States last week, but I flew out of New York on Sunday night. I’m still catching up with jet lag since then, but I’ve spent the week settling in.
“My early impression of life here has been a good one. The support has been good and the organisation has been top notch and I can’t wait to see the fans on Saturday night.
“I’m looking forward to Saturday a lot. It’s been a little while since I was involved in a game, so I’ll be glad to get a game under my belt and hopefully get a win.
“I’ll be very excited to see the Purple Army and what they’re all about as I’ve heard a lot about how great the fanbase is.
“As a hockey player, there’s nothing more exciting than playing at home in a game with a new team.”
Belfast Giants end their seven-game road trip this weekend in Scotland, facing Fife Flyers on Saturday before meeting Edinburgh Capitals at Murrayfield the following day.
Forward Adam Keefe says the team are desperate to put last week’s disappointing 5-1 defeat at Manchester Storm behind them.
“This weekend we need to play fast and get back to the basics,” said Keefe.
“We need to outwork teams and we were outworked on Saturday in Manchester. It was unacceptable and we know that as a team – the players know that first and foremost.
“It’s time to write a wrong and that’s what we’re looking to do. We’ve had a good week of practice and are feeling good going into this weekend.
“The way it is now – every weekend is really important in this league with how tight and close the league is. Cardiff are slipping away from everyone, so we need to take as many points off them as we can.
“This weekend is a little bit tougher with the travel. Fife is a tough arena to go into – we will worry about them first and take it one period and one shift at a time and try to out work them – that is the goal right now.”
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Saturday
Braehead Clan v Dundee Stars
Cardiff Devils v Edinburgh Capitals
Fife Flyers v Belfast Giants
Manchester Storm v Coventry Blaze
Nottingham Panthers v Sheffield Steelers
Sunday
Coventry Blaze v Manchester Storm
Dundee Stars v Braehead Clan
Edinburgh Capitals v Belfast Giants
Sheffield Steelers v Nottingham Panthers
(Image permissions: Al Goold Photo & Press Eye).
