Dundee Stars General Manager Omar Pacha says he wants his team to become the best in Scotland.
The Tayside team are gearing up for their first post-pandemic action when they take on Fife Flyers next week in preparation for the new season, where they’ll open the campaign against Belfast Giants.
But Pacha’s excitement for the action to finally get underway goes beyond ambitions of just reaching the play-offs.
“Obviously our main goal is to compete in the league and to make the play-offs,” he told Dundee’s Evening Telegraph.
“But there’s no secret – coming back this year, we really want to take over the Scottish market. We want to be the best team in Scotland.”
“I’m really, really excited. In all my years coaching, I think this is the most excited I’ve ever been with a hockey group.
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“We’re well-balanced, we have good toughness, which is something that was key to add – guys that can throw the body a bit more and play that hard game.
“Being able to use our home ice to our advantage was a key point for this season and being a bit bigger will help, so I’m really excited about this year.
“When we were building this team, we wanted to be competitive, we wanted to build a team that can win, but we also wanted to put a team out that the fans can get excited about and be proud of.
“Most importantly, we wanted the fans to be able to see we have a hard-working team. Those were the main aspects.
“The last few months, knowing that hockey is back have been exciting for me and for everyone connected with the club and everything now is geared towards the new season – and that first friendly with Fife Flyers on September 17.
“It’s going to be a special feeling to see the fans back and I hope it will be special for them to see these players.”
