Ice hockey – Pacha gets his skates on

Dundee Stars coach Omar Pacha makes his debut for the injury-hit club this weekend.

The 30-year-old’s has so far played 193 games in British ice hockey for Hull Stingrays and Manchester Storm.

And Pacha has claimed 24 goals and 60 assists for 84 points.

The defenceman from Boucherville, Canada, who has also played in the Central Hockey League in North America, makes his comeback as the Tayside club look to snap a three-game league losing streak.

They are second-bottom of the 12-strong Elite League with three points from six games and face an Elite league double-header against Coventry Blaze.

The first game is in Coventry on Saturday with the return in Dundee 24-hours later.

Meanwhile, Milton Keynes Lightning have left nothing to chance ahead of their Scottish triple-header at Fife, Braehead and Edinburgh.

Their Scottish-born coach Peter Russell travelled up on Thursday with the squad.

The first clash is at Kirkcaldy against Flyers on Friday (7.30) followed by Clan on Saturday (7pm) and against Capitals on Sunday (6pm).

Edinburgh-based Jeff Hutchins, Fife’s assistant coach, said: “Bus legs won’t be an issue.”

Flyers are at full-strength and Hutchins said Lightning were a young, energetic team, something like Fife.

He added: “They have come up early and will want to start the first of the three games with a win.

“Our job is to jump on them early and dictate the pace of the game and be physical.

“They have some experienced players but Fife can be an intimidating place.”

Former Fife defenceman Matt Nickerson is in the opposition line-up but Hutchins said: “He was here two years ago but we have moved on as a club.

“They have firepower in Guillaume Doucet and Denny Kearney and we have to be careful but we’ve done our homework.”