Ice hockey – Stars turn to Fox

Dundee Stars, beaten back-to-back by Edinburgh Capitals last weekend, have turned to a former Fife Flyers star to help drag the team off the bottom of the Elite League.

Justin Fox is expected to join the Tayside team next week after completing paperwork.

And Stars coach Omar Pacha believes the 30-year-old forward from Whitby, Ontario, can be a major force for the team.

Pacha revealed that there were a number of options on the table but Fox was considered the best bet, partly because he knows the British game so well.

Belfast Giants head coach Adam Keefe will give Matt Bissonnette his debut against Fife Flyers in the Challenge Cup on Saturday in Northern Ireland.

Bissonnette has left Manchester Storm and Keefe admits he was a player he admired from previous clashes.

He said: “Once we found out that Matt was available, there was no hesitation in approaching him to come to Belfast.

“Our fans will enjoy watching Matt as he will bring size to our team as well as creativity.”

Bissonnette joined Manchester Storm for a second season during the summer and made ten appearances, scoring two and assisting in another couple.

At Braehead, Clan boss John Tripp has named Finnish forward Ville Hämäläinen as the club’s new captain.

The 36-year-old was once drafted by National Hockey League side Calgary Flames.

And he arrived in Scotland after extensive experience in European hockey, including games in the Champions Cup.

The move will allow former Fife Flyers star Brendan Brooks to now concentrate on his player assistant coaching role.

Craig Peacock will be joined by Brooks and Ryan Potulny as associate captains.