Ice hockey – Hartmann warns Clan

Richard Hartmann has warned Braehead Clan not to underestimate Edinburgh Capitals on Saturday (6pm)

Hartmann was head coach of the Capitals for four years and Clan’s assistant coach told his men to forget that the Edinburgh club prop up the 12-strong Elite League.

The coach knows Capitals are difficult to play at Murrayfield because of their big ice surface.

Clan have misfired recently but Hartmann noted an improvement against Sheffield and Belfast and urged his men to take the positives from that.

The Glasgow side only have one game this weekend and Hartmann believes a win could turn a corner for the club.

Czech defenceman Michal Gutwald, a 24-year-old from Slany in the Czech Republic, should make his debut for the Glasgow side after being signed in mid-week.

Clan coach John Tripp said: “We’ve been looking at various different options for a while now and when Michal became available we decided to make a move.

“He’s a big body and we’ve been looking for some size to go at the backend, he’s young, wants to win and that’s something we’ve been looking to add.”

Tripp also confirmed that the signings may not stop there with the Clan looking to make further changes following their inconsistent start to the season.

He added: “I said after Sunday’s game that we obviously aren’t happy with where we are at. We are always looking for the players that we believe can make this team better.”