Edinburgh-based Jeff Hutchins (pictured) has been confirmed as assistant coach and head of player development to Fife Flyers for a sixth season, joining head coach Todd Dutiaume behind the bench.

Club legend Dutiaume leads the team for the 17th consecutive season and Canada-born Hutchins, a former Edinburgh Capitals forward, said: “I am very much looking forward to returning and putting a team back on the ice after such a difficult year for everyone involved in the Fife Flyers organisation and around the world in hockey.

“We hope to build a team with great strength in depth for the coming season that will win games and compete with the very best in the Elite League. We have seen in previous years how anyone can beat anyone on a given night and we need to be at that level every single game night.

“As a club we are working to ensure that hockey is a safe environment for everyone at Fife and I cannot wait to see the fans back in the arena once more.”

Dutiaume said: “This has been a long time coming but I cannot wait to finally get behind that bench again at the Fife Ice Arena and put a winning team on the ice.

“The past year has been incredibly difficult for our loyal fanbase and it will be a special moment when we can hear that unique atmosphere in Kirkcaldy again when the season gets going once more.

“We have been working behind the scenes to get a winning team on ice. There is no hiding from our performance last time out, so it is so important that we hit the ground running and have a team that is capable of competing night in, night out. I know everyone will be keen to hear who we have coming in, watch this space.

“As we are working to put a competitive team on the ice, we will also work to ensure that everyone in the arena is safe, we want to make hockey in Fife a safe environment for everyone and we are determined to make that happen.”

Website | + posts

Experienced news, business, arts, sport and travel journalist. Food critic and managing editor of a well-established food and travel website. Also a magazine editor of publications with circulations of up to 200,000 and managing director of a long-established PR/marketing company with a string of blue-chip clients in its CV. Former communications lecturer at a Scottish university and social media specialist for a string of successful and busy SMEs.