Jamie Russell continues his global search for a new forward to boost his “banged up” Fife Flyers squad ahead of their tough weekend double-header.
The Canadian playcaller (pictured) argued that he can’t keep going into games short-benched. Yes, he has over 20 players on his roster, but some of them are raw young British players and Russell said the step-up for them from junior to Elite League hockey is a massive one.
Basically, they have talent, but it is too big a jump at the moment.
The coach, buoyed by Tuesday’s 4-0 shutout win at Dundee Stars in the Challenge Cup, may have one of his two injured imports in contention for a slot this weekend when Flyers make the gruelling trip to Belfast Giants on Saturday (7pm) in the same competition.
Then, they return overnight to face Glasgow Clan in the Challenge Cup on Sunday (face-off 5pm) and that’s a tough assignment.
Russell revealed: “We are looking for some guys to come in as the team is banged up. We need some help.
“Guys like Mason Alderson (a forward, aged 23), Ben Brown (a defenceman, aged 21) and Brodie Kay (defenceman, aged 19) have been terrific for us. and they are really playing well.
“I am really happy with that, but, some of the younger Great Britain-born guys are really making a big jump from junior to playing in the Elite League.
“They will take time to develop and we will give them time, we will work with them, but we have two injured imports. We may get one back this weekend, and potentially get both back next week, but we cannot keep going into games short-benched, not in this league.”
There is the travel aspect like this weekend, playing away on a Saturday and home on a Sunday, to be built into the equation plus the physicality of the world’s fastest sport, and they must be taken into account, said the coach.
He added: “It is a challenge.”
Looking back at Tuesday’s welcome win against their arch rivals on Tayside, Russell said that he was really happy with the way the team played and added: “We were not good against Belfast on Sunday, but, on Tuesday night, we lined-up short-benched but got a real bounce back.
“We were structured in the way we played, we were physical, we finished our hits and Shane Owen in goal was terrific.”
He added: “It was a really good experience to come away with a win, really positive, and we worked hard to get a result which was really gratifying.”
Now the 59-year-old coach wants to see more of that structure, coupled with the same grit and determination, at the weekend as his men look to climb the four-strong Challenge Cup section and into a challenging position to claim a slot in the next stage of the first major of the season.
