Defenceman Simon Després, who has previously iced for Nottingham Panthers and Glasgow Clan, has put pen to paper for Fife Flyers.

The 34-year-old former National Hockey League draft pick arrives with Fife having failed to win in 14 games, but the newcomer is up for the challenge to turn rock-bottom Fife’s fortunes around.

Indeed, he was a former Round One, 30th overall, round draft pick with Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 before making 222 appearances in the NHL with Penguins and Anaheim Ducks.

The 6ft 4in, Canadian-born player registered 50 points from seven goals and 43 assists in the world’s top league and Fife bosses describe Despres as “a highly-experienced player”.

Quebec-born Despres has also iced in the American Hockey League (AHL) and he is well travelled with experience in numerous top leagues in Europe.

Despres’ first taste of the Elite League came in the Lace City where he played 44 games for Panthers in season 2023-24, scoring two goals and assisting in ten other strikes.

He then moved to Braehead for the 2024-25 season and he made 52 appearances for Clan, scoring six goals and assisting on 23 other occasions.

Despres arrives in the Kingdom after playing nine games with Saint-Hyacinthe Batallion in the Ligue Nord-Americaine de Hockey, a semi-professional league in Quebec.

The ambitious player stressed he had signed to help lift the Kirkcaldy combine off the bottom of the ten-strong Elite League and, eventually, make the play-offs.

Currently, Fife have one point from ten games. To make the play-offs the Fife side have to at least make the top eight in the division and Guildford Flames occupy that position meantime with eight points from nine starts.

Despres declared: “I’m a very competitive guy and I’m embracing the challenge presented in front of me of turning this boat around and bringing it to the final four weekend in Nottingham.”

Jamie Russell, Fife’s head coach, said: “Simon will step in and give us a veteran presence and will add experience to our back end.

“He knows the league and should have a seamless transition.”

FOCUS: Jamie Russell on the Fife bench at Coventry last Sunday. Courtesy of the Elite League and taken by Scott Wiggins