Fife Flyers

Mike Alexander, aka Mike A on THF previews Flyers inaugural Elite League season

The 2011/12 season marks a return to the professional ranks for the Fife Flyers, the oldest hockey club in the UK. It’s a welcome return to the professional game for a club that looked unlikely to survive much longer at an amateur level. The news that Fife will be in the EIHL has created a real buzz around Kirkcaldy and hopefully the raucous crowds and atmosphere of a few years ago will return.

Fife have a long winning tradition at every level they’ve played at, and while Flyers fans are not expecting any silverware this season, there is an expectation that the team will be competitive. At the moment with only a handful of signings announced, it’s difficult to comment on how the team will fare this season. From my experience watching Fife over the last 15 years, I don’t expect them to be the league’s whipping boys.

Todd Dutiaume returns as player/coach, having been a Flyer since midway through the 1998/99 season. At 38 years old and having played fewer games over the last few seasons, it’s difficult to judge exactly how he will fare in the EIHL. I’m confident that he’ll still be a big contributor as a player as well as a coach. Early in his Flyers career, he was a speedy scoring winger, but he possesses a strong two-way game and a great work ethic. He keeps himself in great shape, and I’m sure he’s extremely fired up for the challenges of the EIHL. It’s likely that he’ll play on the 3rd line, but he hasn’t lost his scoring touch so he’ll chip in valuable points as well as running things from the bench.

New import forward Matt Siddall looks promising. Apparently a target of the Belfast Giants, the 6’1”, 205lb forward scored 44 points in 66 games for the Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL last season, while spending 164 minutes in the penalty box. Fife have never gone for out and out enforcers, so it’s fair to say Siddall will be relied upon for his point production first, and his ability to protect his teammates second. His stats seem to show he has the potential to put up big numbers in the UK. Danny Stewart brings EIHL experience, as well as a tough, gritty game to Fife, but having never seen him play I’ll reserve judgement until I do. The consensus from EIHL fans is that he’s a solid 2nd or 3rd liner who plays hard and can chip in points. The only confirmed defenceman on the roster is Kirkcaldy native Kyle Horne, who spent the last 5 seasons playing for the Edinburgh Capitals. One of the top British defencemen around, Horne brings valuable EIHL experience and a solid all-round game to the Flyers’ blueline.

It’s difficult to comment on how the rest of the roster will look due to Fife’s traditionally late signing announcements. What I would expect is a good number of solid young Brits who have been developing over the last few years. Tom Muir, Jamie Wilson, Steven Gunn, Steven McAlpine and many others will most likely be kept in the squad, and it’s possible that the more experienced Brits like Steven King, Andy Samuel and Steven Lynch will be as well. Only Wilson (as Captain) and McAlpine have been confirmed so far. I suspect Fife’s Brits will be integrated onto lines with imports, as Dutiaume seems to prefer a balanced lineup. There’s great potential in some of the young Brits, and playing with experienced imports can only help them. It may be something of a baptism of fire for them though, only time can tell.

I don’t expect Fife to start the season with a full import quota, but I expect their remaining import signings to be of a good quality. Former Flyers coach Mark Morrison spent the last few seasons as head coach of the Victoria Salmon Kings in the ECHL, and I doubt Matt Slddall is the only former Salmon King who will be joining Fife this year. Morrison’s network of contacts may prove very useful, as he was always able to sign quality imports during the BNL days.

Having not watched any EIHL hockey since the EIHL/BNL crossover games, it’s difficult to judge the rest of the league. The incomplete rosters of certain teams, including Fife, makes it even more difficult. There are some familiar names, and from looking at the rosters and stats, it looks like Belfast have an extremely strong roster. The “big” teams look pretty strong, but most of my predictions are based on statistics and guesswork. What I do know is that I’m very much looking forward to watching professional hockey again, and getting to know the characters of the EIHL. I believe the Flyers will be competitive, but I’m going to keep my predictions for them reasonably conservative, so that I may be pleasantly surprised.

1 – Belfast Giants
2 – Cardiff Devils
3 – Coventry Blaze
4 – Nottingham Panthers
5 – Sheffield Steelers
6 – Fife Flyers
7 – Braehead Clan
8 – Dundee Stars
9 – Hull Stingrays
10 – Edinburgh Capitals