Fife Flyers: five talking points from Fife Flyers’ first game of new hockey season

Here are our five takeaways from the opening game of a new ice hockey season in Kirkcaldy:

Reigniting the fan base:

Almost 2000 people rinkside at Fife Ice Arena on Saturday was a great start. The attendance was up on last season’s low base, and significantly so, and there was a good buzz around the building - but there are still empty seats to fill. Let’s make that happen.

Fans have traditionally turned out in good number for the opening games, but then drifted away and, in recent seasons, become increasingly rare visitors. By general consensus, they liked what they saw at Tom Coolen’s first game in charge, so hopes will be high they will be rinkside more often as the Challenge Cup and league get underway.

Reinvigorating the fan base is a key priority this season. A winning team that plays with flair and a bit of grit makes that job so much easier, but the club has to be visible across the community, and indeed the region, so getting the players out and about to wherever people are is essential.

A new start is underway. Getting new, and lapsed, fans through the door only help spark the great match night atmosphere the rink is renowned for.

Making his mark:

Tom Coolen has certainly made a positive impression since arriving in town last week. He brought to Kirkcaldy a CV that spans the NHL, Olympics and world championships as well countless travels across the globe. He has a fund of stories and contacts in equal measure - and has a real passion for the sport and coaching.

He’s engaged with fans and media alike, and a winning start to the EIHL campaign is next on his radar. If he can do that then he will have a platform to build on this autumn, and push the team back up the standings.

Stars’ rivalry:

Could this be the season the Fife-Dundee explodes once more? Stars’ gritty, physical approach certainly gave Saturday’s friendly an edge. Once things get really competitive, these games could be lively, and that can only be good for the box office.

I suspect Fife fans will relish winding up their tough guys Sean Allan and Johnny Walker - the latter had an eventful friendly. He was at the centre of every flashpoint, was more than happy to find an opportunity to drop his gloves, and spent his double minor in the sin bin bumping his gums.

File under ‘character’ -Stars fans will love him, everyone else will scream blue murder every time his fuse is lit, and I suspect it will be. That said, the boy can play ...

Icing the Brits:

The departures of Bari McKenzie, Reece Cochrane and Scott Henderson gave the new coach a challenge of finding replacements - and then integrating them into the line-up to give the roster the depth it needs across the season.

Pre-season is the perfect time to let Brodie Kay, James Spence and Fynn Page show Coolen what they can do. Coolen has watched them all through fresh eyes, and it will be interesting to see how he deploys them. A solid home-based corp is key to getting through the demands of a long season.

First impressions:

The fans wanted a team that skated well and competed - and they got that on Saturday. If that’s the baseline, then the road ahead could hold great promise.

Of course, previous line-ups had played with flair and off the cuff in the opening games before then struggling, so much depends on how Flyers perform after post-season is done and dusted,

Lucas Chiodo, Max Humitz, and Kyle Osterberg were among those who impressed on Saturday - to pick three names from conversations rinkside. It’s good see a wee buzz around the rink once again. New season, new start.