Fife Flyers add fourth Kazakhstan import as coach rebuilds team for new season

Defenceman Madi Dikhanbek joins three line-mates from Continental Cup winners, Nomas Astana, as head coach Tom Coolen continues to ring the changes for the 2024-25 campaign. The 23-year old will join forwards Artur Gatiyatov, Maxim Musorov and Nikolai Shulga in Kirkcaldy, with the quartet expected to arrive in August for pre-season training camp.

Dikhanbek played his junior hockey in Astana whilst representing his country at the U18 World Championships where he was an alternative captain, and then alongside Musorov again in the under-20 world championships. He has played almost 200 games over the last four seasons in the Kazakhstan Hockey Championship and has represented Kazakhstan at senior international level at the last two World Championships.

Coolen, who is looking to build a defensive unit which moves, and manages, the puck quicker under pressure, said: “Madi is a young and hungry defender with top international experience. He is looking to grow his game and will fit well with Flyers.”

The coach is spending summer back in Canada building his roster which is taking on a whole new look as he seeks to push the club on to the next level. Netminder Shane Owen and forward Lucas Chiodo are the only import returnees confirmed so far, although others are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

A number of players from last season have yet to announce their plans, but the club have lost the services of star forward Kyle OSterberg who has joined Belfast Giants, while defencemen Sean Giles and Aleksi Makela have moved on to play in Germany and Poland respectively - Giles signing for second tier team, Eisbären Regensburg, with Makela going to JKS Jastrzebie.

Veteran Swedish forward Johan Erikkson has also gone to Germany where he will ice in the third tier with IceFighters Leipzig. New faces for next season include defenceman Olivier LeBlanc, and forwards Michael Cichy, Martin Latal, and Phélix Martineau.