Fife Flyers: Challenge Cup hopes on the line this weekend

The club sit at the bottom of their qualifying group, but head to heads with Glasgowe Clan and Dundee Stars could shake up the standings - if they deliver a batch of points.

Flyers travel to Braehead on Saturday night before hosting Stars at Fife Ice Arena on Sunday, and need to post two solid back to back performances and find ways to win hockey games to kick-start their campaign after a testing few weeks.

Coach Tom Coolen is hopeful that team captain Olivier LeBlanc will lace up for at least part of the weekend action after a spell out injured.

“He is a gamer and a leader and a key guy in our line-up,” said Coolen. “He is also tough too.”

Forward Austin Farley will also return after a wayward stick caught him above the eye at an early face of and took him out of the weekend loss to Guildford Flames.

With cup action to the fore, Flyers can at least park their poor start to the league campaign where they, along with Stars and Clan, sit at the foot of the table. They go into the games with five points from seven games - two behind Stars, but with two games in hand. Clan sit second top on nine points, while Belfast Giants easing to the automatic qualifying spot at the top.

Coolen admits the past few weeks have been challenging,m but said: “We hit a rough spot and we are working our wat out of it.” He planned to go over video of the 7-4 loss to Flames with his players in midweek to pinpoint the errors which played a part in their home loss.

He is also looking to replace Artur Gatiyatov who was released after struggling to find his feet in British hockey.

The Kazakhstan forward managed just one point in a dozen games, and parted company after the weekend action.

“Artur was a great kid, and he came here as a top scorer in his team and the most valuable forward in the Continental Cup - that’s a good level to be at but it just didn’t figure out.

“I take responsibility for it. I’m the guy who brought him in. Knowing the league and the budget we have, we do have to think outside the box, and there are no guarantees things go as you want them to.

“I know we have to get better and I know what needs to be done - I could bring someone in tomorrow but it has to be the right guy for us, and when you only have a few moves that you can make you have to be careful.”

He also believes new centreman Ryan Foss will make an impact as he settles into the line-up.

"He gives us size in front of the net and is a good hockey player,” said the coach.

Foss was signed after Johnny Curran was put on the Injury Reserve (IR) list after after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament which will require surgery and a significant period on the sidelines.

He has taken on the role of assistant to Coolen, working with the team in training and on match nights.