Fife Flyers legend Steven King joins Kirkcaldy Kestrels coaching staff

King has joined Kirkcaldy Kestrels as part of the coaching team at the rink he knows so well; growing up near to it and playing there for 20 years with the Flyers.

“I lived pretty close to the ice rink and my brother and I used to go and watch the ice hockey with my mum and dad,” he says.

“My brother Derek started playing before me but we were at the ice rink all the time so we took it from there.”

King took his first steps onto the ice for Kirkcaldy Chiefs U13s and played up through all the age groups before making his Flyers debut in 1990.

“It was at the old Ayr rink at Limekiln Road,” he remembers, “I didn’t get on the ice an awful lot that day but that was when I made my debut.

“It was a different time then and there were more opportunities, but playing for the Flyers was what I aspired to do so to be able to do that was excellent.

“There were different guises, we went through different leagues, reconstruction, up and down a good few times, but I had a really good career and great times.”

In his two decades with Fife King was lucky enough to get his hands on some silverware, though he had to be patient.

“A big highlight was we won the Scottish Cup. I had been playing quite a long time with the Flyers and we hadn’t won anything but we beat a good Edinburgh team to win it.

“That was when Doug Smail and Mark Morrison were there with Ryan Kummu.

“We then had a purple patch in the late 90s/early 2000s when we had a good team and we won loads.

“We won the championships, we won the play-offs and did everything over a three to four year period. It was a good time.”

Having spent the last few years coaching with the Scotland youth set up, King is now looking forward to joining head coach Steven Wishart at the Kestrels, whilst admitting it will be a big change.

“It’s going to be different for me working with men, it’s not kids anymore.

“I’ve noticed in the past how the Scottish National League has changed with the likes of Murrayfield Racers putting in a strong team and Ayr are changing how they’re doing things.

Dumfries have come out of a stronger league and into our one but they’re wanting to push on and develop.

“It’s a big change for the Kestrels but we got to move with that change and step up to the new level for the league.”

The club has already been bolstered with the signing of Craig Chalmers from Aberdeen Lynx and King says he’s looking forward to the new season.

“Hopefully me joining might bring a bit more focus onto the Kestrels.

“It’s not the Elite League level, but it is a level where people could come and see how we’re doing.

“If I can generate a little more interest then that’s great.

“The cost of running the team is huge and the committee do a great job and Stevie Wishart puts in a lot of time and hard work to the Kestrels.

“It would be great if we could get more people along and that in turn would help us to put a product on the ice that they will like to see.”