Fife Flyers: retro night adds to rinkside buzz as in-form team targets play-off spot

They have six games left to secure a top eight finish, and with five on home ice they are set for bumper crowds at Fife Ice Arena.

Flyers have just one game to focus on this weekend, Sunday’s visit from Belfast Giants – their Retro Night when the team will play in replicas of the 1938 tops.

They go into the game with a healthy roster and on a high after back to back road wins in Nottingham and Cardiff.

Sunday’s 24-hour round trip to Wales yielded a 4-3 penalty shoot out victory, and two precious points, and while Flyers have played more games, the gap with their play-off rivals will close this weekend to set up a thrilling finale.

The form book for the last five games puts Fife in the top two in the EIHL with nine points from ten - a spot they share with Manchester Storm – but that run started at the beginning of 2024 and it as seen Tom Coolen’s team generate significant momentum.

“It makes my job a lot more fun,” he admitted. “It’s all about feeling positive about yourself and your game. There is a real jump in their step which is good to see - they believe in what they can do, and they feel good, but we still have to take care of business.”

Flyers can again empty the tanks against Giants with no other game to worry about, and a long recovery time until Nottingham Panthers visit Kirkcaldy on Thursday, March 28.

The deposed champs from Belfast have already qualified for the play-offs and sit in third spot, but it has been a season of highs and lows for a team accustomed to sweeping all before them. They also have to travel to Fife on the back of a home game against Dundee Stars on Saturday night.

“It is going to be really interesting over the coming weeks,” said the coach. “They are all vital games right now. We know how to play against them and we will only focus on what we have to do.”

Coolen will have the luxury of a free day on Saturday to prepare his team for the game while Flyers’ play-off rivals are all in action. He has a full squad to choose from.

He also paid tribute to the fans who made the long journey to Cardiff on Sunday: “We had a great bunch with us, and must have had around 25 of them around the team bus after the game cheering and singing. It was a great feeling for the guys to know they have that backing.”

A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes with a host of school visits, and more and more new faces are filling the stands as the club rekindles the fan base. This week alone the players were at half a dozen schools – a typical midweek commitment.

Netminder Dominik Salama, and defenceman Aleksi Makela were also joined by Todd Dutiaume, who has co-ordinated much of the community engagement work, at the opening of the new Avens convenience store which sits just a slapshot away from the rink on Monday.

This weekend marks their retro night with the team donning replicas of the club’s very first strip from 1938. They will wear them for the game against Belfast Giants on Sunday, and then auction them off after the buzzer. One top will be put up as a raffle prize, while a limited replica run in all sizes will also be open to fans to buy.