Fife Flyers turn to fans’ favourite Chase Schaber to kick-start their season
Fife Flyers have turned to a fans’ favourite to kick-start their season.
Chase Schaber is set to make a surprise return to the line-up.
In 2020, the Canadian forward, often regarded as the heartbeat of the dressing-room, ended a four-year spell with the club after a frustrating time battling serious injury and concussion.
He opted for a fresh start with German tier three side, Deggendorfer SC.
He iced in 31 games with the Bavarian team, scoring 43 points.
Flyers are now looking to him to bring some dynamism to a line-up that has struggled to score goals or win games since the sport returned from lockdown.
With a deal to secure his return concluded, the club is working to get him into town as quickly as possible to bolster the team’s confidence - and get his own game sharpness back after the sport’s hiatus.
Todd Dutiaume, head coach, said: “With Chase in the line-up we instantly become a stronger team.
“He has more than proven that he is capable of producing offence at this level, strengthens us up the middle and is a strong skating two-way player.”
Schaber’s upbeat approach will certainly have a positive impact on the dressing-room, but expectations will now be high that he delivers the type of finishing which saw him net 140 points in 175 games.
The challenge ahead of him is stepping back into an EIHL where the pace has picked up considerably - and into a line-up that has yet to win a game and, in Belfast on Sunday, registered zero shots on goal in a period of hockey.
Dutiaume has publicly said he needs to make up to three changes in his forward line as well ass on the blue line.
This week saw the departure of Swedish skater Isak Adelgran for private family reasons - and Flyers still have an import berth to fill.
Dutiaume said: “We have a way to go on building this squad to the point where we want to be, but this is a key part in moving forward.
“We are committed to getting him into the line-up as quickly as possible to bolster confidence and allow Chase to improve his conditioning and find his game legs.”
Flyers face a tough weekend double header against Manchester Storm.
The teams meet in Altrincham on Saturday, and then at Fife Ice Arena on Sunday.