Recruitment frustrations for Fife Flyers

He adds the uncertainty of when next season may start – if at all – is one that he has to take into account when speaking to prospective players.

“There’s a number of scenarios being thrown around,” he said.

“It would be nice to have a crystal ball and say, yeah, this is what’s going to happen.

“We could be looking at an October start, but we could also be looking at the reality of a season not going ahead at all. That’s frightening.

“But how are we going to get people into the building safely? In our changing room the guys are right beside each other so there is no social distancing there.

“We’re talking 20-30 families in that changing room.

“I was originally thinking about it in terms of getting a fanbase inside the Fife Ice Arena, which is crucial to our survival, but you also have to take the players’ concerns into it as well.

“Being on top of each other, being confined to a bus to Guildford – if one person is infected we’re all going to be.

“The logistics of it right now aren’t making a lot of sense although it’s a sport that people are passionate about and love.

“We’re in a situation right now where we’re going to have to lay down some firm guidance.”

The EIHL season ended abruptly when the country went into lockdown following the COVID-19 outbreak with Flyers in bottom place.

Looking back ‘Dutes’ calls the season “incredibly frustrating” but admits he would have liked to finish it off.

“Obviously the season came to an abrupt end and, regardless of the finishing position, it would have been nice to have closure for all the players, teams and fans involved,” he said.

“There was a huge effort on the part of the organisation to get our guys home as quickly and safely as possible because the situation escalated quite quickly.

“It was a difficult task but we managed to do it quite safely.

“Since then, like everybody else, there have been a lot of unknowns but there are always things going on behind the scenes.

“I’ve been trying to keep in touch with guys and keep my finger on the pulse.

“But, without a firm start date and an assurance that the season is going ahead, we’re in a little bit of a holding pattern.

“We’re making sure we’re keeping abreast of the situation and keeping in touch with guys.”

Despite all the uncertainty Dutes says he’s still hard at work.

“You’re constantly being updated, with players, by agents, you’re talking to your own contacts and your guys.

“You know that there is a group of guys right now that want to sign regardless of them knowing what’s going on, a start date and how many weeks a season is.

“Then there’s another group of players saying hold on a second here; I need some straight answers before I make a decision to come to Europe.

“So we’re seeing both sides of it now. There needs to be some solid answers before some of the guys that we are seeing will want to come in.”

One player who won’t be on the Flyers roster next season is Scott Aarssen who has announced his retirement.

Dutiaume paid tribute to the defenceman, saying it was “a great experience” to have worked with him.

“I can’t say enough positive things about Scott,” he says

“Not just as a player and what he contributed to Fife Flyers on the ice, but as a person he and his entire family were a wonderful group.

“He was a class act on and off the ice.

“It’s unfortunate because I knew about the retirement so there were plans in place to do something for him at a home game.

“ It would have been a nice send off for a man that no-one inn ice hockey has a bad word to say about.”

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