'˜Tough cookie' Cameron excited for Flyers debut

The club’s latest arrival flew in from the US in time for Monday’s match against Braehead Clan Fife Ice Arena, but a delayed ITC card due to the New Year holidays meant he could only watch as his new team mates went down 4-1 to their west coast rivals.

Despite the result, the 27-year-old was impressed with the standard of play, as well as the atmosphere in the barn, and he is eager to take his place on the ice against Manchester Storm in this weekend’s double header.

“It was definitely exciting - the fans are great, and real loud,” Cameron said.

“I always thought about coming over to this league so it felt like a good opportunity and that this was a good place to play with a great history. I just want to be a part of that.

“It’s bigger ice, so that’s exciting, and I feel like there’s a lot of good guys in this team and good players.

“Coming from the ECHL, it’s definitely similar - a tough game with lots of hitting, skilled players and goals scored - and it’s exciting to be a part of it.”

Cameron, who played in Poland last season but has spent most of his career in North America, revealed that he was attracted to Scotland due to family ancestory as his grandfather hails from Edinburgh.

“It’s my first time over here so I’m pretty excited to see what it’s all about,” he said.

“The Cameron last name started here so maybe I’ll meet some family I’ve never met.

“It definitely helped my decision to come here.”

According to hockey website Elite Prospects, Cameron has developed a reputation as a ‘tough cookie’, as well as a fast skater, willing to crash the net and agitate the opposition.

“I’m an offensive player - a passer, shooter, and powerplay guy,” he explained. “I feel like I’ll bring good energy, and I like to use my speed when I can. I just try to chip in where I can.

“I haven’t really thought about my role too much - I’ll go wherever the coach wants me.

“But I feel like we’ve got a solid team here, and I’m excited to be a part of it and to get out there playing with the boys.”

Cameron will find more than a few familiar faces in the Flyers dressing room - he iced with Shane Owen in Utah in 2011, and has been on opposing sides against Ric Jackman and Matt Sisca.

“It made it easier because I can ask them what they thought about Fife, and when they told me what to expect, I was pretty excited to get here,” he said.

“I know what Owey can do - good goalies win championships - so I knew there was a good backbone in this team.”

Cameron certainly has a pedigree which suggests he can be a success in Kirkcaldy.

In 2007, he was drafted to the Los Angeles Kings in the third round, which he described as a big career highlight, before switching to the Calgary Flames for three years.

“I played for the farm team in the minors the whole time,” he said. “I didn’t get any regular season games in the NHL but I played around 50 exhibition games with four different NHL teams, so I definitely got a taste for it.”

Cameron’s best season to date came in the OHL in 2009-10 when he scored an impressive 53 goals in 62 regular season games for Barrie Colts.

He spent the first half of the current season in the ECHL with Atlanta Gladiators, but as with any player who moves mid-season, things were not working out.

“I had an injury back where I was playing and missed a month and a bit,” he revealed. “After that, I felt like I didn’t get back in the line-up the way I felt I deserved to be.

“This opportunity came up and I felt like it was a good chance for me and I wanted to see what it was like down here. I feel like it’s a good set up here and I think I’ll fit in just right.”