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Devils Vs The Clan - Sunday 16th
Sunday night see’s the Devils in action on home Ice taking on the Braehead Clan or “Krestanovich’s Purple Army”? For the first time in the 2012/ 2013 season. The Clan widely expected to run riot in the Northern Conference will be keen to draw early blood in the league and take points off a team from the Southern Conference to give then the best shot possible at a league title.
The Clan seemed to have a fairly stable summer with only the customary departure of their player coach giving them any pause in putting together this season’s team, with Drew Bannister opting to remain in North America.
Stepping into the Player Coach roll is the Clan’s last season’s team Captain Jordan Krestanovich who has been with the Clan since season one.
Former NHL player Krestanovich has been one of Clans top players playing 43 games in the 2010/2011 season amassing 50pts, and 69pts from 50 games in 2012/2013.
Krestanovich had this to say on returning
“I had already committed to come back for a third season with Braehead. I enjoyed working with Drew Bannister last season and Bruce Richardson the season before, and the guys in the room have been first class. I have learnt a lot from working with both Bruce and Drew. Two fantastic coach’s in their own right, both with their own approach to the game
and their own style of coaching.”
“My time with the Clan has been both enjoyable and hard work at the same time, but I have always thought that eventually I would head into a coaching role be that here or elsewhere, and when I heard that Drew had left, naturally I contacted Kirsty (Longmuir) and we got chatting about what Drew’s departure meant for the Club and the team, and I expressed my interest in the role of player/coach.”
Upfront the Clan also see the return of Jade Galbraith as a “player assistant coach” Galbraith won no less than 7 awards last season. Named as the EIHL Player of the year, EIHL Forward of the Year, League Top Points Scorer, Clan Top Points Scorer, Clan MVP (as voted for by the fans), Ice Hockey Journalists UK Player of the Year and picked for the EIHL 1st All Stars Team.
Galbraith finished the season with 101pts from 58 games, scoring 38 goals with 63 assists.
Speaking on his return Galbraith said “I am really pleased to have re-signed with the Clan.”
“I took some time out at the end of the season to have a rest. I needed some time to think about what I had achieved last season and where I wanted to go in the future. I was inundated with offers from various clubs in Europe, the UK and North America, and at times it was over whelming. The offers kept coming and they were all different, with different conditions or terms attached to them, so I really had to take some time to weigh them all up, before I jumped in.”
“I will be working closely with Jordan this season, as his Assistant Coach, and we have a lot of ideas regarding who we want to bring in, what type of players we need, how do we move the team forward etc, and for sure we will be looking to win some titles this season.”
“I am excited about the new setup of the league and the forthcoming season, so I am looking forward to getting back to Glasgow and getting the season under way. We have a great support in Braehead, the fans are awesome, and I hope that we can get that arena sold out for our first game of the season that would be great to see.”
Joining then are returning forwards Bobby Chaumont returning after a season away, Brock McPherson, Ryan Campbell, Matt Haywood and Adam Walker.
Bobby Chaumont played for the Clan in their inaugural season in 2010/2011 and spent last season with CHL side Fort Wayne Komets, who went on to win the Play Offs, with Chaumont scoring 2 goals in the final game of the series, to help his team win the CHL Presidents Cup.
Chaumont had a great season with the Komets, with at least a point a game, scoring 24 goals and 42 assist, for 66pts in 66 games. In his first season with the Clan he scored 22 goals and 31 assists for 53 pts in 54 games.
Clan Coach Jordan Krestanovich had the following to say on the signing news:
“I'm very excited to have signed Bobby back this year. I've been talking to him since I first took the job as Clan player/coach.”
“He is a big strong power forward who skates very well. He not only won a championship last year with Fort Wayne Komets in the CHL, but he was also in the top ten in the league in scoring.”
Brock McPherson - The 6’2 power forward amassed 57 points for the Clan last season and is looking to increase on this next season.
McPherson had the following to say “I’m pleased that I’ll be back at Braehead for a second season, as I know that I have a lot more to give. Last year was my first year playing professional hockey and I learned a lot. I look forward to contributing more next season. We have a great fan base and organization here, and I am happy that I will be coming back. I am already looking forward to the start of the season.”
Ryan Campbell - The 33 year old Edmonton native, returns for a third season since joining the Clan, Campbell has notched up 97 pts (35 goals and 62 assists), Winner of the Unsung Hero Award 2011/2012, voted for by his team mates.
Joining them are newcomers Ash Goldie, Robert Farmer and Ryan Watt and Aidan Fulton on a two way deal with the Solway Sharks.
Ash Goldie - the 31 year old Canadian from London, Ontario joins the Clan from ECHL side the Las Vegas Wranglers. Prior to playing with the Wranglers, Goldie spent 2010/2011 in the Asia League playing for the Nippon Paper Cranes in Japan.
Goldie started his playing career in the GOHL with the London Nationals, spending 2 seasons there, playing 107 games and amassing 120pts. Goldie then went on to spend 4 seasons in the NCAA with Michigan State, before joining the Long Beach Ice Dogs in the ECHL. Goldie has 210pts from 200 games in the ECHL and has also played in Denmark and Germany where he averaged at least a point a game in both leagues.
Clan Player/Coach Jordan Krestanovich is excited to have Goldie on his team and had the following to say on the signing:
“I played with Ash for a year in Victoria so I know first-hand how skilled he is.”
“He is fast, fit, and has great hands. He will be able to pass on a lot of experience to our younger guys. Anyone who has played with Ash would agree that he is a great guy and extremely skilled, he finds the net game after game.”
“He will work well on our team and will strengthen us up front, but he can move around well on the ice, so I have no doubt he will play an offensive game but will be reliable at the back end too.”
“I expect big things from Ash this year. I truly believe he could lead the league in goals this year.”
Robert Farmer - The 21 year old from Nottingham has played for EIHL side Coventry Blaze for the last 2 seasons. Racking up 80pts in 105 games; 39 goals and 41 assists; and 165 PIMs. Farmer has also spent time with EIHL side Sheffield Steelers and EPIHL side Sheffield Scimitars, as well as playing for GB, GB U20’s and U18’s.
Clan Coach Jordan Krestanovich- “He will be a great asset to this team. I have focused on putting together a team that will work hard both on and off the ice. I have confidence in my players and we all have the same goal at the moment….to bring home some silverware this season.”
Ryan Watt - The 22 year old forward will be returning to Scotland this season, and is looking forward to playing in front of his home nation. Watt will move to the EIHL, having played in the EPL and EPIHL for teams such as Basingstoke Bison, Swindon Wildcats and Slough Jets. Ryan was also selected for GB U18 & U20. Watt joins the Clan from this year’s EPIHL Play-off Champions Slough Jets. With 50 points from 47 games and 166 PIMs, Watt will be a welcome addition to the Clan.
On Defence the Clan have had a lot more changes with newcomers Matt Hanson, Mitch Maunu and Steven Brinstill joining the existing British contingent of Kevin Phillips and Sam Zajac.
Matt Hanson - The 29 year old from Midway, British Columbia, joins the Clan from CHL side Laredo Bucks. At almost 6’0 and 220lbs, Hanson is a physical D-man that is looking to push himself this season. With 8 goals, 14 assists and 105 PIMs from 64 games with the Laredo Bucks, he has proved he can play a physical game and still get on the score sheet.
Hanson has played in the ECHL and CHL for teams such as Wichita Thunder, Youngstown Steelhounds, Tulsa Oilers, Texas Brahmas, Colorado Eagles and Arizona Sundogs to name but a few.
Clan player/Assistant Coach, Jade Galbraith had the following to say on the signing -
“He is a good stay at home D-man, who plays a physical game. He hasn’t hit his peak offensively yet, which he hopes to do this season, and with the team we are building, we hope that he can make that transition and push his offensive game a bit.”
Mitch Maunu - The 25 year old Thunder Bay native joins the Clan from Lakehead University in the CIS. At 6’1 and 225lbs, Mauna was drafted by the OHL Windsor Spitfires in the 1st Round, 10th overall in 2002. He went on to become their captain and in 2006/2007 joined the Saginaw Spirit.
He then went on to play for the Toledo Storm in the ECHL and the Norfolk Admirals in the AHL, before returning to his hometown of Thunder Bay to play for the Lakehead Thunderwolves. Maunu was also drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 4th round, 120th overall in 2004.
A Clan spokesperson said on the signing “Mitch is a hard hitting, solid defenseman. He is one of those guys that you can always rely on.”
“He will show up game after game. He may not be the stand out guy in a game, but if he wasn’t on the ice, you would miss him.”
“He is a big guy, with a real presence on the ice and he can hit. If he has a break out year like his former team mate Brock McPherson had with us, then we know we have made the right choice in signing him. We are looking forward to working with Mitch and welcoming him to the Clan. ”
“We have no doubt that Mitch’s gritty approach to the game and hard hitting style of play will instantly make him a fan favourite.”
Steve Birnstill - The New York native is no stranger to the EIHL, having played for the Sheffield Steelers in 2011/2012, amassing 47pts (9 goals & 38 assists). Prior to playing for the Steelers, 6’2 Birnstill played 3 seasons in Denmark, playing for Esbjerg and Frederikshavn. 26 year old Birnstill has also played in the CHL and AHL.
Clan Player/Coach Jordan Krestanovich had the following to say on signing Birnstill
“Steve is yet another player that I have been after since I took over as Clan Player/Coach.”
“He is a very talented defenseman that skates extremely well and he also moves the puck very well. He is a big strong d-man, he is solid at the back but he is also an offensive d-man, so he ticks all the boxes.”
“I knew I needed a D-man that could be strong on defence, but that could also feed the puck to the guys up front. He moves well on the ice and is consistent. I think he will be a good asset to our power play thanks to the nature of his play.”
“I remember playing against Steve last year and thinking that he was the type of player that I would want on my team. So I am extremely happy that he will be on our team this year and playing for the Clan.”
“Steve has a good work ethic and is a real team player and I am looking forward to working with him this season”.
Kevin Phillips - This will be Phillips third season with the club. Phillips had this to say “I have really enjoyed my last two seasons with the club and I am glad to have put pen to paper for a third season. I have been with the club from the beginning, and I really feel at home in Braehead. The fans are amazing and it has been nice to watch the crowds grow from season one to season two, and I am sure that we will have an even bigger fan base going into season three.”
Sam Zajac - The 22-year old defenseman is already looking forward to his next season with the Braehead Arena based team.
“I really enjoyed my season at the Clan; it’s a great organisation, with a great fan base in a great city so it was an easy decision for me when the offer was put to me to return next season. I’m happy to have signed up at this point in the off season, it means I can enjoy my summer, work on my fitness and just look forward to being back at Braehead for my second season.”
In Nets the Clan bring back Mike Will as back up for a third season and captured the signing of Garrett Zemlak formerly of conference rivals the Fife Flyers.
Garrett Zemlak The former Fife Flyers net minder joins the club following an impressive first season in the EIHL. Making no less than 1853 saves during the season, nominated for EIHL Netminder of the year, winner of the EIHL Fans Favourite Award and also the Fife Flyers Mirror of Merit Award and Fifes Players Player and Player of the year.
The 6’1, 190lbs Saskatoon native comes to the Clan fresh from his break out year, but also brings with him the experience he gained playing in the ECHL and AHL.
The 23 year old Canadian may still be young compared to his peers around the league, but what this guy lacks in years, he makes up for in skill, spirit, effort and attitude.
A club spokesperson had the following to say on the signing news “We are really pleased to have Garret sign for us this season.”
“We were all really impressed with him last season, and with the right guys in front of him, he truly could be one of the best goaltenders in this league.”
“Garrett has a mature approach to the game. He is a professional athlete and he takes good care of himself off the ice, and his on ice approach speaks for itself. This is a guy who didn’t have it easy last season, but he showed up, game after game, no matter who the opponent.”
On Paper the Clan look a very strong side they have a great group of forwards who’ve stuck together for a few seasons now and some really dangerous scorers in Galbraith and Goldie with the likes of Chaumont and Krestanovich amply able to make up strong secondary scoring.
They also look to have a solid D who will really be able to protect Zemlak in net. I’m keen to see just what Zelmak can do after he amply proved last year when he had not much of a defence in front of him that he’s a “Rockstar” in nets. The Clan also look to have a good working relationship with the Solway Sharks so should injuries crop up they have a pool of players to call on.
The Clan should roll over the Northern Conference (sorry I’m not calling it the “Schrodinger” or whatever they’ve named them as its just silly) and will take points from teams travelling up to Braehead as they always have. I’d expect the Clan to challenge for the league title this year.
The Clan have been playing understrength waiting on the arrival of Ryan Campbell and Jade Galbraith, word from the Clan supporters is that Campbell will be in for the weekend while Galbraith remains "50/50" on being in on time.
We will be running the “ridiculously childish and disgustingly biased” Match Night Live service for this game, expect name calling and one eyed bias in epic proportions, at the usual location of http://www.the-inferno.co.uk/mnl if you'd like to help out by texting updates (we’d be happy to hear from you) or chip in with some comments on the night please contact us at matchnightlive@gmail.com.
For details of upcoming away travel with Red Army Travel you can get all the information here http://the-inferno.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6212
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