Andrew Lord is ready to reveal two more Cardiff Devils signings and complete their roster for 2018-19.
On the evidence of head coach Lord’s recruitment so far he has upgraded the team again – and, judging by previous seasons, he will have saved some of the best until last.
Devils will add a high end defenceman and an experienced forward, both from North America and new to the club. The first of those will be announced at 4pm this afternoon.
That will leave almost two weeks before the final signing is revealed.
Ben Blood, a 6ft 4ins D-man, was Cardiff’s first new recruit on the blue-line with one more to come in, while Mike Hedden and Stephen Dixon are the forward arrivals.
Happy birthday to the 🐐 @JoeyMartin14 who turns 30 today 🎂🎈🎁 pic.twitter.com/ggX9LKmTKl
— Cardiff Devils (@cardiffdevils) July 29, 2018
Lord has again kept a large core of last season’s Elite League title-winning team, although the loss of Andrew Hotham to retirement was a blow.
Hotham, easily one of the best defenceman in British hockey over the last few years, has stepped back from playing after helping Cardiff win eight trophies in the last four seasons.
“I don’t know if you can rep Andrew Hotham,” says Lord. “We have tried, but he is a unique player.
“Hoth’s vision is something I have never seen before, while he has the hands and ability to make plays under pressure.
“He is a huge competitor and has been a real maverick out there. Sometimes, from a coaches perspective that can be hard when you are trying to get your team to play a certain way.
“Yes, losing that level of quality from any team would be a blow, but in a small way I’m excited about our new-look team.
“I am excited by the prospect of a total team effort from the back. We have some great guys like Richie (Mark Richardson), Ben (Blood) and Bryce (Reddick), while maybe Gleason (Fournier) has been a little in the shadows and we all know what he can do.
“Mark Louis will be another big presence and he has been working hard all summer to ensure he is at the fittest he can be.”
The first match for Devils will at Nottingham Panthers on Saturday, August 11 with the return at Ice Arena Wales the following evening (Sunday, August 12).
Devils host Slovakian team HK Poprad in games at Ice Arena Wales during August. Those challenge fixtures will be on Saturday, August 18 (7pm) and Sunday, August 19 (6pm).
Cardiff host Coventry Blaze at the IAW in Cardiff Bay on Saturday, August 25 (7pm) with the return at the Skydome, Coventry on Sunday, August 26 (5.15pm).
Devils are offering a seven-game ticket pack covering pre-season and Champions League matches.
The pack offers big savings off single game prices, is available through July and can be purchased by phone on 0800 0842 666 or in person at Ice Arena Wales box office.
To book individual tickets for any pre-season or CHL games: CLICK HERE or phone 0800 0842 666.
Pre-season tickets are £2 cheaper than the normal ticket prices for 2018-19.
Cardiff Devils signings for 2018-19 so far:
Netminders: Ben Bowns, Thomas Murdy.
Defencemen: Ben Blood (import), Bryce Reddick (import), Mark Louis (import), Gleason Fournier (import), Mark Richardson.
Forwards: Josh Batch, Stephen Dixon (import), Toms Rutkis, Mike Hedden (import), Layne Ulmer (import), Matthew Myers, Justin Faryna (import), Jake Morissette (import), Sean Bentivoglio (import), Craig Moore, Matt Pope (import), Joey Martin (import), Joey Haddad (import).
Players no longer playing for Devils: Andrew Lord (retired from playing to become full-time head coach), Andrew Hotham (retired), Paul Crowder (to Fife Flyers), Drew Paris (Karlskrona HK, Sweden), Tyson Strachan (retired), Patrick Asselin (retired).