Former NHL player Hannu Rainer Järvenpää brings his Hungarian team to South Wales this weekend for back-to-back matches against Cardiff Devils.
Järvenpää, a member of the Finnish ice hockey hall of fame, is head of Fehervar AV19, who play Devils at their Viola Arena rink on Saturday and Sunday.
He played 114 matches for NHL team Winnipeg Jets and is now in charge Fehervar, who play in the Austrian Erste Bank Hockey League.
Teams from five countries – Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Italy – compete in the Austrian League and Fehervar have won the championship 13 times.
Järvenpää goes head-to-head with Devils coach Andrew Lord, who has led Cardiff to unprecedented success over the last five seasons.
They include a number of Canadians in their team including energetic, two-way centre Scott Timmins, a 29-year-old from Hamilton, Ontario who was an NHL pick for Florida Panthers in 2009.
Timmins played for Panthers 19 times, while he made 327 American League matches for Albany Devils, San Antonio Rampage, Rochester Americans and San Jose Barracuda.
Edmonton-born Dylan Busenius is a 26-year-old defenceman, while Tim Campbell is a D-man from Ontario.
Michael Caruso is also a 6ft 2ins blueliner who plays a physical style, a draft pick by Florida in 2006 and made two NHL appearances. Caruso played more than 350 AHL matches for Rochester Americans and San Antonio Rampage.
Tickets can be booked HERE for the pre-season fixtures against Fehervar AV19 on Saturday (7 pm) and Sunday (6 pm).
Say hello to the official @cardiffdevils team of 2019 – 2020! This is the first team photo of the boys together, all wearing our new season shirts which you can shop here: https://t.co/6ue8svZGmM#DressLikeTheDevils. pic.twitter.com/eBfwTctKQM
— Peacocks (@peacocks) August 9, 2019
Cardiff Devils recruitment
Signings: (22 players announced – 14 imports, 8 British – maximum 14 imports can ice in any one EIHL game):
Head coach: Andrew Lord
Netminder: Ben Bowns, Thomas Murdy, Jordan Lawday.
Defence: Sean McMonagle (import), Mark Richardson, Mark Louis (import), Gleason Fournier (import), Bryce Reddick (import), Sam Jardine (import)
Forwards: Sean Bentivoglio (import), Masi Marjamaki (import), Blair Riley (import), Stephen Dixon (import), Matthew Myers, Matt Pope (import), Mike McNamee (import), Sam Duggan, Joey Martin (import), Joey Haddad (import), Charles Linglet (import), Josh Batch, Toms Rutkis.
Bore da Red Army 😈
ITS GAME DAY 🙌🏻
Puck drop for the first game of the 2019-20 season is at 7 pm, we’ve got 5 new Devils in action for the first time & you could be going home with this guys shirt 🤩
🎟 https://t.co/tt2f9KxvnD | 0800 0842 666 | @TheViolaArena reception pic.twitter.com/STvbym8xPR
— Cardiff Devils (@cardiffdevils) August 10, 2019
Cardiff Devils pre-season and Champions League schedule:
August
Saturday 10 Cardiff Devils v Fehervar (Viola Arena, Cardiff Bay, 7pm)
Sunday 11: Cardiff Devils v Fehervar (Viola Arena, Cardiff Bay, 6pm)
Saturday 17: Nottingham Panthers v Cardiff Devils (in Nottingham, 7pm)
Sunday 18 Cardiff Devils v Nottingham Panthers (Viola Arena, Cardiff Bay, 6pm)
Sunday 25 Cardiff Devils V MAC Budapest (Viola Arena, Cardiff Bay, 6pm)
Friday 30 Cardiff Devils v Mountfield HK (Champions Hockey League fixture, Viola Arena, 7.30pm)
September
Sunday 1 Cardiff Devils v Graz 99ers (Champions Hockey League fixture, Viola Arena, 6pm)
Thursday 5 Mountfield HK v Cardiff Devils (Champions Hockey League fixture, 5pm)
Saturday 7 Graz 99ers v Cardiff Devils (Champions Hockey League fixture, 6.15pm)
October
Tuesday 8 Frolunda Indians v Devils (Champions Hockey League fixture, 5pm)
Tuesday 15 Devils v Frolunda Indians (Champions Hockey League fixture, Viola Arena, 7.30pm)
Single game tickets for pre-season and Champions Hockey League matches are now available along with the even-game ticket pack.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK ONLINE or call us on 0800 0842 666
The 7-game pack, covering all four pre-season and three CHL home fixtures, offer big discounts and no service charges.