With the ice hockey season underway for the Belfast Giants and four points from last week’s double-header in Scotland under their belts, Adam Keefe’s side are eagerly anticipating their first competitive game on home ice this weekend against the Dundee Stars.
Ice hockey at the SSE Arena returns on Saturday, albeit briefly - with fans having to wait until October 5 against the Cardiff Devils for the next home game - and there will be a number of players in the much-changed experiencing the atmosphere on home ice for the first time.
One such player is 33-year-old Canadian forward Pierre-Olivier Morin, who arrived in Belfast over the summer from Danish side Aalborg Pirates.
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Having already demonstrated his goal-scoring prowess in pre-season, the experienced centre says he continued to settle in well to life in Belfast and cannot wait to play in front of the home crowd at the SSE.
“Even though there’s a lot of new players, I feel like the team has gelled really well and that has been accelerated by activities together,” Morin explains.
“We’ve hiked in the Mourne mountains together, done fitness tests, sea swims and there has been a really big effort to get to know each other off the ice as well. I think that’s so important in helping things click as a team on the rink.”
As for the first couple of games - a comprehensive 7-3 win against Dundee Stars and a 4-2 win over the Fife Flyers in Scotland last weekend - Morin acknowledges that there is still plenty of room for improvement.
“Scoring goals is nice, but we’re a team that will take a lot of pride in our defensive effort,” Morin explains.
“It’s still early in the season, so we’re not playing perfectly and that’s completely normal. Naturally, it will take some time to work on our systems and the way we play as a team - that will be the same for every team. The coaches will pinpoint what we need to fix or change and fine-tune our performances.
“The way we played against Dundee - even though we won - if it’s later on in the season, we might not win that game because it will get to the point where small details make the difference.
“We have good defencemen and goalies, but we don’t want them to be forced into action too often. The idea is that if we play well as a collective, it takes pressure off and makes life easier for your teammates.
“I see myself as a two-way forward, so I want to contribute everywhere I can. Obviously, I want to score goals but I also want to create for my teammates and pitch in where I can.”
Indeed, Morin netted five times in three games in pre-season and Giants fans will be hoping he continues to combine with the likes of Bobo Carpenter, Jordan Kawaguchi and Kyle Osterberg as the season progresses.
As Morin notes, the standards in Adam Keefe’s squad will go up a notch again this season having failed to retain any of the Grand-slam silverware from the season before last.
Sheffield Steelers enjoyed a dominant treble-winning season and Cardiff Devils have also strengthened in the off-season, so the competition is expected to be intense.
With that in mind, what are Morin’s expectations for the season ahead?
“When I joined I spoke to the coach (Adam Keefe) and Steve (Thornton) (Director of Hockey Operations with the Belfast Giants) and we discussed the rich history and the winning mentality in Belfast,” said the Canadian.
“I’m still learning about this league and the trip to Scotland was good to feel what it is like to play on the road. I know the quality gets better and better and the league is stronger.
“I know Belfast have won a lot and have been one of the best teams so there will be a target on our backs as teams want to beat us. But I think it is good to have that challenge - pressure is a privilege.
“I can’t wait to experience the crowd in Belfast this weekend in a competitive game.”
The Belfast Giants take on the Dundee Stars on Saturday at 7pm at the SSE Arena.
