The Fife Flyers have new ownership — but many of the same questions loom over the United Kingdom’s oldest hockey club.
The Flyers, with new ownership at the helm, have the chance to write a new chapter in their storied history — but time is short and there is plenty of work to do before then start of the new season.
Back in February, when Tom Muir and Jack Wishart announced their desire to step away from the running of the team, the Elite League pledged to keep Fife’s spot in the competition open.
On Thursday [5 June], the Flyers’ participation was confirmed — but many questions remain.
As it stands, Fife’s roster and coaching set-up is a blank slate. Away from the rough and tumble of the sport itself, the Flyers also have to tie down new and returning sponsors to bolster their bottom line.
With that in mind, here are the three biggest questions facing the Flyers in the aftermath of the club’s takeover by a North American consortium.
1) Who will coach the Fife Flyers in their first season under new ownership?
The Flyers have been without a permanent head coach since late December, when they mutually agreed to part ways with Tom Coolen.
Johnny Curran, who suffered a season-ending injury shortly after joining the Flyers as a player, filled the role down the stretch — but, at age-30, is unlikely to be the long-term solution behind the bench.
With the Flyers “in advanced discussions” to appoint their next bench boss, leadership in Fife cannot afford to misstep.
In the Elite League, where talent is very evenly distributed beneath the bottom three or four, coaching is often the difference between missing the playoffs and making a deep run to finals weekend.
Ultimately, Fife’s choice comes down to one philosophical question — how highly do the Flyers value Elite League experience?
If the answer is ‘very highly’, Matthew Myers should be considered a leading candidate for the role, following his exit as a Cardiff Devils assistant coach.
Reshuffled out of the organisation after the appointment of Paul Thompson, the 40-year-old won seventeen domestic titles as a player and made 114 appearances for Team Great Britain.
Also of note: Myers played for the Devils alongside Fife’s newly-appointed president and general manager, Maxim Birbraer.
2) Will the Fife Flyers build a competitive roster?
Speaking of Birbrear, the first-time general manager has a mountain to climb ahead of the new season.
While there is no doubt that the Flyers have been working the phones in the background, the former third round pick of the New Jersey Devils starts with a blank slate roster.
“Several core players from last season have already been contacted,” wrote the Flyers in a statement, “with more updates to come as we build a competitive and committed roster.”
Jānis Voris, Fife Flyers (Image: William Cherry)
It’s important to remember that the Elite League is a tiny corner of the hockey world — there is no shortage of players that could come to these shores and light it up in relatively short order.
While that remains true, the Flyers are starting behind the eight ball, with many players having already signed contracts for next year, and with no blueprint to build around.
Will they play physically-demanding, north-south hockey or lean into skill? Will they trap the neutral zone or forecheck aggressively?
At this stage, nobody knows — and that alone makes signing players more difficult.
It’s not an impossible mission, but making the playoffs would be a real achievement for Fife — considering their unideal start to the offseason.
3) How will the Fife Flyers operate differently under new ownership?
In the final five seasons of the Muir-Wishart era, the Flyers qualified only once for the playoffs. And they were bounced in the quarter-finals in short order.
Fife’s best Elite League performance came in 2018-19, finishing sixth in an eleven-team competition.
In a sporting environment where on-ice success and financial sustainability are linked inextricably, the Flyers must find a route to victory.
Finishing at the bottom of the pile isn’t an option for Fife’s new leadership consortium — but what will they do differently?
Time will tell.
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