Kevin Hart is desperate to help Dundee Stars make amends for last season’s disappointments.
The defenceman helps the Stars get their season under way against Belfast Giants in a Challenge Cup Group A clash.
Hart is desperate to help Dundee climb the table.
The 24-year-old knows the value of a good start to the campaign.
He said: “They are a good team with a lot of skilled players. Sunday’s friendly against Belfast was good, but this is the real deal now.
“We’re all excited to get started and there will undoubtedly be a little more intensity about the game as it is for real.
“Sure, we’ve beaten them before, and it is good to win pre-season, but they were missing several players.
“But at least we’ve played against them and won, which is always good for confidence.”
He added: “I really didn’t know what to expect when I came over (to Dundee).
“I talked to Marc (Lefebvre, Dundee’s coach) on the phone and he explained what we wanted to do here.
“I was excited by that and we’ve been working hard in training. We’re improving day by day and so far it is going well.”
Lefebvre has assembled an almost entirely new roster this season with the aid of assistant coach Bobby Chaumont, and it is a squad that has excited the Stars support so much that season ticket sales are up from last season.
Lefebvre said: “We’ve trained well this week, off and on the ice, and we’ve been looking back at Belfast.
“It makes no difference having played them on Sunday as there are no secrets in this league.”
Meanwhile, Dundee Tigers, who open their season with an Autumn Cup visit to Aberdeen Lynx on Saturday, have confirmed team stalwart Paul Guilcher will be returning.
The veteran centreman has spent his entire career with Tigers and is delighted to be back.
Ian Carstairs, Tigers’ player-coach, said: “Paul has one of the best hockey heads in the league.”
“He makes the players he plays with better every shift and is a leader on and off the ice.
“A Tigers team without Paul isn’t a Tigers team so it’s fantastic to have him back for the new season.”