Manchester Storm Head Coach Cameron Critchlow is looking for his side to build on the progress made last season as he prepares for his second campaign in charge.
Storm begin their pre-season programme away to Coventry Blaze on Saturday, before a home-and-home series with Sheffield Steelers the following weekend. That includes a return to the AO Arena for the first time in more than 20 years.
The summer offered Critchlow some valuable time away from the rink, although roster building remained a major focus.
“I was able to have a good summer. It’s always nice to be at home visiting family and friends,” said Critchlow. “It’s really important to have that downtime, spend time with your loved ones and decompress after a pretty stressful season. It’s nice to be able to have some time away and reflect.
“Obviously, there was a lot of time spent building the roster. We think we’ve done a really good job building on what we had and making some acquisitions that make our roster deeper.”
Now entering his second season behind the bench, the 34-year-old, who is the youngest Head Coach in the Motorpoint Elite League, believes one of Manchester’s biggest improvements is the added experience and depth across the group.
“I think this season we probably just have more depth overall. Having more experience was somewhere where we added some big pieces, and having an older team, a more seasoned and more experienced team, makes some things easier for the group.
“So I think we have more depth overall. Having both goalies coming back was huge, and we’re happy with what we’ve been able to build and improve on for the upcoming year.”
Having previously captained the Storm as a player, Critchlow knows the club well, and last season’s appearance at Playoff Finals Weekend represented an important step forward. However, he is clear that simply reaching the final four is not where the organisation’s ambitions end.
“Making the Final Four last season was a huge step in the right direction for our club. But I don’t think we should be celebrating making that achievement, because there’s a much bigger goal at stake.
“It’s something we want to achieve. We want to make sure we’re a team that competes for trophies every season. That’s our goal, and I think we have the group to do it.
“We have a lot of strong people in our club, and that’s the goal we want to achieve. It’s not just owners or management, it’s throughout the organisation. It’s very important to us, and I think we have the ability to get there.”
Critchlow’s first opportunity to see the new-look Storm in game action comes in Coventry this weekend, with pre-season providing an early indication of how quickly the group is coming together.
“Friendlies and pre-season are always an interesting time for your club, where it’s at, and seeing which guys were putting in the effort in the off-season, coming in in shape, coming in ready and being good professionals.
“We have Coventry this week, which is something we’re looking forward to, and our group is excited to be on the ice together. We’re looking forward to the pre-season. I’m sure there will be a few wrinkles. The first game is a bit strange sometimes because your timing isn’t there or your touch needs more of a feel, but this is what pre-season is for. We’ll grow as a group together.”
Photo: Manchester Storm
