Guildford Flames Head Coach Paul Dixon is pleased with the work done over the summer as his side prepares to begin its pre-season programme this weekend.
The Flames head to France to face Jokers de Cergy-Pontoise in their first warm-up game of 2026/27, with Dixon happy with the balance of the roster assembled for the new campaign.
“It’s been a really good off-season for us. I’m very happy with our recruitment and what we’ve added to the core,” began the Flames Head Coach.
Last season proved challenging for Guildford, particularly during the opening months, when injuries had a significant impact on the team. Dixon felt the Flames improved considerably as the season progressed, despite ultimately missing out on Playoff Finals Weekend.
“It was unfortunate last year with the injuries we had at the start of the season, and it never let up until Christmas really,” explained Dixon. “We certainly had two very different halves of the season; not great in the first, but in the second I was happy with what we’d been through and where we ended up.
“We were disappointed we didn’t reach the Playoff Finals Weekend, but certainly for half of the season in the league, after Christmas, the team was very good and we had some great results. The form guide for certainly the second half tended in the right direction.”
While the Flames have previously enjoyed success bringing in first-year professionals, Dixon and his staff opted to place greater emphasis on experience this time around.
“Moving forward into the recruitment for this year, we have changed it up a little bit,” he explained. “Over the years we have had success with first-year pros coming in and doing well for us, but every year you sit down and want to have a look at where you might be able to improve and do something differently. What we took out of this summer was that we wanted to bring in players with experience, players with pro seasons under their belts, and it is very valuable to add players who have been in this league before. It’s a heavy schedule with some 70 games, and you have to be mindful of that.
“We’ve gone with guys who have been through that schedule, which was stepping away from what we’ve done in the past, but as the league gets stronger you need to progress. So that was our philosophy this year.”
With more than half of the team changing over the summer, Dixon believes having a full pre-season period will be important in getting the new-look group ready for competitive action.
“Every team is starting earlier and earlier, and I think it’s key to start early and get everybody up to speed,” he added. “Certainly for us, we’ve changed over half the team, and we need to be mindful of that. We’ve got a good three weeks of pre-season ahead of us, starting with the trip to France this weekend.”
The trip to face Cergy-Pontoise gives the Flames an early opportunity to spend time together away from the rink. The last time Guildford played outside the UK was in 2008.
“Just the trip alone is good. It’s good to get away sometimes as a team,” said Dixon. “We know that from when we go away in-season on the road, and it’s good to be around each other. It’s really helpful to bond, and going away for two or three days will be really good for us. I think you get to know your teammates a little bit quicker.
“It’s been a good few years since Guildford have been abroad. Our last training camp was in Slovakia, so the philosophy behind that was to get away, get some team bonding done, and we’re excited for the weekend.”
As Guildford begin their preparations for the new campaign, the Flames are also expecting another highly competitive Elite League season. “The league looks very strong this season. Every team has improved in every department with either guys they’ve brought back or guys coming new into the league. We’ve said it for a while now, there are some good players in this league, and it should be fun and exciting for everybody,” Dixon concluded.
Photo: John Uwins
