Dragons head coach Lol Paul expects to reap the rewards of tomorrow’s pre-season clash with Telford Tigers NIHL later in the year.
The Flintshire men travel to Shropshire with high hopes of springing a surprise, after a summer of major changes within the organisation.
A takeover by Red Hockey has allowed Paul to bring in a host of big-name players, while retaining the cream of last year’s Laidler Conference squad.
But with just a few weeks until the start of the league campaign, the Chester Road chief wants to give his newly-assembled line-up a competitive workout.
He said: “It will be a very good test for us to play a team from the NIHL Moralee Conference. They are new to that league, but have strengthened in all departments.
“It should be an excellent start for both teams, although I expect it to be more testing for us. In the long run, we will benefit from this game more than Telford.
“We have got a good squad together, so I want to see the guys playing competitively together. That will help us a lot later in the season.”
Paul’s appointment in May kick-started a period of intense activity at the club, generating high expectations of a fresh title challenge amongst fans.
And the Deeside chief is sharing in the anticipation of a brand-new season.
“It is so exciting to finally get this squad playing together on the ice,” he said.
“Hopefully, we’ll get the mix right early on and we can see where this squad is. I feel very honoured to be involved and with the investment that is coming into Deeside. The players are made to feel like professionals, which is fantastic for them.”
Paul has also called for Dragons supporters to make the trip to Telford – and see the new-look squad for themselves.
He added: “We always take games seriously and it will be an emotional game for everyone involved with this club. We need to evaluate our guys before the league starts.
“Hopefully some of our fans will make the trip and give us their backing. That will, hopefully, lead to a full house for our first home game in a few weeks.”
Saturday’s game against The Tigers NIHL, at Telford Ice Rink, faces off at 6pm.
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