New Dundee Stars Head Coach Scott Dutertre has been working on his plans for the 2026/27 season since taking the job, with preparations now moving from recruitment and getting his new group together on the ice to their first pre-season game.
“I started recruiting as soon as I was hired,” said Dutertre. “We arrived in Dundee two months ago and had some time to meet people and see some of the countryside.
“People have been really friendly. My wife and I have met some hockey fans around town that are excited with the new player signings and to see how the team shapes up.”
While this will be Dutertre’s first season behind the Stars bench, he is already familiar with the Elite League through his previous work in North America.
“Previously, I worked on the development side for many years, so I have had the opportunity to work with players from the league,” he explained. “As I was coaching in USports and the WHL, I would always try to connect players with teams over here.
“More recently, I would follow the players that I coached or coached against in the ECHL, so I would always watch games.”
That background also influenced how Dutertre approached building his first Dundee roster, with the new Head Coach looking to strike a balance between experience and younger players looking to establish themselves.
“I wanted to build a nucleus of good character veteran players and surround them with some exciting younger guys,” said the Stars Head Coach. “I think it creates a great mentorship environment for the younger guys to establish themselves as professionals.”
With pre-season now getting underway, Dutertre sees the coming weeks as an important opportunity for players to make an impression and for the group to begin coming together.
“This time of year is a terrific opportunity for our group to showcase what they can do,” he added. “From day one our players have known that nothing is set in stone roster-wise.
“This is a chance to show what they can do and also an opportunity for us to get to know each other and gel as a team.”
Photo: Dundee Stars
