Storm out to be force again

MANCHESTER Storm will look to carry on where they left off last season when they begin their new campaign tonight.

The Altrincham-based side surprised plenty by finishing second in the Elite League and winning the Conference last season, and begin their Elite League campaign at Nottingham Panthers.

Several players have left or weren’t retained and head coach Ryan Finnerty has scoured both sides of the Atlantic to improve the squad.

Dane Byers will captain the side after Jay Rosehill retired. He has experience of playing in the NHL and Finnerty knows the importance Byers can have on the team, saying: “He is a natural leader, very competitive and will help get the best out of all the squad both on and off the ice.”

Edinburgh have folded, so the Elite League is made up of 11 teams. They play each other six times (three home, three away) making it a 60-game season.

The Challenge Cup sees Storm in Group A with Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers.

Storm sold out their Altrincham home for the last eight fixtures last season and the club are hoping the fans return tomorrow when they entertain Nottingham (5.30pm).

“Last season we had a hard core group of fans who came week in, week out and they were joined by new fans who liked what they saw and became regular fans,” said Finnerty.