The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Home-town hero looks for piece of the action
Dundee-born forward Craig Garrigan is raring to get going in the Elite Ice Hockey League’s new Elite Series, which gets under way on Saturday.
The shortened miniseries replaces the 2020-21 Elite League campaign that was cancelled last September and offers British players a chance to regain match fitness and impress GB head coach Pete Russell ahead of the World Championships in May.
Dundee Stars player Garrigan took part in the Elite Series Draft, which gave each of the four competing teams a chance to select a wide range of British talent from all over the country and abroad.
Garrigan was selected in the seventh round by the Nottingham Panthers and will join the English club for the next six weeks.
The forward has been skating for his home-town club for the past two seasons and will link up with his former team-mate and Stars loanee Jordan Kelsall in Nottingham.
Speaking after his first day of training with the Panthers Elite Series squad, Garrigan said: “After having such a long time out it obviously was going to be tough to get into the swing of things but I’m really happy to be back on the ice and have some hockey on its way. The atmosphere with the new team-mates is really good – we have a great group of guys in the squad.
“There are also boys that I have played with in GB U20s in the past and also Kelsall in Dundee, which has helped.
“I am really eager to play some hockey now that I am here and have been on the ice, now that things have started. It does still feel different because of the circumstances we are in and because we are in a bubble but I am really happy to have hockey back after having a long year out.”
Recalling his feelings on draft day, the 22-year-old shared his experience of what was a new and monumental event in British hockey.
Craig said: “We actually found out about the draft on the day that it had been announced and players that were interested had to put their names down by the end of the week, so it all happened so fast.
“It is a good opportunity because the British league has never had a draft or mini-series like this before.
“When I got picked by Nottingham, I was over the moon because when we go down with the Stars to play them, it is always exciting.
“I always thought I would like to go to Nottingham and when I scored those two goals (his first and second professional goals against Nottingham in the 2018-19 season), we had Kelsall in the same team as us and now he is at Nottingham, so we share that same memory together.”
However, while the ex-monifieth High School pupil focuses on success with the Panthers over the next six weeks, he still has his mind on the future.
Craig explained: “My first thoughts are to come back to the Stars, although you never know what is going to happen, but I always want to come back.
“I live here and I have enjoyed my time so far with the Stars.”
Stars fans can catch their home-town hero in action this Saturday evening, by purchasing the Elite League livestream, as Craig makes his Panthers debut against Nottingham’s biggest rivals, Sheffield Steelers (face-off 7pm).