The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Fife Flyers show their ambition with swoop for American star Matt Reber
MATT REBER makes his British ice hockey debut in September after putting pen to paper for ambitious Fife Flyers.
The 26-year-old A merican centre, joins Fife after spending last season playing for Stockton Thunder in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL).
Minnesota- born Reber was a team-mate of new Flyers forward Jordan Fulton last season.
Reber said: “I heard about the team first through Jordan (Fulton), who is a great friend of mine, so the opportunity to play together and live together again was something really exciting for me.
“I’ve heard great things about the league, not only about the level of competition but with the new conferences, it sounds like we won’t be going on any week long road trips which is a nice change of pace from the ECHL.
“I cant wait to get over there and not only start practicing with the team but this will also be my first time in the UK and so I’m really looking forward to embracing a new culture and just experiencing everything that Fife has to offer.”
Flyers’ head coach Todd Dutiaume said: “Matt is a great signing for us and comes highly recommended by our usual contacts.
“Matt will be playing centre and is a very hard working guy in both ends of the ice, and we will be looking for him to put up some decent numbers for us.”
Meanwhile, Fifer Martin Grubb, who was recently with Solway Sharks and has enjoyed a spell with Fife Flyers, was yesterday appointed as head coach of Great Britain U18s.
Grubb replaces Mark Beggs, who has just taken up the role of Ice Hockey UK’s national talent development officer.
Grubb, from Kirkcaldy, was a forward in the in the Fife junior system and won the British Under-16 Championships at Wembley A rena two years running. He went on to represent Great Britain at under-16 level and captained the Under-19s.
He was on the coaching staff at Fife with Todd Dutiaume between 2004 and 2008, before moving on to his role as coach of Solway Sharks. The 37-year-old has won two NPL titles, an NPL play-off title, ENL Division 2, ENL Division 1 and the ENL Cup.
He started the GB Prospects Programme with Beggs and travelled as an assistant coach with GB U18s last year to theWorld Championship tournament in Tallinn.