The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Dutiaume agrees deal to remain with Flyers
ICE HOCKEY: Fife side’s Canadian head coach signs on for 21st season
Fife Flyers head coach Todd Dutiaume has agreed terms to remain at the Kirkcaldy club for a 21st season.
Assistant coach and director of player development Jeff Hutchins is also staying at Fife, who finished three points off third place before settling for seventh in the Elite League last season.
The pair led the Flyers to the Gardiner Conference in February – the team’s first major EIHL success – as well as taking them to a third Playoff Finals Weekend in seven seasons.
“Last season was my most enjoyable as a coach in the past seven years,” said Dutiaume, who arrived in Fife from Telford Tigers in 1998 after the Shropshire outfit had run into financial problems.
“Winning helps but having good people around you is key. It has reignited that strong desire to continue to drive our club forward and build on the successes of this past campaign.
“I’ll once again be working beside Jeff who has become a good friend and whose work rate is second to none.
“Together we hope to once again put together a team that our loyal support can identify with and get behind.”
Winnipeg-born Dutiaume and Hutchins have been busy behind the scenes building a squad capable of mounting another strong challenge next season.
“We know fans are eager to hear some signing news but we are also eager to get the right guys and build a team that will work for us and that our fans will get behind,” said the Canadian.
Hutchins, a former Dundee Stars player-coach, admitted he was excited to be staying on in Kirkcaldy and was looking forward to continuing his working relationship with Dutiaume.
“We have built up a strong friendship that makes it enjoyable to come to the rink every day,” he said.
“We are both focused and ready to push this great club to the next level after last year’s success. I personally had a lot of fun working with last year’s group and had an enjoyable season.
“I have now turned my focus to next season and to what challenges may lie ahead for us.”