Stars captain Lawrence back in frame for crunch Fife clash.

Dundee Stars have been boosted by the return of captain Chris Lawrence ahead of their Gardiner Conference clash with Fife Flyers tomorrow.

The influential Canadian has been sidelined with a knee injury picked up in a clash against their local rivals in September.

Lawrence joined Dundee from Nottingham Panthers last summer and is in his fourth Elite League season after spells with Sheffield and Coventry.

The Toronto-born star said he was “excited” to be rejoining his team-mates after a frustrating spell away from the ice.

Lawrence, who has played only four games for Omar Pacha’s side, said: “It’s been a long road back but it’s very exciting to be playing hockey again.

“It was a slow recovery but I am comfortable now and physio Airlie Beveridge has been a great help throughout the entire process.

“It’s great to be competitive again and be out there enjoying the camaraderie with the guys.

“They have been amazing for the past month and I am excited to hop on their train. Hopefully I don’t slow them down.

“We have done well to show our identity in recent games and who we are as a team. I hope we can continue that success.

“The guys have been short all year and they have showed a lot of character, never quitting and have come back in a lot of games.

“They have got us into a position to fight for a play-off spot – all you can ask for is an opportunity and make the most of it.”

Head coach Pacha was delighted at the news of ‘Larry’ being given the all-clear.

“To have Chris back is massive,” he said.

“He has worked so hard the last few weeks. He is a great captain and will be a huge asset moving forward.

“To basically add a guy of his calibre to our line-up at this time of the year is immense”.

Lawrence is relishing coming up against Fife and then Edinburgh this weekend.

He added: “Fife are a good team and are high up in the standings, so hopefully I can keep up. Edinburgh will be tough on the big ice but I expect our team to play well.”

He also encouraged the people of Dundee to come down and back the Stars tomorrow.

He said: “The support gives us that added energy when we hear the fans cheering for us and definitely helps us out.

“We love playing at home as we have a decent record there and the fans are a big part of that success.”

Tickets meanwhile are selling fast for tomorrow’s huge #Operationsellout game.

Chris Lawrence has returned from injury to boost Stars.