DUTIAUME WELCOMES CUP CLASH WITH STARS

Todd Dutiaume welcomed the quarterfinal clash between Fife Flyers and Dundee Stars in the Viaplay Challenge Cup.

And Fife’s head coach believes it will be “fantastic” for a Scottish team to advance to the semifinal of a national ice hockey competition.

Dates have still to be finalised but it looks as if the first leg will be in Dundee in midweek in the first week of December with the return in Kirkcaldy the following week.

Dutiaume said: “We are delighted to be playing a close rival.

“That’s not only because the game is heightened and an extra level of intensity is added on top of that.

“Also, it’s more practical travel-wise in a busy December to travel up the road rather than six or seven hours away.”

He added: “We are obviously looking forward to the two legs and hopefully they are entertaining.

“When the games come we hope we are healthy and on top of our game.”

So far this term, in the Challenge Cup round-robin qualifiers, Dundee beat Fife 3-0 in Kirkcaldy but Flyers turned the tables when they travelled north to win 5-2.

In the Viaplay Elite League, Stars beat Flyers 4-2 in Kirkcaldy with Fife travelling to Tayside for the second installment on Saturday in what now is a dress rehearsal for the Challenge Cup quarter-final.

Flyers have just celebrated a four-point weekend.

The wins move Flyers on to 12 points from 16 games and they are now seventh in the league table.

Nottingham remain in sixth, also with 12 points, with Stars in the eighth and final play-off spot with 10 points from their 16 outings.

Of course, that could change as Dundee visit Coventry Blaze on Thursday (7.30pm) and Nottingham host league pace-setters Guildford Flames on Friday.