Dundee Stars’ new defenceman will meet his team-mates just hours before their Elite League clash at Coventry Blaze tonight.
Joonas Liimatainen was with Cardiff Devils last season but, having not received much ice time, Stars’ head coach Jeff Hutchins has given the Finnish player a chance to show what he can do in Britain’s top league.
He also revealed that he is close to securing the services of a new hitman following the failure of ex-Braehead Clan forward Jade Galbraith to secure a visa.
Hutchins said: “Joonas is a quality d-man that never really had the opportunity to show what he could do in Cardiff last season.”
Liimatainen moved up from his home town’s Tappara under-20’s side in the Junior A Liiga in 2011 before progressing to the senior team in the Liiga, Finland’s top division.
In 2012 he played 28 regular season games and five post-season fixtures for Vaasan Sport in Finland’s second league.
Last season the 23-year-old, played for HK Astana in Kazakhstan, Nokian Pyry in Finland’s third league and Cardiff Devils.
Hutchins said: “He has played at the highest level in Finland and I am confident that his quality will show straight away. He is a big body that skates well and is going to contribute at both ends of the ice.
“There have been setbacks so far. However, I have confidence in this bunch of guys and that this is a small blip in the road.”
Meanwhile, Fife Flyers host play-off champions Sheffield Steelers as they look to get off the mark in the league.
They drew a blank in last weekend’s double-header with Coventry Blaze, but Fife coach Todd Dutiaume warned: “At times we are in danger of thinking that we will pick up from where we left off last year. Things won’t magically happen for us.
“We can’t take a night off but the lines are still settling in.”
Edinburgh Capitals travel to Hull Stingrays in an Elite League clash tonight while Belfast Giants host Braehead Clan in the Challenge Cup Group A.
Dundee Tigers travel to last season’s Grand Slam winners, Edinburgh Capitals, in the Scottish National League, with Dan Topping making his Tigers debut.
Dundee’s player-coach Ian Carstairs said: “We should be close to full strength and we need to make sure we are focused from the first drop of the puck until the final buzzer.”