Belfast Giants Coach Christiansen is hard at work anywhere

by UK American Sports Fans

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With Belfast Giants Head Coach Doug Christiansen now back in his hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA he can’t allow himself a break before finalising the foundation of the Giants indigenous core for the up coming season.

With Davey Philips back in a Belfast shirt along with Graeme Walton and the excellent resigning of Stephen Murphy between the pipes, the defensive core is looking good already.

Before Christiansen left after laying the foundation of the 2012/13 Giants squad he had two other players in mind. One obvious and the other a new face in the city of Belfast.

Mark Garside has resigned a new contract icing for the Elite League champions. The return of Scottish-born unsung forward Mark Garside was a must for Christiansen’s squad. Last season, his second as a Giant, Garside had a career high in points with 50 including 10 goals, good for 8th place out of all British players in the Elite League last year.

He was one of only five players on the Giants to play in all 62 games last season. Mark was also a fixture on the Giants penalty kill which led the league in penalty kill percentage and short handed goals, and he also hoisted his first trophy as a professional when the Giants won the Elite League Title.

Christiansen commented,

“I have coached Garside for five years and I am thrilled to have him for 2 more. He is a very intelligent player who works hard every night. He did a great job last season and I expect more from him next year

There is no reason Mark cannot have a breakout season next year and be close to a point-a-game player. He is a team player and can contribute in many different ways. He played on my top penalty kill unit and was our face-off specialist. I know he will be a key player for us again next season.”

Garside was pleased to agree to terms with the Giants for another two years and spoke about why he wanted to return to the Giants. “I originally came to Belfast to win Championships and that is why I want to be a Giant again next season. Doug builds teams that will be competing every season for titles and I know that we will be in the hunt again next season for all 3 trophies.

I never really looked to go anywhere else, I am very happy in Belfast. The city is fantastic and the fans are amazing. This is a great place to play and I am glad to be back for another 2 years.”

The next player is a real surprise to Giant fans as it came out of the blue. Matt Towe who iced for the Guildford Flames for the last two seasons.

Prior to Guildford Matt spent time with the Cardiff Devils in the Elite League. Whilst in the EPL squad of the Flames Towe helped lead them to three trophies including the EPL League Title last season and the Playoff Championship in 2011.

Towe can be an offensive threat amassing 21 goals and 64 assists for 85 points in 58 games, finishing as the second highest British born scorer in the EPL behind the legendary Tony Hand.

Towe is only 24 years old and has played for the Great Britain National Team twice. Last season, Towe missed 16 games with a broken hand but still amassed 41 points (10 goals and 31 assists) in 38 games.

Christiansen gives his thoughts on the acquisition of Towe. “Matt and I spoke the last two summers. He skates extremely well, which is something I look for. I want him to play aggressively in all 3 zones and his speed helps us do that.

He has developed his offensive game the last two seasons and I expect him to play a significant amount for us.  He can play both center and wing but he will most likely start as a winger.

I enjoy working with young players who are determined to develop. Towe has taken less money than he was offered elsewhere to have the opportunity to play for the Giants and prove himself on a championship contender.

He wanted to get back into the Elite League and that sacrifice is a sign that he is hungry to be a great player and work hard everyday to help the team.”

Christiansen is back in the home of the imports where he usually does the majority of his recruitment. He finds it easier to coordinate phone calls with potential players when he is in the same country and within an hour or two of the same time zone as the players he is looking to talk to.

Giants GM Todd Kelman said “Doug is a great coach and one of his biggest strengths is his recruiting. He spends hours looking into each player we bring to Belfast and if he were in Belfast all summer, he would be up all night talking to people. It works better for coaches recruiting North Americans when they are over there themselves.

I also know Doug usually attends coaching conferences throughout the off-season to network with other coaches and to improve his own coaching skills.”

When asked when we can expect to have some more signing news out of the Giants, Kelman was quick to respond. “Doug takes his time when he builds his team, and we have specific needs at each position and a handful of potential players to fit into each spot. He won’t rush into signing a guy early just to have another player to announce.

I know he likes to see what other teams are looking like so he knows what he needs to beat them. It worked last year and hopefully he can build another team that will be contending for all three trophies up for grabs in 2012/13.”

Only time will tell, but in the meantime, Giants fans, much like Christiansen, will have to be patient to get the right men for the job”.