7. I'm coming home, Newcastle
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Hi everyone

After a long summer, I'm finally coming back to the north east this weekend.

I am very excited to get back in the region to get settled and prepare myself the best I can for when the guys arrive, so we can get rolling straight away with what we want to do.

I'd like to apologise to the fans for the delay on the announcement of our last defenceman.  We signed him a couple of weeks ago, but found he'd also agreed to terms with a team in America.  It's been a case of some telephone diplomacy and getting the paperwork all sorted to make sure we're not stepping on any toes.  I've spoken with his old coach and we should be in a position to confirm everything by the weekend.

As for the last two spots, nothing has really changed since my last post.  I'm still looking for a first line forward, preferably a centreman, and a tough forward.  I have not been able to find what I wanted and I am not prepared to sign a guy just to fill the roster.

I will continue as I have all summer, to be patient and make sure we get the right guys.

I'm looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible before the season starts - we've got our V-Force at the rink this weekend, and I'll be down there helping out too.  And my talk-in in on Wednesday in the rink bar from 8pm.  I understand we'll be unveiling a third jersey design that night too!

I can't wait to get home to Newcastle and start the job that I signed up to do.

6. Toughness is a lot more than just squaring off...
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Last week we announced Scott Langdon and Charlie Effinger, and both guys are huge part of our defence this season.

We also have a 6'3" defenceman to announce, we are just working through some final bits and pieces before confirming everything.  It's taking a little longer than I'd have hoped, but we should get that done in the next week.

Right now I am looking to sign another centermen to play on the top two lines and a possible tough guy.

I would like everyone to know that I have spent the last two weeks in search of a tough guy, spending countless amount of hours each day, and have unfortunately come up empty. I want people to realize that they are tough to find and that many of the top tough guys in the US are playing in the AHL or still believe they have a chance to get there.

I have spoken to approximately 15 different guys about this role and 5 or 6 of the guys I spoke with were very interested in Newcastle but stated they wanted that one last shot to make it up in North America. These guys also come at a very steep price and that also makes it a challenge as well, especially when the pound is not as strong as it used to be against the dollar. 

In a perfect world we will have someone to fit that role in place to begin the season, but if the right guy is not available I may hold off until AHL and ECHL camps have finished to see what is out there for tough guys.

I really want a guy that will challenge anybody in the league, but also be able to ice regular shift for us as depth is a priority for me. Until we do I feel we have a solid base of players with grit and size to handle anything that comes our way.

I believe toughness is a whole lot more then just squaring off with guys and our team will reflect that.

5. Terms agreed with 6'3" defenceman
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Hi everyone.

I have just received a verbal agreement on a contract from a 6'3" stay at home dman that plays with toughness from the ECHL. It's just a matter of working out the paperwork and hopefully we can announce it by the start of next week.

I am also in talks with players to fill our last few spots including a goalie.  Again, the goalie has been my toughest challenge as I have been offered many names but just have not found the guy I want as of yet.  In the next couple weeks I will be grinding it out and trying to complete the team so that there is no chance of late visas or complications that will lead us to begin the season without a full line-up.

Other teams seem to be looking to bring new blood into the UK and the league will be very exciting for the fans as they will get to see alot of new and also younger talent into the UK.  I have tried to keep our team as young as possible so that we can play an energetic and exciting brand of hockey. 

I have continued to state that we will have a balance of skill and toughness that will allow us to compete every night and I am very happy on where the team has gone.  Jaimie and Paddy have been excellent in helping me with the conversion to coach and have giving me every bit of help that has been needed within the team's limitations.

We are looking at bringing the players in around the 6th-7th of September to give the guys a couple of days to settle in to their new places and learn the area.  Our first practice will commence on Sept 9th so we will have two days of practice and off-ice workouts to prepare us for our two exhibition matches against Edinburgh.

The following week we will practice every day including the Wednesday when we face-off against the Whitley Warriors and having that full week should give us the time needed to prepare for our first weekend against the Sheffield Steelers.

Whitley Bay Ice Arena has been fantastic accomadating us for training camp and without their help we would not have sufficient ice time to be prepared for the season so I thank them for their support.

I look forward to filling you guys in next week and I'm confident by then we will have at least one, maybe two players announced by then.

Danny.

4. Filling out those last roster spots...
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Hi everyone

Right now I am pursuing two big, physical Dmen that are very defensively sound in their own end for my final two dmen spots.

I feel having a physical presence at the back end playing out of Whitley Bay is crucial to our success this season.

Currently I am still looking for a goaltender. I have had the opportunity to sign a few guys throughout the summer but I have remained patient in finding one that will fit the mould of your team and also give us a chance to win every night. I hope to have somebody in place in the next couple of weeks.

I feel that if I get a couple more physical Dmen at the back end then we will have more then enough team toughness. As for an out and out tough guy? If it's the right fit and I have the option to sign a guy that will take on anyone else in the league and be successful then I will not hesitate to sign them.

Our fans must be aware that these sort of players do not come cheap anymore and that it is important for me to put the right guy in place. There's no use bringing a guy in for the sake of it and he is a liability off the ice or is losing all his fights.

I will continue to keep you updated on how things are going.

Thanks as always for your continued support
Danny

2. New signing close
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Hey everyone, hope you are enjoying your summer! 
 
After the signing of Kyle Sibley recently, the remaining player recruitment has been going very well.  I am now in position that I have a few options and can choose the right fits for the club.  

Again we want that balance of skill and toughness and sometimes it takes time to find it, but I am doing my best day in day out to find players that will commit to playing for the city and the organisation.  

We should be able to announce a new signing in the next few days, a player who I think will bring us some added offense by scoring us some goals.  He's a current international, and scored three goals in five games at the last World Championships.  We're delighted to have him and look forward to him growing and developing with us.  

  
Recently our league fixtures have been released. I am very happy with the way things have turned out. I know our first three games come as a challenge playing the Sheffield Steelers back to back followed by the Belfast Giants.

These will be top teams in the Elite League this season and whether it is the start of the season, middle or end, we have to play these teams. It will be up to me to best prepare the club to be ready from the get-go so that we can compete against the top teams right off the start. 
 
Finally, I would like to continue thanking our current season ticket holders for their support .  When the early bird deal closed we were pushing up towards 300 of our 400 target.  Hopefully those who are on the fence can jump on board and help us to a successful season at the Bay. 

Take care,

Danny

3. These Uni guys sure can play
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Hi everyone

We have today announced the signing of Dale Mahovsky. I think this is a great signing for the club.

Dale brings the team alot of options, his versatility will be very important to us this season as he can play all forward positions. Coming from the University of Alberta, we are getting an important piece of what has been one of the top 3 programs in Canada at the university level. 

Dale's signing is proof that with the new opportunity this season to recruit NCAA/CIS players, that we can find younger, fresher talent to the UK and this will bring more quality players to the league which will also bring added energy.

These guys play at a high level where they are and although the college ranks are a bit unknown to the UK, it will not take the league long to realize this window of opportunity will help the Elite League progress to a higher level, and that these guys sure can play.

I've got more offers out there for players and I'll keep you informed as things progress in this blog and via the website.

Hope you're enjoying your summer

Danny

1. Stewy's Blog
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Each week, Vipers coach Danny Stewart will bring you his latest thoughts from potential signings, news around the League or just some plain old hockey gossip!

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Hi Vipers Fans,

Welcome to my first Coaches Corner.

So here we go, currently I am speaking with many players who are interested in playing in Newcastle. I am aware that this time of year that our supporters would like to hear constant news of signings and progress with the club. In the next couple of weeks we will have some signings to announce, both import signings and a couple of local players. We want to show our supporters that we are keen to rebuild the team and develop the younger local talent in that process. The key this summer will be patience. I have continually said that and I want to stick by that ideal.

There is some uncertainty in leagues in North America and also as the summer progresses players demands and patience runs thinner, and at that time more players will become available to choose from. I would also like to take this time to thank our supporters for their continued support, especially our season ticket holders, whose early support this summer has been first class and has exceeded even our expectations. Hopefully with the announcement of a couple more local players joining the club and a couple of import signings will get some more people on board, as the growing support of you will take this club forward into the future.

Thanks for your support

Danny