Belfast Giants: A great summer of recruiting and now it’s down to business

Now with pre-season done he is eager to get down to competitive games, starting this weekend with a Scottish roadtrip.

“It has been a very busy summer. It got of to a great start with the signatures of JJ, Conway and Bast, we got out of the gates really quick with those three signings,” explained Keefe.

“They are three players that were instrumental to our success in the past so to get those guys back was a big help in our recruiting.”

He continued: “We just felt that as the summer went on, when the guys came available that we wanted, we went and got them.

“We are really starting to seeing the benefits of that so far in the pre-season, so I think we're just getting ready to get to the games that really mean something.”

Explaining how the JJ, Conway and Bast signings came about, Keefe said: “We don't just cut ties with those players, we keep in contact and and track them. Once we knew what they were thinking we got to work and ultimately got deal done with them pretty quickly.”

He agrees that the Giants roster is a really exciting prospect with plenty of depth.

He said: “We a lot of depth in this team, in managing terms it might give me some headaches, but it is a good one to have.

“It's still very early in the season, there's a long way to go and the competition is only going to get better and better.”

He is pleased to have his core returnees on the roster they will be players who he will be able to move the team forward this season.

He said: “They are great leaders and not what is demanded of the team, and they are winners and know what it takes to win.

“They are also great guys too. They have been here for a long time and know the standards which are required.

“They will help to point some of the new guys in the right direction and showing them how we do things here in Belfast.”

Keefe added: “At the same time you new guys we have brought in here are here for a reason, they are proven winners too.”

This weekend sees the Giants getting down to business in the Challenge Cup and Keefe is demanding the team stamp their authority right from the start.

He said: “We meetings this week talking about that exactly. We want to be a team that starts on time and comes out and controls hockey games.

“We have to do that through a strong possession game. We're taking steps towards making sure our team that can do that consistently and not just every second game, it has to be every game.”

Keefe is expecting the league to be as competitive as ever.

He explained: “It looks looks like the league has taken another step in that direction in terms of the competitiveness what with the signings which have been made.

“We're just trying to play our part in that, the team that is the most consistent, that is what winning is.

“We are in a battle to make sure that we can get to that level as soon as we possibly can.”

Keefe says he had been pleased with what he has seen from the squad during pre-season.

He said: “I think we have some good chemistry already in the squad. At the same time, things have been chopping and changes, what with injuries and Team GB duties, so it hasn't been as fluid as we'd like.

“Everyone has come in and done a good job and when they have had to, played with other linemates, so I am pleased with that. It is ultimately what we are here to do. There will be a little bit uncertainty until we get our lines setup.”

Keefe is looking forward to this weekend's games in Scotland against Dundee and Fife.

He said: “Games in those buildings are always competitive. The teams play hard and the fans are on top of you.

“They of course will getting their Challenge Cup campaigns underway and they will be keen to get a result against the Giants, they will be wanting to impress their fans.

“We are going to need to be ready to match their or better their intensity level. If we do that, then we can be pleased.

“As good as we have done during the pre-season, they really don't mean anything now, and it's these cup games which matter now.”

Keefe is seeing this weekend's games as welcome business trip early in the season.

“I think these games allows us to go on the road and approach the weekend as if it's a business trip then make sure we come home with all four points.”

He added: “But it is nice to get on the road early in the season when the team is still relatively fresh.

We will eat breakfast together, have a pre-game meal together and the players get to room together, each guy has a room-mate while we are on the road, and we will get to know each other on a different level than we have been while here in Belfast.

“For most of the guys it is going to be a new experience going into buildings like those in Dundee and Fife, and that in itself is a new challenge too.”