Layne Ulmer, a hugely skilled and reliable, two-way centreman, is playing a key role in Cardiff Devils bid to win the Elite League title for a third successive season.
Canadian Ulmer, from the Battlefords in Saskatchewan, has been voted Elite player of the week.
Devils have earned nine successive victories and are nine points clear of second-placed Belfast Giants, having beaten their closest rivals in back-to-back fixtures last weekend.
Now Devils face Sheffield Steelers away on Wednesday and Ulmer will play a key role in South Yorkshire.
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He made more than 300 American League appearances before coming to Europe and earning major success in Italy, winning two league titles.
He has helped Devils win back-to-back Elite League championships plus the Challenge Cup and play-offs.
Ulmer came to Cardiff after Sean Bentivoglio, a line-mate at Asiago, signed for the club and recommended his pal.
The 38-year-old forward scored four points in 4-2 and 5-2 wins against Giants and said: “We showed how we can play in both games and showed a lot of character at different times.
“It kind of proved to us as a team what works and we are extremely positive going forward.
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“Those games are the most fun to play in. The atmosphere is like a play-off game. You can feel how into it the crowd are and that every shift means something.
“You get totally lost in the game with emotion and afterwards see how tired and spent everybody is mentally and physically.
“I’ve always loved playing in big games. It’s not that I don’t feel pressure, of course I do, but I love the opportunity to be out there in a big game when it really matters.
“I love the feeling when something is on the line, and being able to go out and give the team that boost that it needs.
“I don’t think about it really, it kind of happens. Any time you score it feels great and when you do it in a huge game like we had against Belfast it’s a big emotional rush.
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“I love that feeling when you can sense the energy on the bench and in the crowd.”
Devils travel to play a Sheffield Steelers team who have struggled this season and home player Aaron Johnson, a veteran of almost 300 NHL matches, says, ”It’s going to be a good challenge against Cardiff and we are looking forward to it.
“We are playing better as a team now. Cardiff have a good team, they are at the top of the league and it is a good challenge for us.
“In this league, it seems that on any given night any team can win. We are looking forward to the opportunity to see where we stand.”
Devils have four successive away games now, starting in Sheffield and followed by Nottingham Panthers, Fife Flyers and Manchester Storm.
Their next home tests at the Viola Arena are against Sheffield Steelers on Sunday, February 3 (6pm) and Coventry Blaze (Saturday, February 9).
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