Canadian defenceman Brent Regner admits he faces a big test when he faces Cardiff Devils at Ice Arena Wales on Thursday.
Elite League champions Devils are geared up for a double Champions League challenge, playing Red Bull Salzburg in Cardiff Bay before taking on Swiss giants SC Bern at home on Saturday.
The Austrians pose a major threat to Devils’ CHL hopes in the first game, but the Welsh team will relish playing two of Europe’s leading teams in front of sell-out attendances at IAW.
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Former Florida Panthers blueliner Regner has signed for Salzburg this season and says: “My special skill is being able to get the puck quickly and get it to the forwards.
“I have only played on Olympic ice a couple of times and I believe that experience is going to improve my game. I will be able to create more time and space for teammates and myself.
“I have never played competitively on big ice and I am sure there is going to be a little adjustment period in there.”
Regner played 88 matches in American League hockey for Texas Stars and they reached the Calder Cup final before losing against Toronto Marlies in game seven.
The 29-year-old was picked Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL draft fifth round 10 years ago and spent the next nine seasons playing in the AHL with six different clubs, making almost 600 appearances.
He is a mobile D-man who moves the puck with speed and accuracy and he has a reputation for being instinctively deadly on the powerplay
Regner, who will wear number 28 as he has for almost all of his career, captained Chicago Wolves, Portland Pirates and Springfield Thunderbirds, while he wore an A for Texas.
One of his greatest sporting achievements was his NHL debut for the Florida Panthers in the 2015-2016 season, with whom he played a total of seven games after being promoted to the World’s top league from farm team the Portland Pirates.
Salzburg has also signed American goalie Steve Michalek, who played a combined 31 games in the AHL and ECHL last season is now ready to make his debut in Europe.
The 6ft 2ins netminder won the NCAA title with Harvard University team in 2015, while he was selected by Minnesota Wild in the 2011 NHL draft and spent three years in the AHL with the Iowa Wild.
“Steve is incredibly athletic and despite being a big guy he is still agile,” says Salzburg coach Greg Poss. “He has proved himself in North America and now intends to develop further in Europe.
“His credentials make him our number one goalie and at 24-years-old he is also the perfect age to help us and to grow as a player under our goalie coach Santeri Hilli.”
Canadian winger Brant Harris has a successful first season with Salzburg and opted to return for 2018-19.
During three seasons with Florida Everglades he scored 67 goals and 93 assists in 175 East Coast League matches.
The 6ft 1ins forward was also loaned to AHL club Adirondack Flames in 2014-15, scoring twice with three assists.
Michalek plus forwards Dustin Gazley and Chris VanderVelde are the three Americans in Salzburg’s team, while their five Canadians are defencemen Raymond and Regner plus forwards Ryan Duncan, Harris and John Hughes.
VanderVelde is a former Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers NHL player who is new to Salzburg this season, while Gazley has moved to Austria after five years with Hershey Bears in North America.
Speedy forward Duncan first signed for Salzburg in 2009-10 and has been with the club for eight seasons, also playing for Portland Pirates (AHL 2011-12) and EHL Munchen (DEL 2013-14).
Ontario-Born Raymond, 33, American League hockey for Binghampton Senators and Charlotte Checkers, before coming to Europe five years ago. He played for Iserlohn Roosters and Adler Mannheim in Germany’s DEL before joining Salzburg three seasons ago.
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Canadian forward Hughes is back in Austria for a fifth successive season playing for Red Bull, who finished runners-up behind Vienna Capitals in Austria’s Erste Bank Eishockey Liga in 2017-18.
Devils are hopeful they will have a full strength team to face Red Bull with Charles Linglet, Matthew Myers and Justin Faryna close to full fitness after injuries. All three have been skating in training.
Tickets for both CHL games this week are on sale now ONLINE HERE or by calling 0800 0842 666 or in person at Arena reception.
Red Bull Salzburg roster:
Netminders: Steve Michalek, Lukas Herzog.
Defense: Martin Stajnoch, Alexander Pallestrang, Daniel Jakubitzka, Bobby Raymond, Brent Regner, Layne Viveiros, Mattias Trattnig, Dominique Heinrich.
Offense: Thomas Rafft, Alexander Rauchenwald, Raphael Herberger, Alexander Cijan, Michael Shiechl, Ryan Duncan, Brant Harris, Florian Baltram, Dustin Gazley, Peter Hochkofler, Mario Huber, John Hughes, Thomas Raffl, Chris VandeVelde, Christof Wappis, Dario Winkler.
The top two teams in the group will progress to the knockout stages.
Cardiff’s Champions League group fixtures:
Thursday 30: Cardiff Devils v Red Bull Salzburg (7.30pm, Champions League)
September
Saturday 1: Cardiff Devils v SC Bern (7.15pm, Champions League)
Thursday 6: Red Bull Salzburg v Cardiff Devils (7.30pm, Champions League)
Saturday 8: SC Bern v Cardiff Devils (7.45pm, Champions League)
October
Tuesday 9: Vaxjo Lakers v Cardiff Devils (6.30pm, Champions League)
Tuesday 16: Cardiff Devils v Vaxjo Lakers (7.30pm, Champions League)