The season will start in Canberra and Sydney this Saturday, opening night will be Sunday night for the North Stars as the Ice Dogs will head north from Sydney to play a grand-final rematch with the North Stars at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium.

In a significant change from previous seasons, the North Stars will have almost a full complement of players available from the outset, where they have traditionally relied on young reserve talent to see them through their first few weeks.

Coach Don Champagne is especially encouraged by the team that general manager Garry Doré has put together.

“It’s probably the strongest team we’ve had from the start of the season, a weakness in the past.

“Depending on [import] Adrian Saul’s fitness after he arrives from Paris that morning, we could have a full complement of four import players on the ice with us for our opening game,” said Coach Champagne.

The North Stars will be without Australian captain Robert Starke, who has opted to spend a week in Canada before returning to Australia, but Matt Ezzy, Casey Minson and Ray Sheffield will all be back and available to play for Newcastle.

The North Stars have always maintained the quality of their imports both on and off the ice has been a key part of their success, and there seems to be no deviation from that this season.

The team will welcome two veteran professional players, Canadians Adrian Saul and Steven Kaye.

Both players have just completed a season in France playing for Tours’ Black Devils. These two fast friends have played in Scotland, England and Italy, and many times as team mates.

Saul has two other reasons to play hockey in Australia, his mother was born in Sydney (plenty of family here in Australia), and the glowing endorsement of 2006 North Star Trevor Sherban.

All four imports, joining American Dylan Cox already here with the North Stars, have been referred here, a good reflection on the experiences of past players.