Danny Stewart happy to take strain for Vipers

Nov 20 2010 by Matthew Leslie, The Journal

Newcastle Vipers’ new player-coach Danny Stewart is finding his combined role a challenge, but one he is determined to meet, reports Matt Leslie.

THEY say life is tough at the top but it is even harder at the bottom, as Newcastle Vipers boss Danny Stewart can tell you.

More so when you have had to assemble a whole new squad together and let players go, wrangled with red tape to bring new guys in, helped the transition to a new venue and combined coaching duties with playing.

If Danny Stewart is feeling the strain he is certainly not showing it.

However, while he admits certain aspects of the job have been tough, he is determined to see the Vipers job to its fruition as he clearly believes the roots of something good are starting to bud and intends to be there when they flower.

Last weekend the Vipers ended an eight-match losing streak with a 3-2 success over Edinburgh Capitals.

While they lost to Cardiff Devils the night after, Stewart was heartened with the way his young side competed until the very end.

A contrast in fixtures are up next for Vipers this weekend, with fellow strugglers Hull in Whitley Bay tonight before second-placed Nottingham roll into town tomorrow evening.

It has been said the Elite League is two divisions rolled into one an, with the schedule being what it is, it is another headache for Stewart to cope with – something he sees as par for the course.

He said: “I have heard a lot about two leagues into one and in any league in any sport that is the case. Unlike in football, we have 10 teams instead of 20.

“A team like ourselves can be playing the top teams two out of three nights, whereas in football you do not play the Chelseas, Arsenals and Liverpools as much.

“In every league, in every sport, there is a bottom tier and a top tier, and hopefully the bottom tier can start making the changes necessary to keep improving and make the gap a little less big.

“Overall, your goal as the coach of the team is to progress throughout the season and get better.

“The situation we are in, we are in a new venue, I am a new coach, we have new management and we pretty much had a whole new team.

“To think we were going to come out of the gates and win eight nine in a row was a bit unrealistic, so the main thing is to show signs of improvement and show signs we are going too compete every night and get better as the season goes on.”

Stewart added: “It has been very tough, more now so than it was at the start because the last few games we have been short-benched and I have had to go back on defence and we have had four.

“I am almost constantly having to be out on the ice most of the time and it makes it tough.

“I have had great support from Davey Hall and he has done a good job on the bench.

“John Schwarz came down to Cardiff and helped out on the bench on Sunday, and that is where your leaders can help out too.

“Once the coach puts a lot of systems in play the bench can run itself to a certain extent and guys know what situations are meant to be out there, and hopefully as the season goes the guys get better at that as well.

“I am sure it is just as tough for other player-coaches in this league like Bruce Richardson at Braehead as well.

“It is something that is not too common anymore, it is more of an older-school type of thing to have a player-coach – but they are in the same situation.

“I don’t think they have had as many injury problems as we have had, where players have had to play outside of their normal roles.

“That has been one of the biggest challenges, me having to play D and combining it with the player- coach role.

“I am playing out of position and playing with a short bench it makes it tough, but we are getting some bodies back and hopefully I can pay more attention to that kind of stuff.”

Vipers have been settling into a new venue following their move to Whitley Bay Ice-rink at Hillheads from the Metro Arena.

With the rink being used for public consumption, time to practise as well as the condition of the ice for match-days could well have been an issue – only if Stewart and his troops allow it to be.

He added: “Don’t get me wrong, the conditions are not fantastic but they have been great at accommodating us for the most part.

“As for it affecting training, we do not get the amount of ice time we would prefer – we get three one-hour slots but sometimes you like an extra half-hour or 45 minutes to go over a few things.

“As for the conditions, it is just stuff the guys have to cope with and get on with.

“They were made aware of the situation before they came in and there is no sense moaning about it now.”