Dominik Groh
Netminder • Sterzing/Vipiteno (Alps Hockey League)
A 28-year-old Czech netminder who becomes one half of an entirely new goaltending tandem for Fife.
2026/27 Season Preview
Fife Flyers
DT Rating
Predicted Finish
Quick Facts
Head Coach
Tim Wallace
Captain
Arena
Fife Ice Arena
2025/26 Finish
10th
Power Play
19.17%
Penalty Kill
76.00%
DT Ratings
Our editorial assessment of each team's fantasy potential heading into the new EIHL season.
Attack
★★★★★
3.5Defence
★★★★★
4.0Goaltending
★★★★★
3.0Depth
★★★★★
3.0DT Value
★★★★★
3.5Club Overview
Fife enter 2026/27 as a club in genuine rebuild mode. Last season ended at the bottom of the Elite League table, a 54-game campaign that produced just 28 points and no playoff hockey. GM and head coach Tim Wallace now leads the rebuild, with veteran forward and captain Garet Hunt doubling as player-assistant coach to help steer the dressing room through the transition.
The scale of the turnover is hard to overstate. Of last season's squad, only Hunt and young defenceman Ethan Hadden return with the roster largely rebuilt from the ground up over the summer — a near-total reset rather than a typical offseason refresh.
Up front, Fife have brought in a wave of North American forwards with recent college and ECHL pedigree: Lucas Chard, Evan Dougherty, Chase Dubois, Cameron Hough, Xander Lamppa and Zachary Power all arrive fresh to the Elite League, alongside English forward Kyle Watson from Sheffield.
The blue line has been rebuilt around Victor Björkung and Max Coyle, with Isack Bandu, Joseph Pierce and Joona Vainio adding further depth, and Ben Solder arriving from Guildford Flames. Local product Reece Kelly also joins from Sheffield Steelers.
Between the pipes, Dominik Groh and Jordan McLaughlin form an entirely new tandem — Groh arriving from Italy's Alps Hockey League, McLaughlin from Hull Seahawks.
The most notable departure is symbolic as much as practical: former NHL forward Milan Lucic has retired after his spell in Fife. Simon Després, Shane Owen and a string of forwards including Keaton Jameson and Anton Karlsson have also moved on.
With this much change, Fife are genuinely difficult to project. A fresh identity under Wallace could pay off quickly, but rebuilding a roster this extensively usually takes time to gel — expect an adjustment period early in the season.
Summer Arrivals
Jordan McLaughlin
Netminder • Hull Seahawks
Scottish-born and stepping up from NIHL level to share the crease duties in a rebuilt Fife side.
Victor Björkung
Defence • Zaglebie Sosnowiec (Poland)
The most experienced of Fife's new defencemen at 33, giving the retooled blue line a veteran anchor, returns to the EIHL after spending a season with Nottingham in 23-24.
Max Coyle
Defence • Aalborg Pirates (Denmark)
A mobile, right-shot defenceman who should see significant minutes on a blue line short of returning faces.
Xander Lamppa
Forward • Maine Mariners (ECHL)
A center capable of playing wing too, giving Fife lineup flexibility up front.
Evan Dougherty
Forward • Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL)
Arrives with legitimate top-six scoring potential from a competitive ECHL environment.
Ben Solder
Defence • Guildford Flames
Brings Elite League experience and familiarity with the British game to an otherwise unfamiliar blue line.
Summer Departures
Milan Lucic
Forward • Retired
The former NHL forward and Stanley Cup champion closes out his playing career after a spell with the Flyers.
Simon Després
Defence • Melbourne Ice
A significant loss of experience from a blue line now almost entirely rebuilt.
Shane Owen
Goaltender • Sheffield Steeldogs
Long term stalwart Owen drops to the NIHL in a eyebrow raising move, as Fife moves to a completely new goaltending pairing for 2026/27.
Keaton Jameson
Forward • Dundee Stars
One of several forwards to leave as part of the wider roster overhaul.
Anton Karlsson
Forward • Manchester Storm
Left Fife in February before a stint in Sweden, and now resurfaces at a fellow EIHL club.
Projected Line-up
With so much of the roster brand new and pre-season still to play out, these combinations are a rough guide based on the confirmed squad rather than any confirmed deployment — expect more change here than at most clubs once camp opens.
First Line: Evan Dougherty, Xander Lamppa and Kyle Watson
Second Line: Cameron Hough, Zachary Power and Chase Dubois
Third Line: Lucas Chard and Garet Hunt
First Pairing: Victor Björkung & Max Coyle
Second Pairing: Ben Solder & Joona Vainio
Third Pairing: Isack Bandu & Joseph Pierce
Depth: Reece Kelly, Ethan Hadden
Netminders: Dominik Groh, Jordan McLaughlin
Players To Watch
DT Star
Evan Dougherty
The most proven scorer among Fife's new forwards, and likely to see first-line minutes from day one.
Sleeper Pick
Zachary Power
Steps up from Canadian university hockey with a chance to grab a significant role on a wide-open forward group.
Breakout Candidate
Max Coyle
A right-shot defenceman who could see top-pairing minutes almost immediately given how thin the returning blue line is.
Top Defenceman
Victor Björkung
The most experienced defender on a rebuilt blue line, likely to anchor the top pairing and eat significant minutes.
Starting Netminder
Dominik Groh
Expected to carry the heavier share of the workload in Fife's new-look crease, for better or worse behind a rebuilding defence.
Fantasy Outlook
DT Verdict
Fife are the hardest team in the league to project this season. Almost the entire roster is new to each other and to the Elite League, which usually means an adjustment period before results — and fantasy production — stabilize. Worth monitoring early rather than loading up on Fife assets before puck-drop.
Season Prediction
Season Prediction
8th–10th
Best Case
A quicker-than-expected turnaround and a fight for a playoff spot.
Worst Case
Another bottom-of-the-table finish while the new roster finds its feet.
Confidence
Low
A near-complete roster reset under a new coach makes Fife a genuine wildcard. There's real upside if the new pieces click faster than expected, but this is about as much uncertainty as one team can carry into a season.
Editors Note
This preview reflects confirmed signings and departures as of mid-July 2026. Fife's listed roster is notably thin for a full Elite League squad at this stage — further additions are likely before the season opener, and projected lines will be updated as camp clarifies deployment.