Manchester Storm netminder Drew DeRidder is counting the days until he’s back in front of the fans at the Storm Shelter.

After a weekend on the road in Belfast, attention now turns to the visit of Cardiff Devils, where Cameron Critchlow’s side are looking to continue their recent good form at home.

And DeRidder is especially keen to return after what he described as one of the “craziest” weekends he’s experienced.

“It’ll be good to play at home after being on the road,” he said. “We’ve been really strong at in our barn this season, especially over the last month or two.

“Our fans are the best, and there’s nothing better than winning in front of them. It means the world to have everyone cheering us on at the Storm Shelter, and we appreciate it so much.

“We’re excited to get back in front of our fans and keep things going.

“But last weekend was a very interesting one, to say the least. Friday was one of the craziest hockey games I’ve ever been a part of, and Saturday was probably one of our biggest wins of the season so far.

“After Friday, we were crushed. On one hand, losing a game like that is really hard to bounce back from, especially when you’re playing the same team the next night.

“On the other hand, it gave us a chance at redemption. Going into Saturday, we knew we had something to prove, and I think that really motivated us.”

DeRidder also spoke of his relationship with fellow netminder, Evan Weninger, with whom they have shared netminding responsibilities throughout the campaign.

And he revealed that as well as a rivalry between the pair, a friendship has blossomed too.

He added: “Evan has been great to me ever since I got here. He competes hard every day, and that makes us both better.

“It’s awesome having that friendly competition in practice. We’ve had similar career paths, so we talk a lot about our experiences in the NCAA and in pro hockey in North America.

“We also have plenty of common interests off the ice, so there’s always something for us to talk about.”

 

Words by: Craig Anderson