By Kris Smith
Garrigan returned to the line-up last weekend and made his first competitive appearances of the season after picking up an injury during the preseason.
However, the 24-year-old has never shied away from a game against Nottingham Panthers, especially after scoring his first pro-goal against them during the 2018-2019 80’s themed night.
Tonight, Nottingham come to the DIA to face Craig and the rest of the Stars, with the team hungry for a win against the starving for points Panthers.
Without a doubt, Garrigan will put on his usual display of a solid performance that is fuelled with hard work, determination and speed and his efforts will be no less in Saturday’s derby against Fife Flyers.
Discussing his first impressions of Garrigan and what his plans for the future could hold, Stars Head Coach, Jeff Mason started off by saying: “I was extremely excited about working with Craig!
“From very early on, when we first got on the ice, I thought he had better speed and skill than I had originally seen and anticipated from coaching against him.
“Craig brings a lot of energy and as he works back to fitness and match sharpness, he can be a player that kills penalties and plays a lot more minutes for us.
“He is also a great guy and fits in really well with the room and has a great personality, so I was really excited to see what he can bring for us, but obviously the injury was really disappointing for both Craig and men, because I thought he could be a great contributor on this team.
“So, it is great to have him back in the team and it certainly was a tough weekend to come back into, not just with the results but two of the top teams in the league and playing with such a high pace, after being out for so long.
“With a lower body injury it is tough to keep your fitness but I thought he did well with his ice time and he worked his way back into being more comfortable as the games went on.
“So, I am looking for him to be a player that can provide some spark for us and provide some energy, he certainly is someone that can play a big role for us going forward.”
Face-off is at 7:30pm and you can get your tickets for tonight’s home game HERE!
All images: Derel Black.
