COACH DOUG CHRISTIANSEN

Returning for his second year as Head Coach of the Belfast Giants is Doug Christiansen. The 32 year old from Milwaukee, Wisconsin took over the reins in April 2010 and led his team to a franchise record 86 points last season. He recently graduated with his MSc in Sports Management from the University of Edinburgh, the city where he coached The Edinburgh Capitals from the Elite League for 3 years prior to coming to Belfast.

Christiansen is the sixth coach in Giants history and he has already assembled a strong pack of British players for the 11/12 season, including Craig Peacock, Robert Dowd and Mark Garside.

"The Giants are a championship contender year after year and I think with the foundation of players we have, we are well on our way to building a team capable of bringing home silverware. This isn't about blowing everything up and starting anew. There will be players who have retired or will move on after last season but there are also plenty of guys looking for an opportunity to play in Belfast". If I can add some effective signings and more good people there's no reason why we can't win the title. My goal is to build a team that will continue winning championships in Belfast because that's what the fans want and that's what I want."