With one double-header weekend against a top four opponent behind them, and another about to begin, Belfast Giants are sat firmly atop the EIHL table and fighting to keep their place. I caught up with defenceman Garrett McFadden to find out the mood in the locker room.
Last weekend Cardiff Devils were in town, they took victory in the Saturday night fixture, before a resurgent Giants team secured the win on Sunday evening. McFadden wasn’t in the lineup on Saturday night but came in on Sunday and provided the steadying and consistent presence Belfast fans have come to expect.
“Saturday was tough, I think we played our game but Cardiff came in hot and a lot of things went their way. On Sunday we were determined not to let that happen again. We just focused on the game we wanted to play and trusted each other to get the result”
It must have been tough to sit out a game where the team was losing, when as a player all you want to do is help out your teammates. I ask Garrett how he deals with it. “It’s not great of course, but the coach has to manage everyone’s minutes and I accept that. It was great to get in on Sunday and to come away with a win.”
This weekend the team travel to Sheffield for two nights against the Steelers, a team they have dominated in the season so far. Sheffield have had a torrid time at the SSE Arena and will be very keen to prove they have what it takes against the league leaders. “These are the games you want to play in. Steelers are a good team and two nights in their arena will be tough, but we have confidence in ourselves and we know we can beat them so we will keep doing things our way and trust our group to get it done.”
McFadden has often been a leadership figure at previous clubs. He captained Guelph Storm for his final two seasons in the OHL, and just a couple of seasons ago wore the C for Reading Royals in his second season with them. As someone who has taken on this responsibility himself, I ask what he thinks of our leadership group. “They’re great, they all keep us focused and striving for success. When you look around this locker room, almost everybody has been a leader prior to coming here, so it’s a pretty special group. Everybody steps up in their own way – whether that’s calling each other out, holding us to account, or putting the team on their back when needed. I’ve never been in a group quite like it.”
I can’t let Garrett go without asking him honestly – how much is he enjoying his time in Belfast, including the club getting him to sample the local delicacies? He laughs as he answers, “It’s one of the great things about being able to come to different places and play hockey. I’ve loved exploring the city and going out into the countryside too. I always enjoy trying local food, even the stuff Dicko is feeding to us!”
