Fife Flyers Ice Hockey Club are delighted to confirm the appointment of Canadian Jamie Russell as the Club’s new Head Coach and Associate GM working side by side with President and GM Max Birbraer to build a winning team, energise the locker room and take the Flyers to new heights.
Coach Russell joins the Flyers with a wealth of coaching experience spread across the NCAA, ECHL, Slovak Extraliga and most recently, the Alps Hockey League where his Rittner Buam faced off against the Cardiff Devils in the third round group stage of the 2024/25 IIHF Continental Cup Competition.
Coach Russell’s time in the NCAA saw him awarded coach of the year in the 2006/07 season whilst at the helm of Michigan Tech. A team which Russell coincidentally laced up for during his short defensive playing career which also took him to the ECHL and AHL. Most recently Coach Russell led his Rittner Buam to the Italian Supercup Championship during the 2024/25 season.
Commenting on his appointment, Russell said, “I am very excited to begin this new journey with the Fife Flyers! The new ownership group has been outstanding in developing a vision to return the Flyers to a level of pride and excellence. Max Birbraer is a legend in the EIHL, and his leadership will guide us to new heights.”
“We are building a roster that will reflect the values you will find in the community of Kirkcaldy. We will attack games with an unyielding work ethic and passion. You will see players that have pride in pulling the Flyers sweater over their head. We intend to make the Fife Ice Arena one of the most challenging places to play in the league, with the home team known for its speed, grit and relentless style of hockey”
“I can’t wait to meet the Flyers fans and work with them in a partnership to rebuild the pride in the oldest team in the UK.”
GM Max Birbraer added, “I am extremely excited to be able to secure Jamie as our Head Coach & Associate GM. From the first conversation, I immediately felt we were exactly on the same page, not only about how hockey should be played, but the type of team we would like to build here in Fife. We both felt that this is a tremendous opportunity of having a blank canvas where we can put our own stamp on. The fact that Jamie has successfully undergone a full re-build process several times in his extensive career holds huge value as that’s exactly what is happening here in the Kingdom of Fife.”
“As an Associate GM, Coach Russell has the creative power of putting together a team which reflects the identity of what truly is a hockey town. Hard work, passion, fearlessness, are just some of the building blocks of our new identity. We are planning to balance this with skill and entertainment which we think is a winning formula in terms of giving our diehard supporters the match night experience they deserve. During the due diligence process, one common theme kept coming through. Jamie is a true leader. So please, get behind this team and fly together!”
