IT may have been a baptism of fire for Aleksanteri Heiskanen when making his Hull Seahawks debut last weekend, but Matty Davies has already seen and heard enough to convince him the Finnish netminder will have the desired effect between now and the end of the season.

The 27-year-old initially had ambitions of continuing his career at a higher level elsewhere in Europe at the start of this season, but he is ‘all in’ for his first taste of British hockey.

A visit to NIHL National leaders Swindon Wildcats last Saturday was perhaps not the gentlest way to break his new goalie in, but Davies believes throwing him in at the deep end was the right call.

The night ended in a 6-1 defeat for the Seahawks but, the following night, on home ice, Heiskanen showed the kind of quality Davies brought him in for when he helped his new team to a come-from-behind 4-1 win over Basingstoke Bison.

“It was a tough one for him to start with but, looking back, I’m glad I threw Aleksander in like that,” said Davies, whose team host Telford Tigers today before heading south to Romford Raiders on Sunday.

“He’s a really confident kid and it was good for him to see the level of this league in that first game.

“That’s probably the hardest game in the league, to be honest, Swindon away - not only because it is the league leaders but also, at that rink, it can be really difficult.

“So it was a good one for him to realise how good this league can be and it put pressure on him for the next night.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Hull Seahawks head coach Matty Davies likes what he has seen and heard from new netminder Aleksanteri Heiskanen since his arrival in the UK. Picture: Adam Everitt/Seahawks Media.

placeholder image — FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Hull Seahawks head coach Matty Davies likes what he has seen and heard from new netminder Aleksanteri Heiskanen since his arrival in the UK. Picture: Adam Everitt/Seahawks Media.

“And what I saw - across both nights - was exactly what we needed, exactly what I wanted to see.

“I know that he is a really high-level goalie - in training, the way he is as a person and in the two games so far. You just know he’s going to make a big difference for us.”

Davies sees this weekend as a further opportunity for his team to maintain momentum heading into the post-season, on the back of a run which has seen them win five of their last seven games.

“I really do think we’ve improved massively and turned a bit of a corner,” said Davies. “We’re starting to play a really solid, all-round game. I like what I’m seeing and it’s because we’ve got a full buy-in from everybody.

“I feel like we’ve been playing really well for a good month or so and I think we’re on the right path - we just need to keep it going and go into the play-offs with this kind of momentum.”