FRESH off a seven-goal game, Wehebe Darge hopes to help the Newcastle Northstars continue their unbeaten start to the Australian Ice Hockey League season with a win over his debut club Adelaide.
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Darge, who scored a career-best haul in last week's 14-1 win over Central Coast, faces his home-town team at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium on Sunday.
"It's always a little bit more exciting," Darge said.
"There's definitely some nerves and it's nice to see some old faces. You have an understanding of how some of the guys play ... it's always fun and it's a little easier to get up for these games."
Darge, 32, left Adelaide in 2016 after seven campaigns before a four-season stint at Canberra across 2017-22.
He was actually part of Adelaide's 2009 grand-final win over Newcastle in his maiden season, the first of three titles he's won, the others in 2018 and 2022.
The forward jokes there's now "more players I coached than played with" in Adelaide's side, but a few old teammates are "pretty important pieces of their team".
He's expecting the Adrenaline, who returned last year after hiatus in 2022, to put up a fight in the 4pm match.
The visitors have only played one game, downing Sydney Bears 4-3 at home, while the Northstars have won their three matches. Adelaide also face Sydney Ice Dogs on Saturday.
"Usually the quality of imports they get is lacking a little bit, but their locals are really quality, hard-working [players]," Darge said. "It always a tough game."
Now in his second Northstars season after moving to Newcastle to raise a family with his Novocastrian partner, Darge is keen to claim another Goodall Cup with a third side in 2024.
The father-of-one, who runs a disability-support business with his partner, Huddle Therapy, has taken confidence from Newcastle's start to the campaign.
"I feel like there was probably a couple of things I wanted to say last year, but when you're new at a club you just need to feel it out and make sure you know what's what," he said.
"This year, I've been a little bit more vocal ... and I just feel like the organisation is moving in the right direction.
"I'm really happy to be here, and I just want to keep pushing for a Cup."
As for his seven-goal game last week, the left-handed shooter described the haul as "surreal".
"The most I've got was four. So seven was a bit wild," he said.
"It was one of those games ... where I couldn't do anything wrong."