A four-point weekend was the best way to celebrate an important week in the history of the Bison.

Tomas [Enerston - new owner] has made it clear that there's a great deal to be done to get back on track.

He's looking to the players and the fans to continue to show the same positive belief in the club that carried us through difficult times.

We've always appreciated the fans' support, and felt confident that results would come when we could focus on what we're here to do - play hockey.

I think the big change for me is that I can now concentrate on coaching.

By this stage in the season, I'd normally have built up stats on my own team and our opponents. We'd be reviewing videos of the games and workouts in the gym would be monitored.

Everyone involved on the playing side would have one concern only - to put in the best performance we could when we take to the ice.

Now all this can happen, because there are people around us to sort the problems out.

It's a great feeling when an owner gets in touch with you just before a game to wish you luck and again after the match to thank you for the performance.

He has a passion for the game and that communicates itself to us all. We know he respects what we do and genuinely wants the best for us. We want to repay that trust.

Now, not only do I smile when I make my way to the rink for games. I've even got a smile on my face driving to work every day.

We said goodbye to Dean Melanson after the Manchester game. As you know, we have all been concerned for his health and fitness.

In the short time he has been here, his class and ability have been there for all to see. We wish him all the best for the future.

I thought that as a team we played some of our best hockey of the season in Manchester. We never lost the belief that we would win.

So let's look forward to the weekend. I hope to see lots of shiny happy people on Saturday.

Ryan Writes appears in Thursday's Gazette on the Follow the Herd page