RYAN Aldridge is preparing his team for a different sort of Telford test tonight.

The Tigers underwent an overhaul in the off-season and are now a different proposition.

After signing on in the summer, Canadian former Elite League player, Jason Silverthorn, was appointed captain. Ex-GB skipper Jonathan Weaver also joined, to add to last season’s impact signature, ex-Slough star, Daniel Scott, in the new-look Tigers’ set-up.

Those marquee players have seen the Tigers off to an impressive start. Their loss on penalties to Basingstoke last weekend was their first this season. That run includes an away win in Sheffield and a 6-1 thumping of Bracknell at home.

Those results have indicated to Aldridge that Cats will have a difficult task when they travel to the Telford Ice Rink tonight.

“Watching them on Saturday, they’re very powerful side,“ said Aldridge. “Speaking to a couple of the Basingstoke boys after they played them the other night, they said they were the quickest Telford team they had played in a few years.

“I think we need to make a fast start but at the same time be ready for their start as well, because I think they’ll try and start very quickly, especially on home ice.”

Aldridge believes Cats’ slightly irregular schedule, that saw them play only once at the weekend before following it up tonight, was partly to blame for their defeat at the weekend. He knows tonight his side cannot be caught cold from the start.

“I think the other night we travelled up there, having had no game on Saturday and to jump out of the bus and straight on to the ice against Sheffield was always going to be tough,’’ he added. “(Tonight) is going to be more of the same, we just have to be ready for it.”

Cats will still be without Floyd Taylor but Shane Moore, who had been an injury doubt looks likely to play.