The Port Hope Predators have been making some roster changes over the last few weeks, and new faces will be seen at tonight’s night home game against Bowmanville.

Bolstering Port Hope’s back end will be big stay-home defenceman Kevin Floris, who comes from the Grande Prairie Storm of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Born in 1988, he previously played Junior B for the St. Catharines Falcons near his hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

After arriving in Port Hope Tuesday, Floris laced up with his new squad. He played eight games with the Storm at the start of the year, playing at least 20 minutes a game as a top-four defenceman.

After logging exponential amounts of minutes during the playoffs last year, a Storm scout from Welland was the one who had hooked Floris up with his gig out west. It didn’t pan out, however. “I got homesick, and wanted to come home. It’s really different there. We’re not allowed to drink in public, like at a bar, we had curfew. Every morning there was a workout, and then a skate, so you’d be too tired to really want to go do anything, and the town is so small there, there’s not really anything to do anyway.”

Grande Prairie, though, is crazy about hockey as Floris noted “they had 1,800 season ticket holders, and averaged 2,500 fans per game.”

While playing in front of a crowd is always nice, being home is nicer.

So to get back home, he had to find a new place to play: “My girlfriend’s parents knew some people in Port Hope, and they said it was a great organization, and they treat their players well.”

Joining the Preds when they are in defensive turmoil, Floris should be able to help out on the blueline. “I just gotta go out there and play my position, help the team get back on the right foot.”

In his final year of junior hockey, Floris is looking to get a scholarship to an American school, and hopes playing in the Ontario Junior Hockey League will get him noticed by the right people. “Grande Prairie had a lot of scouts, but they’re mostly NHL and pro scouts. I hope this league is going to help me out with a scholarship.”

Floris said he has no qualms about playing a lot of minutes. “The last two years in the playoffs, I played around 40 to 45 minutes per game,” he said.

Floris described himself as a stay-home defenceman, and compares his style of play to that of Jason Smith.

Also joining the Preds for tonight’s tilt against the Eagles is Hungarian netminder Akos Agardy. He was finally cleared by Hockey Canada to suit up for the Predators.

Agardy, who has not practised with a team since suiting up for the Collingwood Blues last season, said he was feeling “pretty good” after Tuesday’s practice.

“I haven’t practised with a team since last season, and I really missed it. I got signed in September, but I had to wait until now.”

Of his new team, Agardy said, “I had a lot of fun on the ice, and I’m really looking forward to playing on Friday.”

Over the summer, he was skating with NCAA, OHL and professional players, perfecting his game. “I did a lot of workouts and dryland training. I also coached some little kids’ hockey. My cousin is nine years old, and he’s a goalie too, so I was coaching there and goalie coach for another team, too.”

On joining Port Hope, Agardy said, “I’m feeling confident, the guys are really nice to me, and I like Port Hope so far, too. It’s a small town, no traffic. And I know all the people in Port Hope really love hockey, it’s a hockey town, and we get lots of fans, so I’m excited to play on Friday.”

After playing pro hockey in Europe, playing junior hockey in Canada is a bit of a strange twist on his young hockey career.

Agardy then explained how he came to be here. “Well, I came to visit my uncle in Toronto for three weeks, you know, do sightseeing, CN Tower, Niagara Falls, and I got stuck here,” he said with a laugh. “I brought my hockey bag with me, and I told my uncle I wanted to go out and skate, so I went to camp in Oakville, and a guy who worked for the Collingwood Blues said he wanted to sign me.”

Agardy said he will head back to Toronto during his time off to visit his uncle and cousin. “I love Toronto, it’s a very nice city.”

On playing his first game for the Predators, he said, “I get nervous before games, but once I’m on the ice, I focus on what I have to do, and I’m not nervous anymore.”

The strongest asset he brings to the club is: “My feet are good on the ice, and I like to play the puck.”

While his favourite goalie is Martin Brodeur, he said his style is similar to Roberto Luongo’s.

Two more players recently joined the Predators — Matt Webkamigad and Jeff Lobman. Watch the Evening Guide for more on these two new blueliners.