AFTER encountering numerous changes in his life over the last few months, Braehead Clan new boy Cale Tanaka will be faced with the familiar this weekend when he faces former employers Coventry Blaze.

The British-Canadian forward joined the Purple Army on a try-out basis earlier this week after spending some time forging a new career path away from the ice.

Since leaving Dundee Stars at the end of last season, Tanaka has spent time spanning the globe before landing a job in Glasgow and he has since earned another crack at the Elite League with John Tripp’s side.

“I went back home to Canada at the end of last season and moved to Italy for a while in the summer and started looking for a career outside hockey,” he said to Clan Chat.

“I always wanted to stay in the game in some capacity, but wanted to get myself established with a new career and I’m glad for the opportunities I’ve been given.

“I work for an orthopaedic medical device company in Glasgow and I’ve settled in really well. It’s interesting, fulfilling and I’m really happy so far.

“So coming back to hockey to play with Braehead fits in really well, given how well I know the league.

“It’s a good fit for me, with my mum coming from Bishopbriggs too and if you’d asked me six months ago this is what I’d be doing, you would have floored me with that.”

The 31-year-old is vastly experienced, with almost 250 EIHL games to his name for the Stars, Hull Stingrays and Coventry.

He will be aiming to get one over the team he won the playoffs with in 2015 when Blaze visit the Braehead Arena on Saturday evening.

“It’s hilarious the fact I could come up against one of my old teams, Coventry Blaze on Saturday and it’s amazing how it’s all panned out,” he said.

“I’m excited for it and I still have some old buddies that play with them. I know the organisation really well and it’ll be a lot of fun.”