Blaze: Coleman's Mustard

Jon Coleman made an immediate impact in his Blaze debut, helping his new team to a 4-2 win against the Devils.

With Swedish blueliner Matt Soderstrom sidelined with a Stomach injury, the former Detroit Red Wings draft pick was brought in to provide cover during the festive schedule.

And Blaze coach Paul Thompson has been impressed by the incoming D-man.

“He can make a pass and his positioning is very good," Thompson said in an interview with skysports.com.

"What he gives us at the back is that experience because we’re quite young on defence. Soderstrom is our most experience defenceman and our most defensive defenceman and he’s out of the line-up."

Soderstrom will have surgery on Wednesday to repair a hernia and is expected to be out for a month. Coleman’s arrival will ease the pressure on the Swede to return to the active roster, allowing him the time to fully recover.

Coleman, 33, has played in several leagues in Europe and could well return to the continent for the second half of the season.

“He’s only signed a contract here until January,” Thompson added.

“I think he was waiting for a bigger offer to come through from Europe and this gives him an opportunity to start playing again and get into some game shape.”

Thompson compared Coleman to former Blaze defenceman Reid Simonton, who was a key part of the league-winning side in 2006/07.

“He reminds me of Reid because he’s very cool and calm on the puck, very smooth,” Thompson said.

“Coleman brings us that leadership and experience, even in his first game the comments that he was making on the bench were all positive. He was supporting guys and talking to them – he’s a 13 year veteran who has played at the highest levels.”