Steve Thornton last night laughed off suggestions that he is the most hated man in the Elite League - but he wants to be.

The Belfast Giants coach was slammed by his Hull Stingrays counterpart Rick Strachan last week after their meeting at the Odyssey Arena.

Strachan accused Thornton of deliberately trying to injure his goaltender Curtis Cruickshank, leaving him with concusion.

“It was a gutless thing to do. He wonders why he is the most hated guy in the league,” said Strachan after the game.

Now the teams meet again in Hull tomorrow night in what is set up to be a heated battle.

“If that’s how Rick Strachan wants to motivate his team then that’s up to him,” said Thornton, who will first lead his team into battle against the Edinburgh Capitals at the Odyssey tonight.

“Curtis Cruickshank is a very good friend of mine and there was nothing in the collison, he knows that.

“I have spoken to him since to make sure he’s alright and he’s fine with what happened.

“It is impossible to go out and deliberately injure a guy. Ninety-nine per cent of the time he would have fallen and got straight back up again, but that

time he just happened to hit his head on the ice.

“I am sure that Rick was just frustrated that his team lost and that Curtis got injured because they aren’t half the team without him.

“In a way being called the most hated guy in the league is a compliment. If we win the league everyone will hate us and that’s what we are trying to do.”

The Giants took three points out of a possible four against Edinburgh during last weekend’s double-header in the Scottish capital.

Thornton wanted all four and wants his players to make up for that, starting this evening.

Andrew Martin remains injured and a late decision will be made on Paul Deniset.

“We need guys to step up and fiil their skates,” added Thornton.