The Southern Stampede has been a finalist for the past two seasons and coach Steve Reid said the runner-up tag was wearing thin.
Reid believes this year's squad, which has a mixture of old and new faces, has more depth than 2012's and has a good chance of winning the championship.
''We've got some good returners, some good new acquisitions ... if you asked me at the end of last year's season, I would have been really worried we might not get a team together, and now I'll be disappointed if we're not title contenders at the end of the season.''
Reid said this year's imports and return players made for a more complete side across the board, in both forwards and defence, whereas last year it was top-heavy in the forwards and relied heavily on goal scorers.
The experience of captain Simon Glass, Ice Black Bert Haines, Australian League imports Adam Blanchette, Greg Bay and Jerry Brucker and Mike McRae, of the US, will have a huge influence on the side.
From all accounts, McRae is set to make the biggest impact of the new players, as he was in the top three Australian league goal scorers for 2012.
While the imports look impressive, the Queenstown lifestyle and team atmosphere has drawn back last year's imports Michael Weber (US), Matt Schneider (Canada), Tommy Zizian (Canada) and Brian Horwitz (US), who will double up in the coaching panel with Reid.
Reid will this year take a back seat and make 20% of the trainings while Horwitz, who comes from a coaching background, will take the majority. Each will don the coach's cap for matches.
Horwitz's assistant coaching role will also allow him to play and contribute to the goal tally after last year becoming one of the team's top goal scorers.
The Stampede lose four of 2012's young stars to nearest rival the Dunedin Thunder - 2012 Stampede player of the season and goalkeeper Ashton Brookes, Mitchell Frear, Connor Harrison and Brett Speirs.
Reid admits this will be a huge gain for the Thunder and it should go a long way to helping its season.
''It should do; if it doesn't, there's something seriously wrong.''
To replace Brookes, the Stampede has recruited two goalies in former Botany Swarm goalie Kane Easterbrook and Matt Swirtz.
Returning captain Glass said losing the four New Zealand under-20 representatives to Dunedin was going to be a blow to the Stampede, but he understood the players were putting their university studies first.
''I can understand, but at the same time, I would have liked to have seen them play for us.''
He was positive about this year's roster, especially regaining his old Ice Black team-mate Haines.
''It was all a bit doom and gloom at the end of the season, when we lost. We weren't sure if we'd pull a team together.
''It's pretty exciting now. We will battle with the best of them.''
2013 Southern Stampede
Goalies
Kane Easterbrook (NZ), Matt Swirtz (NZ)
Defence
Bert Haines (NZ), Adam Blanchette (US), Quinn Drake (NZ), Joel Cleroux (Canada, returned), Mason Brookes (NZ), Lachlan Frear (NZ), Cameron Frear (NZ), Greg Bay (Australia, new)
Forwards
Simon Glass (NZ, captain), Braden Lee (NZ, returned), Callum Burns (NZ), Max Macharg (NZ), Tommy Zizian (Canada, returned), Dan Baldwin (UK, new), Mike Weber (US, returned), Mike McRae (US, new), Mathew Schneider (Canada, returned), Jerry Brucker (Australia/Switzerland, new), Brian Horwitz (US, returned, coach/player)
