GLENS FALLS, N.Y. — Peter MacArthur laced up his skates hundreds of times during a 14-year pro career, including three separate stints with the Adirondack Thunder.

Friday night he’ll be wearing street shoes as the team’s new head coach when it hosts Reading in a preseason contest at Cool Insuring Arena.

“It’s going to be awesome, I can’t wait,” the 37-year-old Clifton Park native said. “I love hockey. It doesn’t matter if it’s behind the bench or on the ice, I just love it.”

Opening face-off is set for 7 p.m., ushering in a brand new chapter in MacArthur’s lengthy career, which began playing for his father, Bill, at Shenendehowa High School. From there, he went to Boston College where he was a double-digit goal scorer all four years. As a pro, he spent several years in the AHL and overseas in Europe.

But, Glens Falls holds a special place in his hockey heart of hearts because it’s here, as a young kid, that he got to watch future stars skating for the Adirondack Red Wings, which won four Calder Cup championships in a 12-year span from 1981-92.

Transitioning from a sweat-soaked jersey to suit-and-tie has been a bit strange for someone used to hockey’s physical grind.

“For me, it’s just wrapping my head around not playing, not having that type of mentality,” MacArthur said. “You’re used to just being worried about yourself for so long, being prepared. Now you’ve got a bunch of kids you’re trying to help as best you can. That’s been the biggest adjustment.”

There’s no question, however, that he expects players to approach each shift the same way he did — pedal to the metal, leaving every ounce of effort on the ice.

Twenty-eight players have been in training camp this week. For some, this weekend’s games (Adirondack visits Reading on Saturday) are a test, to see if they make the regular-season roster.

“When you hop over the boards and you have your opportunity, let’s go!” MacArthur said. “Let’s see what you’ve got! Don’t wait to make it happen. There’s good game players and good practice players. We want game players. Everyone will be in the lineup this weekend. Then we’ll make our decisions after that.”

Assistant Coach Mike Bergin, who lives in Saratoga Springs, is a former Thunder captain and spent the past four years coaching at Skidmore College.

MacArthur is also counting heavily on veteran defenseman Jeff Taylor, of Clifton Park, to be a team leader as the season gets under way.

“I’m very excited to see the skill we have mesh with the toughness and experience we have,” MacArthur said. “It’s a really, really interesting mix.”

Several players including goaltenders Mareks Mitens and Isaac Poulter are New Jersey Devils prospects. Adirondack is the NHL organization’s ECHL affiliate. Other players are free agents.

Aside from the challenge of being a new head coach, MacArthur has the added pressure of improving the Thunder’s league-worst record last season. He’s confident the roster he’s put together can do just that, and each team member he’s recruited has a specific role to play.

“Everyone needs to go out and do what got them here,” MacArthur said. “I want to see Noah Corson go to the net every chance he gets. I want to see Yannick Turcotte finish every hit he has an opportunity to finish. When Shane Harper has an opportunity to shoot, I want him to shoot. We’ve put players in positions with the attributes we think will help us be successful across the board. Now it’s their job to go do it.”

The regular-season gets under way next weekend with a two-game set at Worcester. The home opener is on Saturday, Oct. 29 (7 p.m.), also against Worcester. The Thunder compete in the ECHL’s seven-team North Division, which also includes Newfoundland, Reading, Norfolk, Maine and Trois-Rivieres.

“I’m excited about the energy we bring,” MacArthur said. “We have a little bit of everything — size, skill, speed, toughness, veterans. We’ve got guys like Turcotte and Daniel Maggio who are pushing the pace out there. They aren’t going to be on the score sheet all the time, scoring goals and making assists, but they’re guys who are going to pull everyone into the battle and set a standard for us. It’s very nice to have those types of quality players.”