The Queenstown-based side made it to the finals of the national league last year but fell short of lifting the silverware for the first time since 2006.
League regulations have widened the cap on the number of import players dressed for each match to seven and, with nine named in the Stampede's 30-man squad, competition will be intense.
Coach Steven Reid said the level of talent among the international players was so great it would be a matter of picking a different team every week.
"The calibre is so great that it will be more a rotational thing than 'who is the best?"'
The Stampede imports come from two of the world's big hockey nations, Canada and the United States.
Players to watch are American flatmates Brain Horwitz (29) and Michael Weber (27), and giant Canadian Matt Schneider (26).
The Stampede took a huge blow in a pre-season game played within the squad two weeks ago when Schneider took a puck to the arm, leaving him with a broken wrist and a minimum six-week rest.
"He is a huge influence on the ice and plays a high level of hockey," Reid said of the Calgary Flames-drafted forward.
Fellow Canadian Tommy Zizian returns for a second season.
Reid said there was also plenty of local talent in the team, including rising Ice Black Connor Harrison (19).
"He has come back as a new player in leaps and bounds. He's one to really watch as a complete player."
Goaltender Aston Brookes is another influential player. If he had not suffered an injury last year, he would have been named in the Ice Blacks.
Reid acknowledged stalwarts Bert Haines (32) and captain Simon Glass (30) as key to the side's chances this season.
"They're always valuable. Bert and Glassy put a lot of work in on the off-season and are looking a lot faster and sharper."
The Stampede beat close rival, the Dunedin Thunder, 10-6 in a preseason game.
Historically, the sides have always been underdone at the early stage of the season, but Reid said the intensity of the match was above what was expected of both sides.
The coach hopes to earn immediate payback this weekend when the Stampede travels to Auckland to play defending champion the Botany Swarm.
"We learned a lot of lessons last season and will go all the way this time.
"We are open and ready to adapt at anything thrown at us. We're really excited to get the season under way."
Glass, a former Ice Black of 11 years, echoed those sentiments and said this was "the best team we've had.
"We're here to win and I expect to win."
Glass emphasised the 2012 season was a "fresh start" and the Stampede would be taking every game as a chance to build for the playoffs.
The Stampede will also look forward to the inaugural series with the top two Australian sides from last season, the Melbourne Ice and the Newcastle All Stars.
The Thunder, which opened the season with a win and a loss last weekend, hosts the Canterbury Red Devils today and tomorrow.
Southern Stampede
2012 season
Key players
Aston Brookes (goaltender), Bert Haines (defenceman), Matthew Schneider (forward)
Draw
Home games: v Admiral (June 23-24), v Thunder (June 29-30), v Red Devils (July 13-14), v Swarm (August 10-11)
Away games: v Swarm (June 16-17), v Thunder (July 28-29), v Admirals (August 18-19), v Red Devils (August 25-26).
