🏒 Game Day: Ready, Set, Go!
All you need to know about what's to come this weekend in the Challenge Cup
Welcome to the first proper Game Day edition of Elite, making sure you start your hockey weekend in the right possible way with all the info you need before the pucks are dropped.
Let’s get into it as welcome competitive ice hockey back into our lives. God, we’ve missed it! Here we go…
All Challenge Cup fixtures unless stated
SATURDAY 13th SEPTEMBER
Belfast Giants vs. Dundee Stars (7pm) (🎟️ Tickets, 📺 Webcast)
Glasgow Clan vs. Fife Flyers (7pm) (🎟️ Tickets, 📺 Webcast)
Manchester Storm vs. Coventry Blaze (7pm) (🎟️ Tickets, 📺 Webcast)
Nottingham Panthers vs. Cardiff Devils (7pm) (🎟️ Tickets, 📺 Webcast)
Sheffield Steelers vs. Guildford Flames (7pm) (🎟️ Tickets, 📺 Webcast)
SUNDAY 14th SEPTEMBER
Cardiff Devils vs. Sheffield Steelers (5pm) (🎟️ Tickets, 📺 Webcast)
Dundee Stars vs. Glasgow Clan (5pm) (🎟️ Tickets, 📺 Webcast)
Fife Flyers vs. Belfast Giants (5pm) (🎟️ Tickets, 📺 Webcast)
Coventry Blaze vs. Manchester Storm (5:30pm) (🎟️ Tickets, 📺 Webcast)
Guildford Flames vs. Nottingham Panthers (6pm) (🎟️ Tickets, 📺 Webcast)
While we wait on some results to come in and populate the current standings, let’s remind ourselves of how the Challenge Cup groups finished last season 👇
There are some big milestones coming up this weekend and in the next few weeks so keep your eye on these, with thanks to EIHL Stattos (follow them on X), the official Elite League statisticians
👬 TEAM MILESTONES
Glasgow Clan are three home goals from scoring 1,500 in all competitions
Cardiff Devils are three away goals from scoring 2,100 in all competitions
Dundee Stars’ next home goal will take them to 1,400 in all competitions
Manchester Storm are eight goals from reaching 1,700 in all competitions
Cardiff Devils are four goals from scoring 400 at home in Challenge Cup ties
Nottingham Panthers are seven goals from hitting the 400-goal mark at home in the Challenge Cup
🧍♂️ PLAYER MILESTONES (in all competitions)
Appearances
Glasgow Clan’s Robert Lachowicz is nine appearances away from reaching 1,000
Manchester Storm’s Zach Sullivan is eight games from 600
Nottingham Panthers’ Ollie Betteridge is just seven appearances away from 500
Dundee Stars’ Kris Inglis is three games away from reaching 400
Coventry Blaze’s Kim Tallberg is three games from hitting the 200 appearance mark
Coventry Blaze’s Jack Hopkins is six games away from 200
Dundee Stars’ Spencer Naas’ next game will be his 100th for the club
Guildford Flames forward Jake Coughler is six games from reaching 100
Manchester Storm’s JD Dudek is nine games away from 100
Goals
Belfast Giants’ Ciaran Long is seven goals away from scoring 100
Guildford Flames forward Lewis Hook is just ten goals away from reaching 100
Assists
Sheffield Steelers captain Robert Dowd is eight assists away from reaching 400
Cardiff Devils captain Joey Martin is ten assists away from also reaching 400
Dundee Stars captain Drydn Dow is currently ten assists away from 200
Coventry Blaze defenceman David Clements is six assists from reaching 100
Belfast Giants forward JJ Piccinich is seven assists from hitting the 100 mark
Points
Cardiff Devils stalwart Ben Davies could hit 400 EIHL points this weekend, needing just two points to get him there
Sheffield Steelers forward Ryan Tait is currently sitting seven points away from 200
Guildford Flames captain Matt Alvaro is two points from breaking the 100-point barrier
Belfast Giants forward Brandon Whistle is five points away from hitting the 100 point mark
Nottingham Panthers’ Didrik Henbrant is ten points from a century going into the weekend.
🎙️ One for all budding commentators out there. Sheffield Steelers commentator Jonathan Fearnley has shared his game notes and some insight into his pre-game preparations
🥱 Guildford Flames continued to get to know their players by asking if they are early risers or night owls - Guildford Flames on X
📊 The fan’s poll asking for their predictions for the season ahead were released by the Elite Ice Hockey League on Friday and it looks like it could be the same outcome as last season - Elite Ice Hockey on X
👕 Guildford Flames have released their Challenge Cup jerseys for the season ahead - Guildford Flames on X
👕 Keeping with the jersey theme, Cardiff Devils and Glasgow Clan reveal the designs and are taking orders for their respective season ticket holder exclusive jerseys. (Both on X)
🗣️ Dundee Stars chatted with their forward Otto Nieminen in training this week as he looked to their opening Challenge Cup weekend - Dundee Stars on X
🥹 Former Coventry Blaze captain Justin Hamonic announced his retirement and his old team wished him well for the future - Coventry Blaze on X
🙌 Belfast Giants are getting the fans more involved on game nights in association with Fannex, bringing much more fun and games in the SSE Arena - Belfast Giants on X
💪 Cardiff Devils are “ready to go” for the start of the new season, according to head coach Paul Thompson - Chris Howells for BBC Sport Wales
📺 Glasgow Clan have launched their own streaming channel in association with main sponsors Premier Sports, with fans being offered different ways to subscribe - Glasgow Clan website
📰 Belfast Giants assistant coach Jeff Mason is expecting some tough tests as they look to defend their Challenge Cup crown - Darryl Armitage for the Belfast Newsletter
🤩 Nottingham Panthers have got a special treat for fans who are heading to check out their first ever game - Nottingham Panthers website
⚠️ Glasgow Clan are reminding fans heading to Braehead Arena this weekend of heavy roadworks taking place on the M8 near to Braehead, which will be ongoing for some time - Glasgow Clan on X
ℹ️ Fife Flyers have offered up a preview of their weekend as they travel to Glasgow to take on the Clan then host Belfast Giants on Sunday - Fife Flyers website
📖 Dundee Stars have previewed what will be their 25th season when the pucks drop on their latest campaign - Dundee Stars website
📰 Belfast Giants are the ‘benchmark’ according to Sheffield Steelers coach Aaron Fox on the eve of their opening competitive game of the season - Phil Harrison for Yorkshire Post
📰 Giants’ Swedish forward Marcus Eriksson and why his long ice hockey journey has led him to Belfast - Adam McKendry for Belfast Telegraph
🗣️ Nottingham Panthers coach Danny Stewart also shared his thoughts on his team as they get ready for game one
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And a busy week is at an end.
Many thanks for checking out the Game Day edition of Elite. We’ll be back on Monday to recap it all so make you’ve subscribed the latest edition will drop into your inbox first thing.
Thank you again for you ongoing support and we’ll see you on Monday!