Week 19: Four days of hockey, top two clash

Photo: Dean Woolley

Week 19 in the 2022/23 Viaplay Elite League brings us four straight days of action, with some huge fixtures this weekend.

On Thursday night, we're live on Viaplay in Glasgow for the first time this season with Clan hosting Coventry Blaze. The teams have split their series at Braehead Arena so far, and two of their four meetings overall have gone past 60 minutes so it could well be another close encounter!

Friday night has three fixtures. Coventry continue their trip in Scotland b visiting Dundee, while Nottingham return to Belfast to play their first league fixture of the season at the SSE Arena against the Giants. In Manchester, Storm welcome rivals Sheffield in a follow-up to their sold-out New Year's Day clash.

Arguably the week's biggest fixture takes place on Saturday night, however. Guildford Flames, back on top of the table before the week's action, visit second-placed Sheffield - although the Steelers might have gone back to the top after Friday night. These sides have been the top two for most of the season, and will have only one more meeting in each rink against each other left to play this season after this game. Elsewhere, the Giants and Panthers play Part II of their double-header, while Fife welcome Glasgow.

The week is rounded off on Sunday by Glasgow hosting Dundee, Coventry home to Fife, and Guildford hoping to avoid more trouble with Manchester.

In the IIHF Continental Cup, Cardiff Devils are in Angers, France, for the final round of this year's competition. They'll face the hosts, Nitra (Slovakia) and Asiago (Italy) for the title.