Giants win 2023 Viaplay Challenge Cup!

Photo: William Cherry

Belfast Giants have defended their Viaplay Challenge Cup title after a 9-3 victory over Fife Flyers at a sold-out SSE Arena.

David Goodwin gave the home side the lead with 3:25 played after a neat passing play involving Scott Conway and Steven Owre. The hosts then doubled their lead when the Flyers coughed the puck up while on the powerplay. allowing Donovan Neuls to score shorthanded at 11:33. Owre netted the hosts' third with 2:04 left in the opening period. It got worse for Fife who found themselves 4-0 down to Matt McLeod's goal 4:33 into period two, but Jonas Emmerdahl gave the Flyers hope with a nice wrist shot at 28:40. Janne Kivilahti then brought his side back to within two with 1:42 left in period two, only for another shorthanded goal, this time finished by Ben Lake, to make it 5-2.

Fife again got back into things at the start of period three, but two straight Giants goals killed off any hopes of a Flyers comeback as the hosts ran away with a final scoreline of 9-3.