Saturday: Blaze on road as only unbeaten team in league

Photo: William Cherry

There are three league games across Saturday night in Week 8 of the 2024/25 Elite Ice Hockey League season.

The day’s action begins at 6pm in Guildford with the Flames hosting Belfast Giants in the first meeting between the teams this season. The sides meet hoping to reverse losing trends – Guildford have won just one of their last five games, while the Giants were defeated in both of their games last weekend to be on a two-game loss streak. It will be the first time that Daniel Tedesco and Sean Norris, now both with the Flames, come up against the team they played for last season.

Click here to watch Flames vs. Giants

Coventry’s Blaze’s 100% league record is on the line against when they visit Manchester Storm from 7pm. The Blaze came out of Belfast with an excellent win last weekend before Sunday’s home fixture against Cardiff was postponed. They have four wins from as many games, plus beat Storm on penalty shots in Manchester earlier this season. The Blaze head into this game on a five-game win streak in all competitions. Manchester were two unbeaten before a narrow 3-2 loss in Cardiff. Their league start has seen them pick up six points in as many games, putting them fourth overall in the early running.

Click here to watch Storm vs. Blaze

In Dundee, the Stars welcome Nottingham Panthers to Tayside at 7pm a week after Marc LeFebvre’s team picked up an excellent 5-2 road win south of the border against the Panthers. That was Dundee’s second league win and part of a four-point weekend – although they were beaten 6-1 in Sheffield on Wednesday night to end that run. Nottingham responded to that loss to the Stars with an excellent 5-1 win over Belfast the following night to leave them .500 through four league games to date.

Click here to watch Stars vs. Panthers