CARDIFF, WALES – The ice is set, the teams have arrived and annual leave has been left as it is for most, as the Cardiff Devils once again host the IIHF Continental Cup Final at the Vindico Arena, first up, Polish outfit, GKS Katowice.
Katowice played the Devils in last years final, which the home side battled all game long to claim an important victory, with the home fans cancelling out the boisterous travelling support as the game wore on.
It was probably the greatest atmospheres to date at the Vindico and the best in UK hockey, particularly for European competitions, unrivalled anywhere in the league.
Katowice endured a thrilling conclusion to their prelim group in Denmark, managing to sneak in as top seed, where three teams all finished with the same points (6).
Their goalies held the group to 7 GA, with their skaters scoring 15 in an event that went down to the wire, with all sorts of outcomes being predicted.
This dramatic finish has helped them push onwards domestically, their last loss on 22nd December, since then, they have been rampant scoring 21 in the process, conceding just 4 with 1 shutout.
From their group to make the final, players Patryk Wronka and Grzegorz Pasiut lead the charge, combining for 14 points in 3GP (7 each).
Their top D-Man, Kyle Hardy managed a point per game (3), with many touting his offensive skills as dangerous, so for Crawford fans of years gone by, expect a similar game.
Canadian dual national and Polish top goalie, John Murray leads the way between the pipes for his team, conceded a modest 3GAA in the group, with Grenoble’s top net minder being a formidable shot stopper in their group.
Facing 61 shots against and conceding 6, he is about average for his last finals appearance in Cardiff, which he saw 66 SA, conceding 7 for 3.41GAA and 89.39 SV%.
Of course, this time around there are less games to play, which makes the stakes even higher for all teams, but none more so that the hosts, who have been yearning for silverware, especially in Europe for some time now.
Arguably, this is their best chance, with their strongest team for several years, with a coach that is fully invested and has a full buy-in of the locker room. You can see his pregame interview here; https://x.com/cardiffdevils/status/1879620174858363235
Devils are now in their 3rd and consecutive Conti Cup Final appearance, same number as their first opponents, with x2 Bronze trophies for their sins, after a disastrous finale last year.
Everything about being in this tournament is to claim that platter. Add it to their cabinet, a claim of being a European Hockey winner and solidify their already strengthened ties with the IIHF and even CHL.
With thanks to their EIHL rivals’ campaign in this years CHL competition, this has helped to elevate the league to its highest ever position for Euro League rankings to 6th, so could the Devils help to strengthen the British brand of ice hockey amongst their European counterparts?
The team are loaded with winners from ECHL and playoffs, DEL2 and EIHL alike, so with the renewed format due to another team being unable to facilitate simple admin work, this is likely their best ever chance to claim a championship.
No Pressure, lads.
They are of course boosted by new signing Brad Schoobaert, last at Kansas City Chiefs (ECHL) and a full D to select from. Expected to be back are Bowns and Barrow, who have been both sidelined the past few weeks.
Also expected to lace them up is Bayley Harewood, although ice time not a guarantee for the native youngster.
Raise Hell, Hellaciously.
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