WEEK 1 of the 2025/26 Elite Ice Hockey League season and it’s Challenge Cup action for the Flyers who make a start their 14th season in the EIHL on the road with a visit to the Glasgow Clan before hosting the defending Challenge Cup Champion Belfast Giants in the season home opener.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13th GLASGOW CLAN v FIFE FLYERS @ BRAEHEAD ARENA – FACE OFF 7.00pm
Introducing our opponents…
The Clan return almost 50% of their roster from last season to start this campaign. In net Lucas Brine is back for his second season and is joined by Finnish minder Sami Aittokallio who comes to the UK after spending the last three seasons in Slovakia and Germany. On the blueline the Clan are still trying to complete their defensive core following Chris Martenet’s planned return being abandoned as his career took him in the direction of officiating back in North America. There are three returnees with the addition of Canadian/Chinese National Jason Fram who has five years KHL experience and another Finn, Miihkali Teppo, who has played in Norway the last three seasons. There are eight returnees in the forward ranks which includes three of the top four scorers, Deven Sideroff, Rylan Schwartz and Mitchell Heard. There are a number of new players to the EIHL, including Canadian Brayden Burke from a year in the DEL, Czechia native Richard Jarusek playing outside of his homeland for the first time and Tristian Langan, a Canadian who has played for two seasons in Norway. Newcomers to the Clan but not the EIHL are Hugo Roy who ended a two year spell with the Nottingham Panthers and ex Sheffield Steeler Brett Neumann who had two season in Yorkshire before playing in the Swiss League last term. Head Coach Corey Neilson returns for his second season and he has added Robert Lachowicz as player/assistant coach to his staff.
Last Challenge Cup Visit to Clan
GALLERY
Pic Credits – Glasgow Clan
Overall Away Challenge Cup Record Against Clan
P 12 W 2 L 10 F 32 A 52
Number Crunching
It is only the 4th time in their EIHL era that the Flyers start the season with a road game.
This will be the 6th time that the Flyers meet the Clan in the first game of the season which is most against all other opponents.
The Flyers last Challenge Cup win at Braehead Arena was 9th September 2022 when they secured a come from behind 6-5 win which included a Shawn Cameron hattrick.
The Flyers have 2 players with hattricks against the Clan in Challenge Cup action whilst the Clan have 4 players who have hit trebles against the Flyers in the same competition.
The Flyers will be looking to halt a run of 5 consecutive defeats in all competitions against the Clan on their own ice.
Last season the Flyers top scorer against Clan was Phelix Martineau with 5 goals whilst for Clan Cole Ully top scored in the ten meetings between the teams with 8 goals.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14th FIFE FLYERS v BELFAST GIANTS @ FIFE ICE ARENA – FACE OFF 5.00pm
Introducing our opponents…
The defending Challenge Cup and League Champion Giants have Adam Keefe, following his testimonial in the summer, entering his 9th season as Head Coach. Stalwarts Jackson Whistle and Andrew Dickson are joined for netminding duties by German born Alexis Gravel who has spent his career so far playing in North America. There are seven returning blueliners and they are joined by Canadians Reid Irwin in his first full professional season and Garrett McFadden who has spent the last two seasons in Europe. One addition who is no stranger to the British game is Sam Jones who is now at his 4th EIHL club although veteran David Phillips has now been released to play for the Sheffield Steeldogs after helping the Giants out in their opening CHL games. Slightly more than 50% of the forwards from last term have returned including Scott Conway who lead them in scoring as well as JJ Piccinich and Jordan Kawaguchi who were also in the top four for points. American’s Patrick Grasso, who played in Europe last season, and Ryan Smith, who played alongside Josh Winquist in Germany last season are joined by Swede Marcus Eriksson playing outside of his homeland for the first time and Canadians Jake Gaudet from the AHL and Nicolas Guay who played most of the last three seasons in the ECHL. As mentioned the Giants have already seen competitive action before this weekend with their participation in the Champions Hockey League. They started with two games at home against Liiga opposition and returned a point in an overtime defeat by Kalpa Kuopio before losing 7-4 to Ilves Tampere. Two road games followed with defeats to Swiss sides Laussane and EV Zug, 7-3 and 6-3 respectively. The Giants return to CHL action again next month.
Last Challenge Cup Visit from Giants
GALLERY
Pic Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young
Overall Challenge Cup Home Record Against Giants
P 16 W 2 L 12 D 1 OTL/SOL 1 F 27 A 59
Number Crunching
This will be the 34th meeting with the Giants in Challenge Cup action, the most for the Flyers against any other team.
There are two active EIHL teams that the Flyers have yet to meet in the Challenge Cup – Manchester Storm and the Coventry Blaze.
The Flyers last win on home ice against the Giants in the Challenge Cup was a 5-2 win on 29th September 2019 – Jonas Emmerdahl was one of the scorers along with Kyle Just, Dan Quaile and a double from Tim Crowder.
The Giant are unbeaten on their last five visits in all competitions to the Fife Ice Arena.
Massimo Carozza with 5 goals was the top scorer for Flyers against the Giants last term and in the ten meetings Bobo Carpenter top scored for the Giants with 7 goals.
