The Kingdom Weekend Preview – Week 7

October 23, 2025

WEEK 7 of the 2025/26 Elite Ice Hockey League season and starting the weekend off is a trip along the M8 to meet the Glasgow Clan for the Flyers penultimate Challenge Cup game this term. It’s a return to league action on Saturday night as the Flyers endeavour to get their first points on the board as they welcome the Coventry Blaze for the first meeting between the teams this season.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 24th GLASGOW CLAN v FIFE FLYERS @ BRAEHEAD ARENA – FACE OFF 7.30pm

Introducing the opposition – One to Watch!

With the fewest games played in the Challenge Cup qualification group the fate of the Clan as regards progression in the competition lies firmly within their grasp. The West of Scotland side have already come up with a number of impressive results in league play to top the standings at this early stage of the season. With 7 goals and 12 assists to lead the clan so far this season Tristin Langan will be someone the Flyers will need to keep under wraps. Tristin signed a one-year contract with the Clan after two seasons in Norway with the Stavanger Oilers. The 27 year old native of Swan River Manitoba played Major Junior with the Moose Jaw Warriors in the Western Hockey League amassing 78 goals and 106 assists in 241 regular season games whilst clocking up 132 PIMs. Season 2018/19 saw him finish with most goals in the Western Hockey League with 53 and he was on a Warriors team with one time Flyer Ed Zawatsky’s son Alec. In post season play he played 30 games scoring 1+5 before his first professional season in 2019/20 with the San Jose Barracuda in the American Hockey League where he played 9 games and registered 1 assist and the Orlando Solar Bears in the ECHL returning 13+24 for 37 points in 45 games. Whilst getting further call ups to the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch and Manitoba Moose he was predominantly with the Solar Bears over the following three seasons making a total of 239 appearances for the Florida team and scoring 76 goals and adding 125 assists whilst also sitting out 201 PIMs. His two seasons in Norway continued a 0.8 points per game pace with 31+40 in 89 regular season games along with 10+11 in 24 post season match ups. On current scoring pace he is projected as point per game player for the forthcoming EIHL regular season.

Last Challenge Cup Visit to Clan

GALLERY

Pic Credits – Glasgow Clan

Overall Away Challenge Cup Record Against Clan

P 13 W 2 L 11 F 33 A 55

Number Crunching

The Flyers have lost their last 5 meetings against the Clan in the Challenge Cup.

The Clan also have a 6 game winning streak on home ice in all EIHL competitions active against the Flyers.

The Clan are without a powerplay goal in their last 6 games but are perfect on the kill in each of their last 4 games.

The Clan have also yet to score a powerplay goal on home ice and are currently 0 for 18 with their penalty kill at the Braehead Arena 16 for 17 (94.1 percent).

In the two games so far between the teams the Flyers are 8 for 9 on the penalty kill and 0 for 6 on the powerplay.

The Flyers have taken 85 shots in those encounters with the Clan totalling 96 and the Shots on Goal totals being 57-69.

Tristan Langan and Brett Neuman have 4 game points streaks active with Langan having previously having a team and league best 9 games point streak which means he has recorded points in 13 of the 14 games he has played.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 25th FIFE FLYERS v COVENTRY BLAZE @ FIFE ICE ARENA – FACE OFF 7.00pm

Introducing the opposition & One to Watch!

The Blaze sit just a couple of points above the Flyers in the league standings as they have played a couple of games fewer than their hosts. On Wednesday night the Blaze booked their place in the Challenge Cup semi-final round as they gained the necessary point on the road against the Panthers and now await the outcome of the Sheffield Steelers final game to determine if they finish first or second in the group. Finishing second in scoring for the Blaze last term was Alessio Luciani and his early form suggests that he will once again be a potent performer for the Midlands club. Coming into the weekend he had a team leading 5 goals and 9 assists. Luciani, 26, was a standout performer in 2024/25, registering an impressive 66 points (30 goals, 36 assists) across 66 Elite League competition games. His 59 points in league play ranked joint-third among all players, while his 27 league goals placed him joint-fourth, earning him a well-deserved spot on the Elite League’s Second All-Star Team. Luciani originally joined the Blaze ahead of the 2023/24 season and made an immediate impact in his first year of professional hockey, scoring 21 goals and 16 assists (37 points) in 63 games across the regular season and Challenge Cup. Before arriving in Coventry, the dynamic winger played four highly successful seasons at Adrian College in NCAA Division III, where he was coached by Kevin Moore during the 2019/20 campaign. While at the Michigan-based school, Luciani helped the Adrian Bulldogs to three NCHA division titles and captured the 2021/22 NCAA Division III National Championship. Luciani was the NCAA Division III scoring leader in 2020/21 and was named the league’s Player of the Year. Over his collegiate career, he was selected to the NCHA All-Conference Team twice, earned First Team All-American honours, and was crowned NCHA Tournament MVP in his final season. In total, Luciani appeared in 107 games at Adrian College, amassing 153 points (54 goals, 99 assists). Prior to his college career, the Toronto native starred for two seasons in the OJHL with the Markham Royals, where he led the league in scoring during the 2018/19 season. He was named both the OJHL’s Most Improved Player and a First Team All-Star in his final year of junior hockey. In 84 regular-season games with Markham, Luciani recorded 108 points (44 goals, 64 assists).

Last Elite League Visit from Blaze

GALLERY

Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young

Overall Elite League Home Record Against Blaze

P 32 W 16 L 16 F 91 A 85

Number Crunching

The Blaze were one of the 5 teams that the Flyers failed to take a point from last season and as a result they have a 6 game winning streak going which is their best sequence against their hosts in all EIHL competitions.

The Flyers have a 54.7 percent winning record against the Blaze at home in EIHL league play which is third best against opponents behind Manchester and Glasgow.

Ryan Dingle and Carlo Finucci are the Flyers leading scorers against the Blaze in the EIHL era with 7 goals each whilst Ben Lake still leads the Blaze with 9 goals against the Flyers.

The Blaze have the best road powerplay of all teams coming in to the weekend at a 47 percent clip having gone 8 for 17.

The Blaze have been slow starters in games this season with only 6 first period goals scored and 18 conceded which is least/most of all teams.