WEEK 8 of the 2025/26 Elite Ice Hockey League season and the Flyers have a demanding schedule with 3 games in 3 nights for the only time this season. The action gets underway with a trip to Manchester with Flyers in search of their first league points on Friday night. The Glasgow Clan come calling to Fife Ice Arena in the Flyers final Challenge Cup match this term and then the Flyers host the Sheffield Steelers in league action on Sunday.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 31st MANCHESTER STORM v FIFE FLYERS @ PLANET ICE ALTRINCHAM – FACE OFF 7.30pm
Introducing the opposition – One to Watch!
It is of course the Flyers second visit to Altrincham this season and the Storm’s victory last time out has been part of a very solid start to their league campaign where they have won 4 of their 5 games so far. Similarly to the Flyers the Storm will not progress in the Challenge Cup this season and their record was almost a flip reversal with just 3 wins in their 10 outings. Storm’s leading point getter so far this season in all EIHL Competitions is Kaleb Ergang who in his first full professional season has 7 goals and 9 assists in his 15 games. The 24-year-old right winger from Spruce Grove, Alberta, joined the Storm in the summer following a successful collegiate career with Ferris State University. Ergang is known for his smart play and strong two-way game. This reputation saw Ergang make his professional debut in ECHL, after completing his academic commitments, with the Adirondack Thunder in March and what an impact he made. He got his first goal after 58 seconds and then popped up with the over time winner as the Thunder beat out the visiting Maine Mariners 5-4. He iced in the ECHL for 13 games registering 9 points (6G 3A). Last season, Ergang posted 21 points (6 goals, 15 assists) in 35 games for the Ferris State Bulldogs, finishing second in team assists and third in total points. Across four NCAA seasons, he notched 49 points in 109 appearances, consistently contributing at both ends of the ice. Before college, Ergang featured in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), racking up an impressive 115 points (42 goals, 73 assists) in 165 games with the Spruce Grove Saints, Okotoks Oilers, and Whitecourt Wolverines.
Last League Visit to Storm
GALLERY
Pic Credits – Manchester Storm
Overall Away League Record Against Storm
P 21 W 6 L 15 F 53 A 80
Number Crunching
The Flyers will be looking to avoid going 0 and 7 to start their league campaign which would be their second longest winless streak to start an EIHL campaign.
This will be game 60th game between the two teams with all being league or playoff as the pair have never met in the Challenge Cup with both teams registering 81 different scorers.
The Flyers recent record on Altrincham ice has been tilted heavily in favour of the Storm who have won 7 of the last 8 meetings.
The Storm have a 4 and 3 record on home ice this season, the Flyers von the road are 1 and 7.
The Storm have a plus 3 goal differential on home ice whilst the Flyers have a minus 23 differential on the road where their 12 goals scored is the lowest of all teams so far this season.
The Storm have the 4th best home powerplay record at 17.5 percent and the Flyers road penalty kill is 6th at 79.4 percent.
The Storm have powerplay goals in each of their last 7 games which is the best streak with the man advantage amongst all teams so far this season.
Stephen Johnson with points in his last 8 games has the Storm’s team leading scoring streak for the season so far.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 1st FIFE FLYERS v GLASGOW CLAN @ FIFE ICE ARENA – FACE OFF 7.00pm
Introducing the opposition & One to Watch!
Whilst the match up for the Flyers can be considered a dead rubber for them the Clan know that with 3 games to play they have progression to the semi finals stages firmly within their grasp. After meeting the Flyers they have two encounters with the Dundee Stars and in simple terms if they win out in regulation in all three games they will be guaranteed the minimum of a place in the play in round against the Nottingham Panthers. Whilst Tristin Langan continues to lead the way in point scoring for the Clan the player that has so far had the biggest impact in the games against the Flyers is Brett Neumann who has 4 goals in the three meetings. Neumann a native of Toronto split his OHL career between the Erie Otters, Kingston Frontenacs, and Oshawa Generals, recording 244 points (128 goals, 116 assists) in 318 appearances. In 2019-20, his final junior campaign – albeit as an over-age player, he notched 83 points (45 goals, 38 assists) in 62 games for the Generals. He turned professional in 2020 with time for both Allen Americans (ECHL) and Bridgeport (AHL) and made 25 appearances in the ECHL during his first professional season, registering 16 points (eight goals, eight assists). An injury hit 2021-22 season saw the then 23-year-old split his time between USports and the ICEHL, registering seven points (three goals, four assists) in seventeen appearances for Saint Mary’s University and Orli Znojmo. He joined the Sheffield Steelers for the 2022/23 campaign an in 58 league and play-off games Neuman was second in team scoring, netting on 25 occasions scoring 48 points. Having made a great impression on coaching staff, teammates and fans during his first year with the Steelers he earned a new contract as Neumann played a key part of the 2023/24 Grand Slam-winning Steelers side, contributing speed, skill and versatility to one of the most dominant teams in EIHL history. Following his success in the UK, Neumann spent the 2024/25 campaign with HC Sierre in the Swiss League, gaining further European experience before opting to return to the Elite League in the summer.
Last Challenge Cup Visit from Clan
GALLERY
Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young
Overall Challenge Cup Home Record Against Clan
P 13 W 8 L 5 F 49 A 41
Number Crunching
The Flyers will be looking for their first success against the Clan this season with the Glasgow side having won all three encounters and outscoring the Flyers 11-4.
The Flyers have a 62 percent win rate at home in the Challenge Cup against the Clan which is best amongst all active teams with only the 85.7 percent winning record in the competition against Edinburgh Capitals being better.
The Clan are on a streak of 8 games without a powerplay goal which is the longest man advantage drought of all teams this season.
The Clan have a 3 and 4 record on the road this season and have scored 13 goals on opponents ice which is second lowest to the Flyers.
When the Clan are trailing after two periods on the road they are 0 and 5 with the Flyers 1 and 6 when they are behind on home ice.
The Flyers goal differential at home so far this season is a minus 14 whilst the Clan are minus 12 on their travels.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 2nd FIFE FLYERS v SHEFFIELD STEELERS @ FIFE ICE ARENA – FACE OFF 5.00pm
Introducing the opposition & One to Watch!
It is the first meeting of the season with the Sheffield Steelers who have so far topped their Challenge Cup group and in league play they are also sitting at the top of the standings following their win on Wednesday night in Guildford. In relative terms for the Steelers in recent years it was an unusually busy summer of recruitment in West Yorkshire but so far in terms scoring honours it’s a familiar face that leads the way. Mitchell Balmas arrived in Sheffield on the eve of training camp in September 2023 joining from American Hockey League side, Iowa Wild where he played 34 games the previous season. Prior to that Balmas played his junior career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League having a sensational scoring season with Cape Breton Screaming Eagles where he tallied 50 goals and 86 points in the 2018-19 campaign. Three years followed at St Mary’s University before turning professional in the 2021-22 season with Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) and the ECHL’s Worcester Railers. Coming into his third term in Steelers orange the high scoring winger or centre has played in 148 league, cup, play off and Champions Leage games and has scored an incredible 66 goals and 170 points during his time in Sheffield. So far this term he has 6 goals and 15 assists in 16 games and a team high 7 game points streak. Head coach Aaron Fox spoke of his return saying: “Balmas coming back was huge for our group. I think he’s a top offensive player in our league and a guy that we can rely on to be that guy again. He had an out clause until mid-June and looked into some other opportunities but ultimately this was where he wanted to be. He’s come back motivated to improve on last year’s number and help us achieve those team goals”.
Last Elite League Visit from Steelers
GALLERY
Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young
Overall Elite League Home Record Against Steelers
P 33 W 9 L 24 F 81 A 126
Number Crunching
The tale of the tape between the two teams doesn’t make pretty reading for Flyers fans although the Steelers were not one of the five teams to sweep their regular season series against Fife last term with the Flyers win on home ice their only one in the last 10 meetings with the Yorkshire side.
Last season the Flyers were 1 and 5 against the Steelers and were outscored 13-36.
Robert Dowd has 32 goals against the Flyers in all EIHL competitions which is the most of any player during the EIHL era.
The Steelers are 5 and 0 when leading after two periods on the road.
The Steelers have a 96.6 percent road penalty kill which is best of all teams.
The Steelers have not been behind in their last 5 games.
The Steelers have the best active points streak of all teams with points in their last 7 games.
Click the image below for your downloadable gamesheet for Saturday’s game against Glasgow Clan
Click the image below for your downloadable gamesheet for Sunday’s game against Sheffield Steelers
