WEEK 9 of the 2025/26 Elite Ice Hockey League season and the Flyers go in search of their first league win when they welcome back to Kirkcaldy the Nottingham Panthers on Saturday night before a trip to the Midlands on Sunday evening and their first match up this campaign at the Skydome with the Coventry Blaze.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 8th FIFE FLYERS v NOTTINGHAM PANTHERS @ FIFE ICE ARENA – FACE OFF 7.00pm
Introducing the opposition – One to Watch!
Depending upon their result the previous in their home game against the Manchester Storm, the Nottingham Panthers could be rolling into Kirkcaldy as league leaders. The Panthers solid start to the season has also seen them qualify for the play in round in the Challenge Cup as they await to see who will finish second in the Northern group. The Panthers welcomed back into their lineup last weekend Chase Pearson who had, before injury, made an impressive start for them. The 28-year-old Canadian has extensive experience in North America and Europe including a stint in the NHL with Detroit Red Wings. After scoring 78 points across two seasons in junior hockey for Youngstown Phantoms under former Panther Brad Patterson who was his Assistant Coach, Pearson was selected by the Red Wings in the 2015 NHL Draft. He played college hockey at Maine in the NCAA – spending two years as captain – scoring 78 points (37+41) in 107 matches over three seasons, alongside current Panthers forwards Tim Doherty and Mitch Fossier. Pearson has played in the UK before when he captained Maine in the Friendship Four in Belfast in 2017. In 2019, Pearson signed a two-year NHL entry-level contract with Detroit and was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, where he scored 78 points (29+49) over five seasons. He made his NHL debut for Detroit in March 2022 and went on to make three appearances in the 2021-22 season. He’s spent the past two years in Europe, scoring at over a point per game with Slovakian side HK Dukla Michalovce in 2023-24, and 33 points (19+14) in 38 matches for Villacher SV of Austria last season. Pearson is combining hockey with studying thanks to a partnership with Nottingham Trent University. Head Coach, Danny Stewart, said: “Chase’s pedigree speaks for itself. He’s a big centre that can play all situations. He’s a great player on both sides of the puck and very difficult to handle for opposing players. This was a big signing for us. He has some history with a couple of our guys and they can’t say enough good things about him.” So far in his 9 games this season he’s scored 8 goals and added 8 assists.
Last League Visit from Panthers
GALLERY
Pic Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young
Overall Home League Record Against Panthers
P 34 W 13 L 21 F 103 A 125
Number Crunching
The Panthers have a 5 game unbeaten streak against the Flyers here at Kirkcaldy.
Overall the Flyers are winless in their last 8 meetings with the Panthers having been outscored 10-37 and shutout three times in that time.
Mitch Fossier had an 11 game points streak for the Panthers earlier this term which is a season high across all teams.
The Panthers are 7 and 2 on the road this term and 3 and 6 on home ice.
Panthers have conceded only 1 powerplay goal on their travels so far this season killing 25 of 26 penalties which is 96 percent.
The Panthers have a powerplay goal in each of their last 6 games.
At 48.5 percent the Panthers have played the most time with a lead of all teams so far this season.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 9th COVENRY BLAZE v FIFE FLYERS @ SKYDOME ARENA – FACE OFF 5.30pm
Introducing the opposition & One to Watch!
The Blaze may consider their start to the season to be somewhat inconsistent. In the Challenge Cup group they finished in second spot to secure a semi final spot whilst in the league they moved five points ahead of the Flyers after a home win against the Guildford Flames. Perhaps typifying the ups and down is Grayson Constable who went through the entire 10 game Challenge Cup campaign without scoring a point whilst in the league his return of 5 goals and 2 assists in 7 outings makes him the early Blaze points leader. The 27-year-old made his professional debut with the Blaze last season, where his hard-nosed, two-way style quickly earned the respect of both fans and coaches. In his rookie campaign, Constable tallied 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) over 60 Elite League games, and his relentless work ethic was recognised with Head Coach Kevin Moore’s Player of the Season award. Before turning pro, the 6’2” right-shot forward spent five seasons in the NCAA, representing College of the Holy Cross and Long Island University. Across 156 collegiate appearances, he posted 44 points (23 goals, 21 assists) and blocked 104 shots, showing a strong commitment to the defensive side of the game. In his senior year at Holy Cross, Constable wore the captain’s “C” and left the program ranked eighth all-time in shorthanded goals. He also excelled academically, earning a spot on the Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team in both 2020 and 2023. Before his college career, the Lethbridge, Alberta native made his mark in the AJHL with the Bonnyville Pontiacs, where he captained the team during the 2018/19 season and recorded an impressive 54 points (24 goals, 30 assists) in 52 games. Head Coach Kevin Moore spoke f his return saying, “Grayson is a hard-nosed, detailed player who’s 200-foot game fits perfectly with our identity. Grayson’s maturity shone through in his first year with our club and I look forward to him taking another step this season as a player and leader.”
Last League Visit to Blaze
GALLERY
Pic Credits – Coventry Blaze
Overall League Away Record Against Blaze
P 32 W 9 L 23 F 79 A 140
Number Crunching
The Blaze are currently enjoying their best ever sequence of results against the Flyers in all EIHL competitions with a 7 game winning stretch.
The Flyers are also winless in their last 4 visits to the Skydome.
The Blaze are 5 and 4 on home ice so far this season.
The Blaze have conceded the opening goal in 10 of their 17 games played, the Flyers lead all teams having lost the opening goal 13 times so far.
On home ice the Blaze have a minus 11 goals scored/conceded difference whilst the Flyers have a minus 27 difference on the road this term.
The Blaze have scored 3 shorthanded goals this season which ties best with two other teams and they have also conceded the same number.
Click the image below for your downloadable gamesheet for Saturday’s game against Nottingham Panthers
