WEEK 19 of the 2025/26 Elite Ice Hockey League season and the Flyers make the long trek to Surrey to get their action underway with a second visit of the season to the Guildford Flames. Back at the Auld Barn on Sunday it’s a derby game against the Dundee Stars in a match up that neither side can afford to lose.
SATURDAY JANUARY 17th GUILDFORD FLAMES v FIFE FLYERS @ GUILDFORD SPECTRUM – FACE OFF 6.00pm
Introducing the opposition & One to Watch!
The Flames this so far this season have been consistently inconsistent but in the most part this has been a result of a series of injuries which at time left them icing skeleton rosters. In the last few weeks however they Surrey side have had been able to ice a more settled line up and have proven to be a match for any side in the league and they have points in 5 of their last 6 outings as they sit comfortably in the bottom four playoff spots. The Flames moved just before Christmas to add 32 year old Canadian defenceman Jonathan Racine to their roster. The 6’2”, 200lb blueliner spent last season at Corona Brasov where he appeared in 22 games with 1 goal and 6 assists. Racine is a product of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, in which he played four seasons before graduating into the American Hockey League. The Canadian split his junior career between the Shawinigan Cataractes and Moncton Wildcats, recording 45 points (13 goals, 32 assists) in 245 regular-season appearances. In 2011-12, he was a blueline mainstay as Shawinigan clinched the Canadian Hockey League’s postseason crown, the Memorial Cup. The 6-foot-2 blueliner’s solid defensive efforts caught the attention of National Hockey League scouts, with Florida taking him 87th overall in the 2011 Entry Draft. Racine inked his entry-level contract with the Panthers in 2012-13, kickstarting an eight-year minor league career which yielded 30 points (eight goals, 22 assists) in 79 ECHL games and 29 points (three goals, 26 assists) in 275 American Hockey League outings. The Montrealer ventured overseas for the first time in 2020, signing a short-term deal with Tappara of the Finnish Liiga, before signing with Austrian side HC Innsburck the following season. After stops in Sweden’s Allsvenskan, Norway’s EliteSerien, the Danish Metal Ligaen, and the French Ligue Magnus, Racine joined CSM Corona Brasov of the Erste Liga. Paul Doixon had this to say about the addition: “We have some injuries at the back, and bringing in a player with this much experience will add a great deal the our blue line group. Jonathan is a defensive defenceman with some size but he is also mobile and can get around the large ice.”
Last League Visit to Flames
GALLERY
Pic Credits – Guildford Flames
Overall Away League Record Against Flames
P 21 W 8 L 13 F 46 A 75
Number Crunching
The Flames are currently riding their best ever unbeaten steak against the Flyers in all EIHL competitions which stands at 8 games.
During that run the Flames have outscored the Flyers 45-13.
The Flyers have lost on their last 4 visits to the Spectrum.
The Flames have 3 powerplay goals on 7 attempts against the Flyers this season whilst the Flyers are 2 for 4 on the man advantage.
The Flames are on a season high 7 game run without a powerplay goal whilst the Flyers have a powerplay marker in each of their last 7 which is also a season high streak.
SUNDAY JANUARY 18th FIFE FLYERS v DUNDEE STARS @ FIFE ICE ARENA – FACE OFF 5.00pm
Introducing the opposition & One to Watch!
It’s an often used phrase in critical games between two sides but given the Stars and Flyers position in the standings their remaining meetings in the league this season all have the feel of “four point games” as both teams look to stay ahead of each other and catch at least one other team to climb into the post season conversation. Dominance by one side over the other may very well help achieve that goal but similarly if the sides split the outcomes then the task for both becomes just that extra bit harder. It’s play off hockey and we are only in January. Quinn Ryan was one of two roster additions that the Stars made over the Christmas period and he made his debut when the Flyers last visited Tayside. The 29-year-old arrived in the Elite League from the ECHL Norfolk Admirals and with four professional seasons under his belt, including stops in the ECHL and Denmark’s Metal Ligaen. Marc LeFebvre described Ryan as “a dynamic player who brings skill and speed to our forward group”, and went on to say “we needed some more flair in our offence and Quinn’s skill set will contribute to that. He knows what it means to compete at a high level”. Ryan is a product of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, which operates at a similar level to NCAA Division Three. Through five seasons at Liberty University, the Brockville-born forward scored 235 points (88 goals, 147 assists) in 147 appearances. He turned professional in 2020-21, signing with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies. Ryan made subsequent stops with the Indy Fuel, Worcester Railers, and Norfolk Admirals, scoring 71 points (31 goals, 40 assists) in 126 third tier games. He also enjoyed a brief spell in Denmark, tallying eight points (five goals, three assists) in six games for Rungsted Seier Capital.
Last League Visit from Stars
GALLERY
Pic Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young
Overall League Home Record Against Stars
P 46 W 21 L 25 F 147 A 144
Number Crunching
The Flyers have points in all 6 meetings with the Stars this season with a 3-0-3 record and have outscored the Stars 25-17.
Johan Porsberger has top scored for the Flyers against the Stars this term with =5 goals so far whilst the Stars top marksman is Spencer Naas with 3 goals along with the now departed Matt Berry.
The Flyers have kill 14 of 16 penalties against the Stars in the 6 meetings so far with the Stars killing 14 of 17 Flyers powerplays.
The Stars have given up 37 powerplay goals in all EIHL competitions this season which is the most of all teams with Flyers have conceded 33.
When losing the 2nd period on the road this term the Stars are 0 and 10.
The Stars 5 wins on the road this term are joint second fewest to the Flyers who have 3.
On their travels the Stars have a minus 30 goal differential with the Flyers a minus 31 on home ice
The Flyers have played 14.8 percent of gametime this season ahead which is least of all teams, the Stars have had the lead for 18.8 percent which is next fewest.
Click the image below for your downloadable gamesheet for Sunday’s game against Dundee Stars
