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Wed 18 Mar 2026 - 06:00AM

GAMEDAY: PANTHERS FACE BLAZE IN CUP FINAL

GAMEDAY: PANTHERS FACE BLAZE IN CUP FINAL Top Image

Nottingham Panthers face Coventry Blaze this evening in the 2026 Challenge Cup Final at the Motorpoint Arena (19:30 face-off).

The two Midlands rivals battle it out for the first domestic silverware of the season as they meet each other in a cup final for the first time since the playoffs in 2016.

Panthers beat arch-rivals Sheffield Steelers over two legs in the semi-finals which started with a 3-0 victory in Nottingham in the first game as Kevin Carr secured a 26-shot shutout.

In the second leg in Sheffield, Steelers led 4-1 to take the game to overtime before a top-shelf finish from Bryan Lemos 25 seconds into overtime put Panthers in the final with a 5-4 aggregate victory.

The Blaze booked their place in the final thanks to a superb 6-3 victory on the road at Belfast Giants which secured a 9-5 success on aggregate.

Click here for a full lowdown on both finalists with all the facts and figures.

View from the Bench
Head Coach, Danny Stewart, told Panthers TV: "You compete for this essentially all year. We've worked our way towards this and both teams fully deserve to be where they're at and it's a special moment for both clubs.

"We've had a lot of big moments already this season, must-win games in the group stages, the Elimination Game, the sem-final, the Continental Cup. By no means have we been perfect but when it's do-or-die the guys have stepped up."

Team News in associaton with Candid Digital
Forward Matt Alfaro misses the game as he continues his recovery from a lower body injury.

Follow the Challenge Cup Final on TV and radio
If you weren't lucky enough to get a ticket for the final, you can follow the action on TV, online and radio.

Fans can watch live on Premier Sports and more information about how to subscribe is on their website here.

The Premier Sports coverage - led by Aaron Murphy and former Panthers player and coach Paul Adey - will also be available on the Elite League TV website both in the UK and overseas.

The game is priced at £18 and can be purchased here. Coverage on all platforms gets under way at 19:00 with all the pre-match build-up including interviews from both camps.

BBC Radio Nottingham will have full-match commentary on the final on 103.8fm, 95.5fm and digital radio with Owen Bradley and former Panthers netminder Dan Green.

​It will also be available online here and their coverage gets under way at 19:00.