Fri 27 Mar 2026 - 06:00AM
PREVIEW: BELFAST DOUBLE-HEADER WEEKEND
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It's a weekend double-header for Nottingham Panthers with two games in Northern Ireland against Belfast Giants.
The two sides go head-to-head at the SSE Arena on Friday (19:00) and Saturday (19:00) with huge Elite League points on the line.
Belfast are within touching distance of the title and know one win this weekend will secure top spot with games to spare.
But Panthers go into the SSE Arena as Challenge Cup champions and will be in no mood to roll over.
Danny Stewart's side go into the weekend on the back of last week's back-to-back against the Steelers which started with a 4-2 victory on the road in Sheffield on Saturday.
At the same time, Belfast put in what Head Coach Adam Keefe described as the "worst display of hockey we’ve played in a long time" as his side were beaten 3-1 at home by Glasgow Clan.
Giants then went to Glasgow the following day and won 4-1 led by two goals for Jordan Kawaguchi, while Panthers were beaten 4-2 at home by Sheffield.
Click here to check out Jono Bullard's Weekend Lowdown with all the facts and figures on the Panthers and the Giants.
View from the Bench
Head Coach, Danny Stewart, said: "We are taking it one game at a time so are going in (on Friday) to win a hockey game.
"We understand where it is with us having five games left and them six, but our preparation doesn't change.
"We will go in to battle for first place and an Elite title and you want to put in your best effort at this time of year.
"If we do fall short in the league, we certainly want second place and that would be a good achievement."
Team News in association with Candid Digital
Captain Matt Alfaro will miss the weekend in Belfast as he continues his recovery from a lower-body injury.
Shirt Off His Back: FIVE chances to win!
There's five chances to win with the competition running across both games this weekend. The jerseys of #14 Jordan Kelsall, #18 Mitch Fossier, #19 Ross Armour, #24 Matt Spencer and #25 Josh Tetlow are all up for grabs. The competition closes at 22:00 on Monday 30th March. Tickets cost £1 each and can be purchased by clicking here.
Tickets, Webcast and Updates
Tickets for both matches at the SSE Arena in Belfast can bought online by clicking here.
You can follow all the action live on the Giants TV webcast which can be purchased here.
There'll be updates throughout the game on the Panthers X account and there's live scoring on the Elite League website.
Next up at the Motorpoint Arena
The next home action is on Wednesday 1st April (19:00 face-off) when Panthers face Manchester Storm at the Motorpoint Arena - a game sponsored by WAGO.
Tickets are selling fast for this one too so make sure you secure your seats now and be part of the passionate #PanthersNation.