Fri 4 Sep 2026 - 7:30PM
WEEKEND LOWDOWN: BACK-TO-BACK AGAINST DEVILS
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By Jono Bullard
The final weekend of pre-season will see Nottingham Panthers take on Motorpoint Elite League rivals and current EIHL playoff champions Cardiff Devils at home and away, with the first match-up at the Motorpoint Arena on Saturday night (19:00). The return is at the Vindico Arena on Sunday (17:00 face-off).
The Devils have played five games in pre-season so far, starting with two games against Denmark’s Odense Bulldogs where they won 8-5 and 4-1. They then secured a 4-2 victory against French side Ducs d’Angers, before two games against Sheffield Steelers last weekend where they won 4-3 at home and 3-1 at the Utilita Arena.
Devils have scored 23 goals and conceded 12 in pre-season so far. Josh MacDonald and Kristoff Kontos lead their point-scoring with 4+4 and 0+8 respectively. Forward Riley Brandt is level with MacDonald in goalscoring, having also found the net four times and one assist for five points in total.
Veteran captain Joey Martin has six points (3+3), while Ryan Barrow (2+3), Nolan Yaremko (1+4) and new Finnish signing Panu Mieho (3+2) all have five points.
Netminder Ben Bowns has started four of Cardiff’s five games, achieving a goals-against average of 2.27 and a save percentage of 91.3%, playing 238 minutes and facing 103 shots.
Panthers started their pre-season a week after the Devils, securing a 4-2 win over Ducs d’Angers and then a 4-1 win over fellow Ligue Magnus side Gothiques d’Amiens last Saturday, scoring eight goals in total and conceding three.
Chase Pearson leads Panthers in points-scoring after two games with three points (2+1), while Max Grondin has also netted twice.
Darick Louis-Jean (1+1), Spencer Naas (1+1), Tim Doherty (1+1), Matt Alfaro (0+2) and Zach O’Brien (0+2) are all averaging a point a game after the first two pre-season games.
In the net, both Mat Robson and Kai Edmonds have spent time between the pipes in both games. Robson started both games and has seen 80 minutes of ice-time, faced 25 shots and conceded two goals for a goals-against average of 1.50 and a save percentage of 92.0%.
Edmonds has played 40 minutes, faced 18 shots and conceded one goal for a goals-against average of 1.50 and a save percentage of 92.4%.
The weekend will provide a good test for Panthers while providing Head Coach Danny Stewart with a benchmark as to where his team are in comparison to another top Motorpoint Elite League side. It should be two fascinating encounters that you will not want to miss.