Unsurprisingly, 26 December is a busy night every year in the Elite League. A total of 77 games have been played on this date since the EIHL’s inception in 2003, with Manchester and Nottingham hosting fixtures 22 years ago.
Home teams have won 44 games, while 32 have gone to the road teams. Manchester’s game against Coventry in 2003 ended in a tie. Only four Boxing Day games have been decided in overtime, with a further nine needing penalty shots to find a winner. There have been 10 shutouts on this date, including three suffered by home teams.
Sheffield have the edge over Nottingham at the Utilita Arena, with their win earlier this season taking them to 40 wins in 72 fixtures, compared to the Panthers’ 20. The teams have faced each other 13 times in Sheffield on Boxing Day, with the Steelers winning eight of those games and recording two shutouts. The Panthers last shut out Sheffield on Boxing Day in 2014. Interestingly, the teams have never needed overtime in a Boxing Day fixture.
Cardiff’s narrow home league record over Coventry was extended to 30 wins in 69 fixtures after a win earlier this season, with the Blaze holding 33 wins over that period. When facing each other in Cardiff on 26 December, the Devils have won five of six meetings, with Coventry’s only Boxing Day road success there coming in 2012.
Glasgow Clan and Dundee Stars have never previously met on Boxing Day in Braehead, although they did face each other in Dundee in 2015. Clan have won over 70% of home league games against the Stars and average close to four goals every time Dundee visit.
Manchester’s home league record against Guildford stands at 13 wins in 21 meetings. The teams have met on Boxing Day five times since Guildford joined the EIHL, with the last three all going the Storm’s way. In Guildford’s two wins, they shut out Manchester on both occasions.
Belfast average close to a 90% win rate over Fife Flyers at the SSE Arena, typically by an average score of around 5–2. Fife have only three league victories in Belfast since joining the EIHL. The teams have never met on Boxing Day, and this is Fife’s first road fixture on this date since 2022. Belfast have only ever played at home twice on Boxing Day, losing to Clan in 2010 and beating them in 2021.
Photo: William Cherry
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