Mid-term Report: Cardiff Devils

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A look at the defending playoff champions

Cardiff Devils entered this season as defending playoff champions, and made an immediate impression in the Champions Hockey League.

The Devils ended the Group Stage only a few points short of qualifying for the Round of 16 thanks to win wins over Graz and Mountfield HK, and a victory in Austria, but fell to Frölunda in their final two games.

Back in the Elite League, the Devils are currently leading the chase behind Sheffield but have a sizable number of games in hands. Head Coach Andrew Lord reviews the season so far above.

We also got the thoughts of BBC Sport Wales‘ Philip Marsh:

“After two brilliant seasons where at times they looked unstoppable, so far this campaign the Cardiff Devils have been made to dig deep and work harder than recent times for wins. But continue to win they have, for the most part, and although they do not find themselves sitting top of the Elite League right now, their winning percentage offers plenty of encouragement as the second half of the season begins.

With key players still at the club and a coaching team that have seen everything the Elite League has to offer over the last few years, early season slip-ups and a rocky Challenge Cup campaign could soon be long forgotten. In what is developing into one of the closest fought campaigns ever, each game remains crucial for the Devils, and a four-point weekend on the road in Scotland last weekend may well prove to be the perfect platform to build on down the finishing straight.”