It’s Friday night and a three-game slate in the Elite Ice Hockey League.
The top two are both in action. League leaders Belfast Giants welcome the in-form team of 2026 in Coventry Blaze. The Blaze are unbeaten in regulation this year, having taken 18 points from the last 20 available. Belfast’s record is similarly impressive, with no regulation defeats since 4 January in Coventry, and they carried a seven-game winning streak into Sunday’s loss in Manchester.
Second-placed Cardiff Devils head to Dundee hoping for a repeat of their most recent visit rather than their first trip of the season. The Devils were seven-goal winners in December, but surrendered a lead and lost 5-4 in November. Sunday’s defeat in Sheffield brought a four-game winning run to an end. Dundee remain at the foot of the table, having lost five straight, with just six goals scored and 18 conceded during that stretch.
In Glasgow, Clan play their second home game in three nights as they host Guildford Flames at Braehead Arena. Clan pulled level on points with the Flames in sixth place thanks to Wednesday’s win over Nottingham. Clan, Guildford and Coventry are all locked on 33 points from the same number of games played. Guildford won the only meeting between the sides in Braehead this season, taking a 3-2 overtime win, and have also picked up victories in both meetings in Surrey so far.
In total, 29 games have been played on 30 January in the league’s history, although none since 2022. Those games have resulted in 18 home wins and 11 away victories. Six teams have been shut out on this date, including Coventry in Belfast in 2022 – a fixture that repeats today. A further three games required overtime to find a winner, while just two were decided by penalty shots.
Photo: William Cherry
