Continental Cup: Cardiff to stage round of European tournament

Cardiff will host the third round of the Continental Cup this weekend.

The Continental Cup is part of the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) Europe-wide tournament.

Four teams including the Cardiff Devils will each play three games at Ice Arena Wales in three days between November 18-20, all hoping to reach the final round in January.

Latvian team Zemgale Jelgava, Slovenia's Acroni Jesenice and French club Angers Ducs are also in action.

The tournament gives the Devils a chance to win a new trophy and at the same time secure qualification to next season's Champions Hockey League [CHL].

Recent history in the tournament would indicate there is plenty of reason for the Devils to be optimistic.

UK sides have fared well in the Continental Cup in recent seasons with Sheffield Steelers coming third in 2010 and 2018, Belfast Giants runners-up in 2019 and Nottingham Panthers winning the tournament in 2017, becoming the first British team to win a major European tournament.

That Panthers victory gave them a place in the 2018 CHL where they went on to win their group and be the first, and only, team from the Elite Ice Hockey League to reach the knockout rounds of Europe's prime club tournament.

Cardiff Devils competed in the Champions Hockey League in 2021

How does the Continental Cup work?

The competition - this year celebrating its 25th anniversary - is European ice hockey's second-level club tournament behind the CHL and teams from 18 countries have competed in this year's event.

The 2022 tournament started in September with teams playing in two groups of four held in Istanbul, Turkey and Sofia, Bulgaria.

In October the four-team groups were repeated with the winning teams of round one, KHL Sofia (Croatia) and Buz Adam Istanbul (Turkey), joining another six teams in round two, played in Angers, France and Asiago, Italy.

Due to the EIHL being ranked higher than the leagues which played in rounds one and two, the Cardiff Devils join the tournament in the third round this weekend.

Cardiff will be the host city of Group E matches this weekend, with Nitra in Slovakia hosting Group F games.

The top two teams from each group in round three will progress to the final round in January, where the winners will receive a place in the 2023-24 CHL.

Champions League qualification is on offer to the Continental Cup winners

'Every game matters'

The weekend will be intense for the Cardiff Devils as they will play three games in three consecutive days against strong opponents.

On Friday, 18 November the Devils face Zemgale Jelgava of Latvia, the reigning champions of the Latvian Hockey Higher League who also play in the second tier of Finland's league system.

On Saturday, 19 November Cardiff will take on the 12-time champions of the Slovenian Hockey League Acroni Jesenice, who this year were runners-up in the cross border Alps Hockey League.

The Devils complete their group games on Sunday, 20 November against the two-time winners of the French Cup Angers Ducs, who are currently third in France's Ligue Magnus.

Given the Devils' inconsistent EIHL form this season, winning the Continental Cup may well be their best chance of qualifying for next season's CHL.

"For us it's a great way to see where we sit among the rest of the other European leagues and it's a tournament that we feel very comfortable that we can win," Devils head coach Brodie Dupont said.

"There is some stuff at stake other than just pride and trying to raise another banner for the organisation, which is always special.

"But there are implications in terms of next year's Champions Hockey League, which we want to be back in.

"Hockey's come a long way across Europe. These are good teams, these are good leagues and they've had to win hockey games to get here so it's going to be a challenge.

"Any time you compete for a trophy as player that's what you want to play for, so definitely as a coach I'm excited."

IIHF Continental Cup - Round 3 Group E matches at Ice Arena Wales

Friday 18 November

Game 1 - Zemgale Jelgava (LAT) v Acroni Jesenice (SLO) - 16:00 GMT

Game 2 - Cardiff Devils (GBR) v Angers Ducs (FRA) - 19:30 GMT

Saturday 19 November

Game 3 - Zemgale Jelgava (LAT) v Angers Ducs (FRA) - 15:30 GMT

Game 4 - Acroni Jesenice (SLO) v Cardiff Devils (GBR) - 19:00 GMT

Sunday 20 November

Game 5 - Angers Ducs (FRA) v Acroni Jesenice (SLO) - 15:30 GMT

Game 6 - Cardiff Devils (GBR) v Zemgale Jelgava (LAT) - 19:00 GMT

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