Continental Cup: Cardiff Devils coach Pete Russell excited for 'break from the norm'
- Published
Pete Russell continues to coach Great Britain following his appointment as Cardiff Devils coach in May 2023
Coach Pete Russell hopes Cardiff Devils can "make people take British ice hockey seriously" as they compete in the Continental Cup this weekend.
Cardiff join French host club Bruleurs de Loups, Kazakh side Nomad Astana and Latvia's Zemgale Jelgava in Grenoble.
Each side face each other in a round-robin group between November 17-19.
"It's like a mini world championship. Three different countries, three different styles of hockey, it's exciting," said Russell.
How does the Continental Cup work?
The Continental Cup is European ice hockey's second-level club tournament behind the CHL [Champions Hockey League] with teams from 18 countries competing this season.
Recent history in the tournament would indicate there is plenty of reason for Cardiff to be optimistic.
UK sides have fared well in the Continental Cup in recent seasons with the Devils coming third last season. In 2010 and 2018 Sheffield Steelers also came third, Belfast Giants were runners-up in 2019 and Nottingham Panthers won the tournament in 2017, becoming the first British team to win a major European tournament.
The 2023 tournament started in September, with Cardiff joining the tournament in the third round due to the EIHL being ranked higher than the leagues which had representatives in rounds one and two.
Devils start their campaign against current holders of the Kazakhstan National Championship Nomad Astana on Friday.
On Saturday they take on the winners of the Latvian Hockey Higher League Zemgale Jelgava, who the Devils beat 5-2 in Cardiff at the same stage last year.
Cardiff complete their group games on Sunday against the eight-time winners of the French League [Ligue Magnus] Bruleurs de Loups.
Grenoble is the host city of Group E matches this weekend, with the 2026 Winter Olympics co-host town Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy holding Group F games.
The top two teams from each group in round three will progress to the final round in January.
'It's like a mini world championship.'
The weekend will be a sizeable challenge for the Devils who are second in Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) after 10 games, having also won their domestic Challenge Cup group.
"I like these kinds of tournaments, it's a good little break from the norm," said head coach Russell.
"It's great for the team to get away from the pressure of the league and go to something different.
"We want to go there and put our foot forward and show how we play and what we're trying to become.
"Hopefully we can make people take British ice hockey seriously.
"The Elite League's tough with some really good teams and players in it and we've got to carry that into this tournament."
Tragic Loss
Cardiff Devils and Manchester Storm players took part in a silent tribute to Adam Johnson
The Devils' participation in the Continental Cup this weekend will be tempered by the fact that on Saturday Nottingham Panthers will hold a memorial game for their forward Adam Johnson, whose death after a collision in an Elite League match last month shocked the sporting world.
Johnson had been on the roster at Augsburger Panther when Russell was coach of the DEL1 (Deutschen Eishockey Liga) side last season.
"I think it's a side note for the Nottingham players to get playing again and I think that's what Adam would have wanted for his teammates, he was a really good teammate guy," said Russell.
"It'll be a tough, emotional night for them [in Nottingham] and I hope it goes well and that they raise a lot of money. But no amount of money will make Adam's parents, family and his friends feel any better right now.
"Adam had a decent hockey career, that's for sure.
"He had elite speed, a good hockey IQ, was a good teammate, everything was there.
"He was a really nice guy, calm, laidback, a family guy, you could tell he'd been brought up well, he was just a good human being.
"I just keep thinking of his family and his girlfriend Ryan, it's just a tragic loss that shouldn't happen to any family."
IIHF Continental Cup - Round 3 Group E
All matches at Pole Sud, Grenoble, France
Friday 17 November
Nomad Astana v Cardiff Devils (15:00 GMT)
Bruleurs de Loups v Zemgale Jelgava (19:00 GMT)
Saturday 18 November
Cardiff Devils v Zemgale Jelgava (15:00 GMT)
Bruleurs de Loups v Nomad Astana (19:00 GMT)
Sunday 19 November
Nomad Astana v Zemgale Jelgava (14:00 GMT)
Cardiff Devils v Bruleurs de Loups (18:00 GMT)