Giants target Slam after latest Challenge Cup win

Belfast Giants have now won the Challenge Cup five times in seven seasons

One season without a trophy was quite enough for the Belfast Giants.

After the high of their treble-winning 2023 season came the low of last year as they struggled to hit the same heights and finished the campaign without silverware.

An emphatic 4-0 shutout of the Cardiff Devils in Wednesday's Challenge Cup final at the SSE Arena, however, ensured another triumph in a competition in which they have enjoyed huge success in recent years.

Wednesday's victory was the fifth final win for the Giants in the competition in the past seven seasons, a run so dominant the league should probably consider changing the name of the trophy to the ‘Adam Keefe Cup’.

Since 2018, alongside the Challenge Cup wins, there have also been three league titles and a play-off victory.

That brings the total trophies during Keefe's reign as head coach to nine in seven years - and there is the prospect of more to come this year.

Whistle key to Giants latest success

Jackson Whistle helping the Giants win another title with an impressive performance

The highlight of the run of success was the Grand Slam two years ago and repeating that is now a realistic target.

With the Challenge Cup secured, the Giants will now set their sights on the Elite League title as well as the play-offs.

This latest Challenge Cup win owed much to the stellar goaltending of Jackson Whistle who produced one of the great individual performances seen by a Giants netminder.

It seems appropriate that in the team's 25th anniversary season, the son of the Giants' first head coach, Dave Whistle, was the main contributor to the Challenge Cup success.

As a four-year-old he would skate on the Odyssey ice with his dad and brother Brandon after the Giants had finished practice.

Now 29, Whistle is one of the best netminders in the Elite League and has also firmly established himself in the Great Britain line-up.

He made 37 saves against Cardiff, becoming the first goalkeeper to achieve a final shutout since 2016.

'Everybody played their part'

Belfast Giants celebrate winning the Challenge Cup

Never one to bask in the limelight, Whistle was his usual modest self.

"It feels good, but any shutout that you get as a goalie, it's obviously a team effort and I thought the guys were so solid defensively," said Whistle.

"Obviously, it's nice to get to play in the final and contribute for the guys. I couldn't be happier for the team."

It was left to others like head coach Keefe to sing his praises after his excellent display.

"You know what? He's the reason we're here," explained Keefe.

"He had a clean sheet shutout against Nottingham in the semi-final on home ice and then we go to Nottingham where we were probably second best.

"He kept us in that game and gives us the chance to get this final at home. I thought he was fantastic.

"He battled all night long to a clean sheet and I'm super happy for him and for the group. Everybody played their part, and it was a fantastic win."

The Giants will get to enjoy this win for at least a day, but they are back on the ice against Fife on Saturday night.

They top the Elite League table, leading Sheffield by three points and Nottingham by four with a game in hand, with nine fixtures remaining.

Prior to this year, the Giants' past three Challenge Cup wins propelled them to the league title.

There is no reason to think it will not happen again.