The Belfast Giants have only ever been to the final four dance three times in their nine year history and on one occasion they won the thing. But on six occasions they have failed to get out of the qualifying group or knockout game or whatever the format has been over the various seasons of falling short.

On five of the six occasions (you have to exclude their inaugural season) they were one of the favorites to make the final four but always found a way to blow it. This year it was against Cardiff a team who finished well behind the Giants in points during the regular season but come the crunch games could pull it together. If this kind of post-season form carries on for much longer, it won’t be long before fans start uttering the word ‘curse’.

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Well that was a fine way to say goodbye to the home fans after an long, up and down, injury riddled season — With the second trophy in a month. Prior to this season the Giants haven’t won more than one trophy in a season never mind two in a month but tonight the last glimpse the fans got of the 08-09 team were each of them skating around the Odyssey ice with the Knockout Cup above their head.

The Knockout cup usually comes last in the list of teams priorities going into a season and until this year the Giants tended not to even enter it, but this year under Steve Thornton the Giants appeared to give every trophy an equal level of importance as they went into the season with the hope of winning everything. Injuries soon put pay to their chances in the league but their great form in two-legged knockout games came to the fore over the season and they ended up in the final of both the Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup.

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The Giants have been mailing it in recently in the league, very much content to settle for forth place in the hope that they can take on and beat Cardiff in the playoffs. Tonight was different though in the penultimate league game of the season. This appeared to be an effort to step up their momentum going into the playoffs. The only problem was that a player they let go last summer, Leigh Jamieson, came back to bite them with an overtime victory. Defeats to Coventry always hurt but its even worse when Jamieson grabs the goal winner. Read More»

For the second season in a row the Giants fans will have to be content with a poor 4th place finish in the league table. Away from the league there has been lots to shout about this season thanks to the two cup competitions and while injuries have been a huge factor in the Giants not pushing for the league title, another forth place has to be seen as disappointing. Still a playoff run can more than make up for it. The forth place finish was confirmed after the team lost another league game, this time to Nottingham Panthers. Without the victory in the challenge cup on Tuesday night this has been a bad run of form going into the playoffs.

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At long long last.

Last night in Dundonald Ice Bowl the Giants done something they have never done before, they won the Challenge Cup Final, a final they could not complete in the Odyssey Arena back in 2002. Yes, the Giants are Challenge Cup Champions and add that piece of silverware to the two league titles and one playoff crown in the trophy cabinet through their nine years of playing.

Over two legs against the Manchester Phoenix neither team wanted to give up on the crown and coming into this game the Giants trailed the Phoenix 4-3 after the first leg in Manchester. Racing out to a two goal lead things looked to be going well for the Giants but not before ex-coach Tony Hand tied up the aggregate score through two periods. A 56th minute wonder goal by Mike Burgoyne however moved the Giants into a 6-5 overall lead and they made it stick to the final hooter insuring they finally got their hands on that illusive trophy.

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