It’s been a seven year wait for the hundreds of Giants fans that take themselves to Nottingham year-in-year-out looking for their team to deliver the goods, but at long last and for the first time since 2003 the Belfast Giants can call themselves Elite League Playoff Champions again. I wasn’t there this year, but if 2003 taught me anything it is that when the Giants win this trophy the weekend becomes one of the biggest and best parties of the year and no doubt it was great times in Nottingham again last night and this morning plenty of sore heads. The Giants turned around a poor first two periods of play while throwing away a two goal lead to put in a fine effort in the third, a strong overtime and then a tight and tense shootout to win it. A playoff final should never ever be decided by the way of a shootout, but that’s how it is in Britain, and while I don’t agree with it, in this case, I’ll gladly deal with it and revel in the moment that my team are the Champions again, even though I never got to see them in person this year.

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One of the Giants most popular players of all time and one of the original Giants of 2000 is back on the payroll of the Giants and this time as assistant coach. Rob will patrol the Giants bench while coach Steve Thornton continues to ice and so Rob will provide an extra pair of eyes on the ice for Thornton and assist him at practice. Stewart will also provide a link to the history of the Giants for what has become a new era of Belfast Giants players with so many changes in this off season. Read More»

It was reported today that Giants legend Rob Stewart will persue his hockey career and do so with the Romford Raiders in the English Premier League.  Rob who played in Belfast from 2000-2003 before taking over as player coach in 03-04, returned again last season to fill in in defence for the majority of the season.  Rob reutrns to a team he spent many years early in the 90s…  Click below to read the full Romford website release…

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The struggling Steelers have had enough and sacked ex-Giants ace, Rob Stewart. After a run of poor results ending in two defeats in the past number of days against Cardiff the Sheffield management decided it was time for a change.

Rob who only last summer was sacked by the Giants after one season was brought in by Sheffield with only days until the start of the regular season after Sheffield’s legendary coach Mike Bliesdale left to go back to Canada to coach.

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Giants kept their winning run going with another impressive win on the road. Cardiff where the team that stood in their way tonight. It was a physical game with a lot of penalties but that’s what the fans liked to see. It didn’t take long for the physical action to start as Paxton Schulte and Mike Ware dropped the gloves within the first three minutes. Both players sitting out the game for the next 14 minutes as referee Simon Kirkham dished out the first of a total of 118 minutes in penalties.

“We wont back down. They’re a gritty team and we’re a gritty team. Our guys stuck to their guns. We stick up for one another. It was a great team effort. No one backs down”, said Stewart

The first period goal wise belonged to Belfast. With Jason Bowen scoring the first of the night at 13.49 and man of the match Leigh Jamieson making it 2-0 at 17.33.

Devils came out for the second period determined to stay out of the bin and try and pull the game back. But things didn’t go according to plan and a second 10-minute penalty on Mike Ware meant an early shower for the Captain. The Devils under pressure now fought back well and brought a goal back thought Dennis Maxwell who received a pass from Vezio Sacratini and fired the puck low and hard into the side of the net to score Devils first of the night.

Both teams stepping up the pace of the game and putting together some skillful hockey. But the score remained 2-1 to the Giants going into the third and final period. It was the Giants who came up with the first goal of the 3rd period, Jason Ruff defeating McInerney in the Devils net at 50.19.

But as is the Devils way, they didn’t give up and Ivan Matulik was in the right place at the right time to feed Sacratini in front of the Belfast net at 56.40. With 2 minutes to go to the end of the game Devils gambled on getting the equalising goal and pulled net minder McInerney. Added offensive pressure was applied but the final goal just wouldn’t come.

“The boys worked very hard and it was a great road win. We where in the box a lot and we where short up front but everyone battled through that. We logged a lot of ice time but then hit back on the powerplay”, said Rob Stewart

Cardiff Devils 2-3 Belfast Giants

Goals
0-1 Belfast, J.Bowen (Kelman, Kenny) 13:49 (pp)
0-2 Belfast, Jamieson (J.Bowen, Sample) 17:33 (pp)
1-2 Cardiff, Maxwell (Scaratini) 31:38
1-3 Belfast, Ruff (Ward, Johnson) 50:19
2-3 Cardiff, Scaratini (Matulik) 56:40 

Man of the Match
Devils: Jonathan Phillips, Giants: Leigh Jamieson.

Devils Shots 27
Giants Shots 35