Stingrays plot progress from tough Cup group

While hopes are high that the Stingrays can prosper under the new Elite League structure which placed them with four Scottish rivals in the northern Gardiner Conference – which they currently top after three games – the East Yorkshire club are expected to find life difficult in the Cup after finding themselves in the much tougher group in the first phase.

But, so far, their cup form has been promising, with a 7-5 home win over Cardiff Devils coming on the back of an impressive performance in the season-opening 4-2 defeat to Nottingham Panthers. That has given Hull player-coach Cloutier and his players hope that they can cause something of an upset and progress to the quarter-final stages at the expense of one of their more illustrious rivals in Group B.

Saturday sees them travel to Coventry Blaze in the competition – a match given additional spice given the West Midlands club ran the club until selling it to new owner and Stingrays’ bench coach Bobby McEwan in the summer.

Before then, however, Hull must prepare for the Wednesday night visit from an in-form Steelers side, who emerged from an intensive weekend against Nottingham and Belfast Giants with four points.

And as Steelers make their debut in the competition this season at Hull Arena, there may be an element of them arriving on something of a revenge mission, given they were unexpectedly dumped out of last season’s play-offs at the first hurdle by a resolute Hull side.

Both teams have undergone significant changes since then in terms of personnel – as most Elite league teams do on an annual basis every summer – but there are enough players still around on both sides to remember the drama from an emotional night at Ice Sheffield back in April when Hull sealed their two-legged triumph.

Cloutier – who described his team’s achievement in reaching the Final Four Weekend in Nottingham as one of the highlights of his long career – is keen to move on from last season and focus on the present.

“It was great for our club and whole league when we beat Sheffield in the play-offs,” said Cloutier. “But what happened last season has gone, both clubs have moved on in different ways.

“I really think we’ll be coming up against the best team in the league at the moment. They’ve got all the depth you could need, top British players – when you have a look there’s not much of a weakness to be found.

“If they are able to pretty much stay injury-free there’s no reason whey they shouldn’t be pushing for all three trophies this season.”

As for his team’s own cup hopes this season, Cloutier believes the extended format of the Challenge Cup, which sees four teams progress from each five-strong group to the quarter-finals, offers them a better chance of success.

“We’ve had two good performances already in this competition and obviously got the win over Cardiff,” he added. “We’re going to have to stay extremely disciplined against the Steelers because they will punish us if not.

“It is a tough group but if we can get ourselves maybe six or seven points we could find ourselves going through. But we’ve got to make sure we take care of business at home.”

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