Belfast Giants welcome confirmation of Elite League return in September

League games are scheduled to start on the weekend of September 25-26 and will run through to the play-off finals weekend on April 23-24 in 2022.

The Elite League will hold the annual fixtures meeting as usual at the end of June, with the full schedule due to be released in July.

Further information including League, Playoffs and Challenge Cup format are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Pending guidance from the NI Executive on the easing of restrictions around indoor sport, it is hoped ice hockey will make a return to Belfast this autumn.

Commenting on the announcement, Steve Thornton, Head of Hockey and Commercial, the Odyssey Trust said: “This is welcome news and a really positive step forward. There’s a real sense of optimism now that getting back on the ice in Belfast could soon become a reality.

“This has been a long time coming for both the club and the fans and we’re excited to progress with our planning for the forthcoming season.”

“Over the coming months, we will continue to work hard behind the scenes to get ready for 2021/22.

“Naturally, there are still events and decisions that remain outside of our control. As the rollout of the vaccination programme continues, we are hopeful that we will see easing of restrictions needed locally to get us back on the ice in Belfast for the next season.

“We would like to thank our fans and partners for their continued patience and support.

“We can’t wait to welcome everyone back to The SSE Arena, Belfast and we will update on plans for our return as soon as we can.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Irish and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. To subscribe, click here.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you,

Alistair Bushe

Editor