By Terry Phillips
Cardiff Devils will use the loss of key defenceman Andrew Hotham to fire up their Challenge Cup dream in Wednesday’s semi-final.
Elite League leaders Devils have been shocked by Hotham’s two-game suspension imposed for a slashing incident against Nottingham Panthers away.
Coach Andrew Lord’s team face a massive night at the SSE Arena in Belfast trying to claw their way back into the cup semi-final against Giants after losing the first leg 5-4.
Devils have played in the last two finals, beating Sheffield Steelers in 2015 and losing 1-0 after overtime against Nottingham last season.
The 2017 final will be played at Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff Bay in March and Devils would love to be a part of that.
There is a strong feeling among Cardiff supporters that Hotham’s ban, imposed after Panthers called for a video review of the incident, is harsh.
Lord will switch versatile forward Chris Culligan to defence and that will ensure they still have a six-man blue line unit, but that will leave them a man short among their forwards.
The Elite League department of player safety analysed video evidence of the incident at Nottingham and gave Hotham a match penalty for slashing, which carries an automatic one-game ban, and then upgraded with with an addition one-match suspension.
Hotham is ruled out of Wednesday’s match in Belfast and Saturday’s League trip to Coventry Blaze.
Ice hockey fans have been invited to watch their Devils team in Challenge Cup semi-final action on the biggest screen in Cardiff.
Devils are in Northern Ireland on Wednesday to play Belfast Giants (7pm) and the cup semi-final second leg will be shown live in Shooters Bar at the Bierkeller, Stadium Place, Cardiff.
Bierkeller have been a Devils sponsor for two years and they have announced a happy hour from 4pm to 9pm. They are offering season ticket holders 25 per cent off food.
Entry is free and fans are encouraged to wear Devils jerseys and cheer their team on in the quest for a League title and cup double.
Belfast or Cardiff will qualify for the Challenge Cup final to be played at Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff Bay next month. Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers clash in the other semi-final.
Steelers lead 2-1 after the first game with the return in Sheffield on Tuesday, February 14.