Polish side GKS Katowice will be without four of their key players for this weekend’s Continental Cup finale in Cardiff.
Four of their Canadian roster members – Travis Verveda, Stephen Anderson, Brandon Magee and Dante Salituro – will be unable to travel to the UK due to visa issues.
The quartet have played a total of 98 games for the club this season, with Anderson contributing 26 points from his 34 appearances.
Fellow Canadians Benjamin Sokay and Jean Dupuy will be able to travel as they have been playing in Poland for longer and have the appropriate paperwork, the club have confirmed.
The build-up to this year’s Continental Cup finals weekend has already been disrupted by the withdrawal of HC Arlan from Kazakhstan.
And with no replacement team stepping in at a week’s notice, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) have confirmed that just three teams will compete for European glory.
Who is still left in the Continental Cup?
Photo credit: International Ice Hockey Federation
Joining GKS Katowice to complete the final three are hosts Cardiff Devils and French side Bruleurs de Loups.
Cardiff, who have finished third in each of the last two tournaments, currently sit three points clear at the top of the Elite League standings after a run of three successive victories.
They will host the showpiece event for a second year in a row, as they look to become the first British team to win the tournament since Nottingham Panthers achieved the feat during the 2016/17 season.
They qualified for the final stage of the tournament after finishing second in their group, behind the now-withdrawn HC Arlan, in Slovakia back in November.
Polish side GKS Katowice topped the other group at that stage of the competition and have been performing well domestically.
They currently find themselves second in the Polish top division, having won 20 of their 34 games so far this season.
Completing the trio of silverware contenders are France’s runaway leaders Bruleurs de Loups, who saw an impressive run of 17 consecutive victories come to an end last weekend.
Nevertheless, they scored an impressive 18 goals during Round 3 of the competition – more than any other side – and will have their sights set on becoming the second-ever French winners of the competition.
Tournament schedule
The final stage of the Continental Cup begins on Thursday, with the schedule as follows:
- Thursday 16 January – GKS Katowice vs Cardiff Devils (7:30pm)
- Saturday 18 January – Bruleurs de Loups vs GKS Katowice (6pm)
- Sunday 19 January – Cardiff Devils vs Bruleurs de Loups (6pm)
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