Belfast, Northern Ireland – The Belfast Giants reinforced their dynasty status on Wednesday [1 March], as they produced a colossal performance to secure the Viaplay Elite League Challenge Cup for the second year in a row.
Adam Keefe’s squad dominated every facet of their final date with the Fife Flyers. Period.
The Giants scored four times without reply to establish an early lead and were never forced to look back from there. Despite their perseverance, the Flyers were never able to keep stride with their hosts at a sold-out SSE Arena and return to Kirkaldy wounded by the 9-3 final score.
It was a remarkable final – one ultimately defined by the club-wide excellence that exists in Belfast. The Giants are streets ahead of their rivals at the top of the Elite League, with the quality of their facilities and staff numbers way above the competition average.
Evidently, the Giants remain some way behind their Champions Hockey League peers.
When Belfast hosted Skelleftea in a continental clash back in October, beat reporters for the Swedish Hockey League club were stunned by the quality of their challenger from Northern Ireland. The Giants vastly exceeded their expectations – both on and off the ice.
Dynasty: Adam Keefe, Belfast Giants (Image: Johanna Salo / Norran)
But, in the context of our hockey landscape, there is no doubt that we are in a Belfast Giants dynasty.
Since the Elite League returned from the pandemic, Keefe & Co. have scooped back-to-back Challenge Cups and the regular season title. They also made it to the playoff finals last term – and can credibly aim for a treble after their latest trophy list.
They are serious and unwavering.
“I can’t rank any of them, they’re all good,” Keefe said when asked to rank the Fife win. “It’s extra special to do it in front of the fans, we talked about having a big start and making sure we used the crowd to our advantage. That’s what we did. You heard the support: it’s extremely loud, it gives me chills. It’s special to be able to reward [the supporters] at the end of the night.”
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The SSE Arena was packed for the final and sold out even quicker than expected – which is a major achievement after the ticket fiasco that overtook Playoff Finals Weekend last season.
And, for the sake of confirmation, Keefe is correct about the atmosphere: the arena was electric from the moment the doors opened.
“I’ve had a couple of thousand fans at previous games but this is like nothing else I have ever experienced,” new arrival Grant Cooper told British Ice Hockey. “They’re loud, proud, and we’ve got the trophy for them. It’s the best atmosphere I’ve played in.”
Cooper has experienced a wild ride in Belfast since his move from the Leeds Knights in January.
The Canadian has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 12 league appearances for his new club and marked the Challenge Cup final with a third period strike.
Cooper continued: “It’s been a crazy month and a half here. The guys are great and the fans are awesome. It’s definitely been a cool experience so far. Leeds was nothing but great to me. It was a good a stepping stone and I have nothing but good things to about the organisation and the league. I made the right decision to come to Belfast – but that’s one trophy, there are still two more to go.”
Cooper looked like a sensible addition for the Giants at the time of his transfer. It turns out that the 26-year-old is more of a slam dunk.
Belfast also added – or re-added – netminder Tyler Beskorowany before deadline day.
They swapped out Peyton Jones, who posted mediocre numbers in Belfast, for a proven winner in Beskorowany and have already reaped the rewards.
Dynasty: Tyler Beskorowany, Belfast Giants (Image: William Cherry)
“This is right up there with the last few that I’ve won,” the 32-year-old told British Ice Hockey as his teammates celebrated on the ice. “The atmosphere was great tonight and the team has been great since I showed up. It’s good to get that win for those guys.”
While Beskorowany was responsible for Fife’s third strike, he made a collection of important that steadied the ship for Belfast. He just played on, unfazed by his error, to backstop his team to another championship.
The Canadian’s story is somewhat unique.
Beskorowany retired last offseason and accepted a job outside the hockey world back home only to return to Belfast a few short months later.
But his U-Turn is easy to understand: Belfast adores him and he loves the city back – a sentiment evident throughout the organisation and crucial to the culture Keefe has built.
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The Flyers projected a sense of quiet confidence as they went about their morning skate before the final. The Giants, by contrast, filled the SSE Arena with noise.
They knew they had Fife covered and emphatically proved it hours later.
“I do like to have some atmosphere on the ice, personality goes a long way,” Keefe told British Ice Hockey hours before puck drop. “The guys are having fun out there and we’re in a good spot, so I would be concerned if it was quiet out there – but sometimes nerves do that to you.
“When we’re going into the game, we certainly want to be loud, communicating with each other, and enjoy it. I’ve taken part in a lot of these games and it’s a lot of fun.”
The Giants clearly enjoyed their win over Fife.
By the time the players left the ice, staff at the SSE Arena had already de-littered the stands and were almost ready to clock out. But the celebrations continued and the booze flowed on what was a remarkable night for the hockey club.
Dynasty: Ben Lake, Belfast Giants (Image: William Cherry)
The Giants look like a dynasty. The Giants act like a dynasty. The Giants have the hardware to prove they are a dynasty.
While there is a chance that their season could unravel or they fall just short in the title race, capitulation in Belfast feels unlikely.
Is there a chance that the Giants will lift their foot from the accelerator?
“Well, there’s always a concern [that there could be a hangover from the win],” said Keefe. “But we’ll do our best to get everyone back on board on Friday and ride the wave.”
Broadly, that translates as ‘no’. The Giants will only accelerate from here.
