When Belfast Giants take to the ice for Continental Cup action on Thursday, they remain one of only four teams to represent the UK and the Elite League in this competition.
Along with Coventry Blaze, Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers, the Giants know what it’s like to take part in this tournament and they’ll do so for the fourth time.
But how have the other sides fared in the IIHF Continental Cup? As you’ll see, there have been varying degrees of success, from the downright poor to the ultimate glory.
So let’s see just this quartet have done through the years in this European competition.
2004/05
FIRST STAGE – GROUP D (Amiens. France)
Nottingham Panthers 2 HC Milano Vipers (ITA) 2
Nottingham Panthers 1 HDD Olimpija Ljubljana (SLV) 0
Gothiques D”Amiens (FRA) 1 Nottingham Panthers 3
Total points – 5
Finished 2nd in group but eliminated on goal difference
2005/06
FIRST STAGE – GROUP D (Grenoble, France)
Herning Blue Fox (DEN) 2 Coventry Blaze 2
Coventry Blaze 5 Amstel Tijgers (NED) 4
Bruleurs de Luops Grenoble (FRA) 2 Coventry Blaze 0
Total points – 3
Finished 2nd – eliminated
2006/07
FIRST STAGE – GROUP C (Rouen, France)
Dragons de Rouen (FRA) 6 Nottingham Panthers 2
EC Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) 5 Nottingham Panthers 2
SønderjyskE (DEN) 4 Nottingham Panthers 2
Total points – 0
Finished 4th (bottom) – eliminated
2007/08
FIRST STAGE – GROUP B (Aalborg, Denmark)
AaB Aalborg (DEN) 3 Coventry Blaze 0
Coventry Blaze 3 EC Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) 2
HK Slavija Ljubljana 4 Coventry Blaze 2
Total points – 2
Finished 4th (bottom) – eliminated
2008/09
SECOND STAGE – GROUP E (Bolzano, Italy)
Coventry Blaze 6 HDK Stavbar Maribor (SLV) 3
Coventry Blaze 6 Dunaújvárosi Acélbikák (HUN) 4
HC Bolzano (ITA) 1 Coventry Blaze 0
Total points – 6 (three points for a win)
Finished 2nd – eliminated
2009/10
THIRD GROUP STAGE – GROUP D (Bolzano, Italy)
Sheffield Steelers 4 HYS The Hague (NED) 3
HDK Maribor (SLV) 4 Sheffield Steelers 5
HC Bolzano (ITA) 3 Sheffield Steelers 4 (SO)
Total points – 8
Finished 1st – Qualified for next stage
FINAL GROUP STAGE (Grenoble, France)
Bruleurs de Luops Grenoble (FRA) 2 Sheffield Steelers 5
EC Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) 6 Sheffield Steelers 1
Yunost Minsk (BLR) 4 Sheffield Steelers 1
Total points – 3
Finished 3rd – Bronze medal
2010/11
THIRD GROUP STAGE – GROUP D (Rouen, France)
Coventry Blaze 6 HK Liepājas Metalurgs (LAT) 1
KS Cracovia (POL) 1 Coventry Blaze 6
Dragons de Rouen (FRA) 7 Coventry Blaze 3
Total points – 6
Finished 2nd – Eliminated
2011/12
THIRD GROUP STAGE – GROUP D (Herning, Denmark)
HC Asiago (ITA) 4 Sheffield Steelers 3 (SO)
Herning Blue Fox (DEN) 3 Sheffield Steelers 0
DAB-Docler (HUN) 6 Sheffield Steelers 3
Total points – 1
Finished 4th (bottom) – eliminated
2012/13
SECOND GROUP STAGE – GROUP B (Landshut, Germany)
Belfast Giants 11 Geleen Eaters (NED) 1
Landshut Cannibals (GER) 7 Belfast Giants 1
Belfast Giants 4 HSC Csikszereda (ROM) 0
Total points – 6
Finished 2nd – eliminated
2013/14
SECOND GROUP STAGE – GROUP B (Nottingham)
Nottingham Panthers 5 CD Hielo Bipolo (SPA) 3
Nottingham Panthers 7 HYS The Hague (NED) 3
Nottingham Panthers 3 HK Juniors (LAT) 1
Total points – 9
Finishing 1st – Qualified for next stage
THIRD GROUP STAGE – GROUP D (Asiago, Italy)
Toros Neftekamsk (RUS) 4 Nottingham Panthers 3
Nottingham Panthers 2 Yertis Pavlodar (KAZ) 1
HC Asiago (ITA) 3 Nottingham Panthers 2
Total points – 3
Finished 3rd – eliminated
2014/15
SECOND GROUP STAGE – GROUP B (Bremerhaven, Germany)
Tilburg Trappers (NED) 1 Belfast Giants 4
Belfast Giants 4 CSKA Sofia (BUL) 2
Belfast Giants 2 Fischtown Pinguins (GER) 4
Total points – 6
Finished 2nd – qualified for next stage
THIRD GROUP STAGE – GROUP E (Angers, France)
Belfast Giants 1 Neman Grodno (BLR) 0
Ducs d’Angers (FRA) 2 Belfast Giants 1
Sanok (POL) 3 Belfast Giants 5
Total points – 6
Finished 3rd – eliminated
2015/16
SECOND GROUP STAGE – GROUP C (Tychy, Poland)
Dunarea Gulati (ROM) 2 Coventry Blaze 7
Coventry Blaze 12 Partizan Belgrade (SER) 1
Coventry Blaze 2 GKS Tychy (POL) 3
Total points – 6
Finished 2nd – eliminated
2016/17
SECOND GROUP STAGE – GROUP B (Jaca, Spain)
CH Jaca (SPA) 2 Nottingham Panthers 13
Nottingham Panthers 12 Zeytinburnu Belediyespor (TUR) 1
Nottingham Panthers 3 HK Liepaja (LAT) 1
Total points – 9
Finished 1st – qualified for next stage
THIRD GROUP STAGE – Group D (Odense, Denmark)
Odense Bulldogs (DEN) 4 Nottingham Panthers 5
Ducs d’Angers (FRA) 3 Nottingham Panthers 4
Nottingham Panthers 1 HC Donbass (UKR) 3
Total points – 6
Finished 1st – qualified for final stage
FINAL GROUP STAGE – Ritten, Italy
Nottingham Panthers 2 Odense Bulldogs (DEN) 0
Nottingham Panthers 3 Beibarys Atyrau (KAZ) 2 (SO)
Ritten Sport (ITA) 1 Nottingham Panthers 4
Total points – 8
Finished 1st – WINNERS!
2017/18
THIRD GROUP STAGE – Rungsted, Denmark
Yunost Minsk (BLR) 7 Sheffield Steelers 1
Sheffield Steelers 5 Rungsted (DEN) 4 (SO)
Sheffield Steelers 4 Kurbads Riga (LAT) 2
Total points – 5
Finished 2nd – qualified for final stage
FINAL GROUP STAGE (Minsk, Belarus)
Nomad Astana (KAZ) 5 Sheffield Steelers 1
Yunost Minsk (BLR) 5 Sheffield Steelers 4
Sheffield Steelers 2 Ritten Sport (ITA) 0
Total points – 3
Finished 3rd – Bronze medal
