Full of twists and turns, January delivered no shortage of talking points in the Elite League.
The Coventry Blaze finally kicked into gear, sparking up the standings with a 8-0-2 record that few predicted after their early season struggles.
Further down the standings, the Fife Flyers’ revival was cut short. After a brief stint above the Dundee Stars, Jamie Russell’s squad return to the basement, 16 points below the playoff line.
January also saw the Nottingham Panthers crowned as European champions, of sorts. Danny Stewart’s side made relatively light work of their IIHF Continental Cup opponents, becoming the first team to take home the trophy for a second time.
With that, let’s dive into the Elite League Team of the Month for January 2026.
Elite League Team of the Month: January 2026
Jackson Whistle, Belfast Giants
Jackson Whistle, Belfast Giants (Image: William Cherry)
Jackson Whistle backstopped the Belfast Giants to an 8-1-1 record in January, taking his personal win streak to a wapping 13 games.
The 30-year-old has played his way into a rarefied bracket: he’s almost always an all-star candidate, with his consistency a key factor in Belfast’s charge to the top of the standings.
Making 253 stops on 270 shots, Whistle owned a .937 save percentage in January and reinforced his status as the Elite League’s goals-against average leader (1.81).
Jere Vertanen, Coventry Blaze
Jere Vertanen is Kevin Moore’s signing of the season.
The 27-year-old defenceman is the real deal, with his January form taking his season tally to 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists) in 43 games.
Averaging 24 minutes time on ice across the season, Vertanen plays in all situations for the Blaze and has been integral to their midseason spike.
January brought 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in 10 games for the Finn, a run headlined by his double in Coventry’s 4-3 win over Belfast at the start of the month.
Mike Lee, Belfast Giants
We’re running out of superlatives for Mike Lee.
With 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 11 appearances, the American continues to lead Elite League defenders in assists (27) and points (35).
Josh MacDonald, Cardiff Devils
It says a lot about Josh MacDonald’s mentality that his best performances often come in defeat.
On New Year’s Day, he scored twice and provided an assist… in a 5-3 loss to the Guildford Flames.
On 25 January, he netted a brace and tallied an assist… in a 6-3 reserve to the Sheffield Steelers.
MacDonald scored 12 points (eight goals, four assists) in nine January appearances, making him a Team of the Month lock.
Mitchell Balmas, Sheffield Steelers
Mitchell Balmas, Sheffield Steelers (Image: Scott Wiggins)
Mitchell Balmas emerges from January as the Elite League’s leading marksman (24) and point-getter (47) despite Sheffield’s relative slump.
The Steelers went 6-4-0 to open 2026, albeit not for a lack of trying on Balmas’ part.
The Canadian authored an eight-game scoring streak, producing 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 10 appearances.
His best display of the month came on 11 January, scoring a hattrick and tallying a secondary assist in a 6-0 drubbing of the Dundee Stars.
Tim Doherty, Nottingham Panthers
Tim Doherty is magic with the puck on his stick.
Crucial to Nottingham’s Continental Cup triumph, the American’s domestic play also kept Danny Stewart’s side in the title fight.
Tallying at least a point in seven of his nine league appearances, Doherty shows no signs of slowing down after his 30th birthday.
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