If the Coventry Blaze advance to the Challenge Cup final, the contest won’t be held at the Skydome Arena after an Elite League rule change.
In a statement published on Tuesday [3 March], a day before the Blaze visit the Belfast Giants in the second leg of their Challenge Cup semi-final, the Elite League announced the introduction of arena requirements to “ensure the league’s showpiece event is delivered at a venue that meets capacity, broadcast, and event presentation needs.”
Agreed by the Elite League’s ten teams before the final set of group stage fixtures were played, the rule preserves last change and bench choice advantages for the top seed finalist.
With Coventry’s Skydome Arena falling short of the new requirements, the league has confirmed that the 2026 Challenge Cup final will be hosted at the Motorpoint Arena if the Blaze qualify.
If the Giants overturn their first-leg deficit, they will host the Nottingham Panthers at the SSE Arena in Belfast.
Reaction: Elite League lands on worst-of-all worlds Challenge Cup solution
It’s farcical, isn’t it?
If the Blaze advance to the Challenge Cup final, they will ‘host’ Nottingham in… Nottingham.
Ross Armour, Nottingham Panthers (Image: Panthers Images)
While the Blaze would retain all of the on-ice advantages that come with being the ‘home’ team, the Panthers’ players and fans will obviously feel more at home than those in blue.
Reaction to the Elite League’s announcement is mainly negative.
“Absolute joke of a decision,” wrote a Blaze fan. “If we get to the final, we have earned the right to host the final by finishing above the other finalist in the group stage.”
Added a Cardiff Devils supporter: “Absolute joke. Just scrap the whole competition if you’re not going to let the team that’s meant to host the final actually host the final.”
Defenders of the decision make a valid point: the Skydome Arena isn’t the obvious choice for a “showcase event.”
But the same could be said of at least half of the league’s venues.
While the Elite League stopped short of offering a list of acceptable final hosts, it’s fair to assume that Sheffield’s Utilita Arena and Glasgow’s Braehead Arena also make the list.
In which case, why not hold the final at a neutral venue, announced before the season starts?
Instead, the Elite League has fallen into a worst-of-all-worlds outcome, with a ‘home’ team ‘hosting’ their rivals at their rivals’ rink. Absurd.
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