The Elite League is heating up.
It couldn’t be tighter at the top of the standings, with the Nottingham Panthers, Sheffield Steelers, and Cardiff Devils trading places at the summit.
The usual suspects are starring: on the weekend he hit the 800-appearance mark, Robert Dowd notched six points.
But there were standout performances from skaters up and down the competition, with Dundee Stars forward Matt Berry amongst the players who caught our eye.
With that, let’s dive into our latest Team of the Week selections.
Elite League Team of the Week: Round 10
Sami Aittokallio, Glasgow Clan
Sami Aittokallio, Glasgow Clan (Image: Al Goold)
Sami Aittokallio is on fire.
Backstopping the Glasgow Clan to a four-point weekend, the Finnish netminder made 21 saves on 22 shots against the Coventry Blaze and 28 saves on 30 shots against the Cardiff Devils.
Aittokallio boasts a balmy .925 save percentage through a 6-3-0 regular-season run.
Jarod Hilderman, Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers defenceman Jarod Hilderman scores on Coventry Blaze netminder Dershahn Stewart (Image: Scott Wiggins)
The Panthers’ charge to the top of the Elite League standings is driven by their depth and consistency.
Danny Stewart expertly retooled in the offseason — and is now reaping the rewards.
Jarod Hilderman is proving to be one of Nottingham’s shrewdest summer signings, with the 28-year-old turning out solid performances alongside third-pair partner Josh Tetlow.
The Canadian popped up with the Panthers’ back-breaking fifth goal in Saturday’s 5-3 win over the Coventry Blaze, activating in the offensive zone to score his first goal on these shores.
Hilderman’s defensive solidity is his main selling-point, but 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) in 21 games aren’t to be sniffed at either.
Nick Welsh, Manchester Storm
The Elite League’s great entertainers continue to… entertain.
Whether they win or lose, the Manchester Storm are always a great watch this season — and Nick Welsh is more than playing his part.
The Canadian blueliner is a near constant presence on the scoresheet, with his latest hauls taking him to 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 21 games.
Welsh was the difference-maker as the Storm took down the Belfast Giants on Saturday, providing the primary (powerplay) assist on Gary Haden’s equaliser, before scoring the game-winning overtime clincher just 17 seconds into the extra frame.
Cam Critchlow leans on the 28-year-old in all situations, with Welsh playing a team-leading 27 minutes en route to victory in Belfast.
Matt Berry, Dundee Stars
The Dundee Stars only played once in gameweek ten, but that didn’t stop Matt Berry from securing his Team of the Week spot.
In a scintillating, 5-4 comeback win over the Cardiff Devils, the Canadian scored twice (including the game-winner) and provided a secondary assist.
Clutch.
Tristin Langan, Glasgow Clan
Tristin Langan remains one of the Elite League’s most dangerous forwards.
The 26-year-old, who arrived in Glasgow after two seasons in Norway, notched another four points this weekend: a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over Coventry and two assists in a 3-2 win over Cardiff.
Robert Dowd, Sheffield Steelers
Robert Dowd, Sheffield Steelers (Image: Hayley Roberts)
Robert Dowd’s fine form continued into gameweek ten, with the Great Britain stalwart at his very best in the Sheffield Steelers’ 4-3 overtime win versus the Guildford Flames on Wednesday [12 November].
Dowd put Sheffield on his back, providing two primary assists in four minutes to send the game time to overtime.
With Sheffield awarded a late powerplay in the extra frame, Dowd notched a secondary assist on Mitchell Balmas’ game-winner, with just seconds remaining.
The 37-year-old was equally crucial in Sheffield’s 2-1 win over the Fife Flyers, adding two more primary assists to take his career tally to 715 points (349 goals, 366 assists) in 799 Elite League games.
He provided yet another primary assist on Sunday.
Honourable Mention: Brett Ferguson, Cardiff Devils.
Brett Ferguson’s Elite League return caught fire on Sunday, with the Canadian scoring once and providing four assists in Cardiff’s 8-2 road win over the Fife Flyers.
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