Coventry NIHL Blaze are back on the road this Saturday as they travel to face Deeside Dragons 2, with memories of last season's dramatic playoff quarter-final adding extra intrigue to the matchup.

The NIHL Blaze will be looking to bounce back after their 3-1 defeat to Sutton Sting in their last outing, while Deeside will be keen to respond after a 6-2 loss away to Billingham Buccaneers. With both sides looking to build momentum, Saturday's encounter presents an important opportunity to get back to winning ways.

The two teams know each other well after meeting in the 2025/26 playoff quarter-finals, where Deeside came out on top in a thrilling two-legged tie. The first leg at the Skydome finished 3-3, setting up everything to play for in the return fixture. Deeside then secured a 7-4 victory on home ice, progressing with a 10-7 aggregate win. James Shaw proved particularly dangerous, scoring five goals across the two games as the Dragons ended Coventry's playoff hopes.

That result will give the NIHL Blaze extra motivation heading into Saturday's clash. With both teams looking to find consistency early in the season, Coventry will be determined to make their mark and show how much they have progressed since that playoff meeting.

Harrison Sumner returns to the squad this weekend after a period of time away. Potts and Butlin also are back in the squad after missing out on the fixture against the Sting. Laverick still remains out with injury meaning Elliot Russan remains our back-up netminder.

A playoff rematch, points up for grabs and plenty to prove.