Sport
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Getting Into… Ice Hockey
The Belfast Giants are set to kick-off on another season, so we’ve put together a primer for new fans to brush up on their Ice Hockey knowledge.
The first puck is about to be dropped in for the 2024/25 EIHL season and we are getting ice hockey chills… and they’re multiplying. Whether you’re a long time fan or planning on attending your first ever game, we have you covered with our guide to ice hockey.
Watch…
Miracle
The quintessential ice hockey movie, Miracle tells the story of the 1980 U.S. Winter Olympic ice hockey team as they compete through the games and come up against the seemingly undefeatable Soviet Union team. Led by Kurt Russell as head coach Herb Brooks, the film skates the line between being cheesy and inspirational, featuring all the drama, training montages and iconic speeches that any great sports movie needs. It’s Rocky IV on ice and we love every second of it.
The Mighty Ducks
An arrogant new coach with unorthodox tactics? A rag-tag team of loveable underdogs banding together to win it all in spite of seemingly superior opposition? The Mighty Ducks mightn’t reinvent the sports movie formula but why mess with what works? Emilio Estevez stars as Gordon, a self-centred lawyer who is ordered to coach a youth ice hockey team as part of his community service. Though initially reluctant, he gains the respect of the kids and overcomes his own personal struggles along the way. The movie was the inspiration for the naming of NHL side the Anaheim Ducks.
Goon
Seann William Scott turns in a great performance as Doug Glatt, a bouncer-turned-hockey player. After showing his fighting skills in the stands at a game, Doug joins his local minor league team as the team’s enforcer, tasked with protecting the team’s star player and beating up anyone who comes near him. This comedy, while not one for the kids, features a standout cast including Jay Baruchel, Eugene Levy and Leiv Schriber as a rival enforcer.
Get to know the team…
While their are 10 teams in the Elite Ice Hockey League, we are going to unapologetically exercise some classic hometown bias and only tell you about one!
Belfast Giants
Formed in 2000, the Belfast Giants became the first professional ice hockey team on the island of Ireland. The Giants call The SSE Arena in Belfast their home and have consistently brought high energy ice hockey to their fans there for over 20 years. They made their first appearance in the Champions Hockey League, Europe’s premier club competition, in 2019. During the 2022/23 season, the Giants made history by winning the domestic treble – Challenge Cup, Elite League and Elite League Playoffs trophies – for the first time in the club’s history.
How could we forget about Finn? Finn McCool is the Giants’ mascot and, alonside his long-lost hockey-loving cousin, Finnula, can be seen around the ice getting into all sorts of action, patrolling the plexiglass, entertaining fans and celebrating goals. Don’t give them the cold shoulder and make sure to say hi to them as you enter the Arena!
What’s On…
Belfast Giants Home Games
Belfast Giants return to The SSE Arena for the 2024/25 season. Catch the Giants in action in the Elite Ice Hockey League and Challenge Cup as they aim to replicate their historic treble.
Tickets for Home Games are on sale now HERE.
Belfast Giants v Canadian Universities
As preparation for the upcoming season, the Giants take on Canadian College men’s ice hockey teams, Carleton University and University of Alberta between Friday 30 August – Sunday 1 September at The SSE Arena, Belfast.
Tickets for Preseason Games are on sale now HERE.
Friendship Four
Held annually in Belfast since 2015, the Friendship Four is the first and only National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One ice hockey tournament to take place outside North America. The high-profile four-game tournament is designed to promote education, social welfare, and community interaction, building on the sister cities agreement between Belfast and Boston, which was signed a decade ago.
Set to take place at The SSE Arena, Belfast on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 November 2024, Harvard University, Boston University, Merrimack College, and the University of Notre Dame will compete for the coveted Belpot Trophy, last won by Quinnipiac University in 2022.
4 Game Passes and Individual Game Tickets are on sale now HERE.
Rules…
We are all new to things at some point in our lives. If you’re planning on attending an ice hockey game, we don’t want you to be wondering what’s going on. We’ve got some of the basic rules laid out below for you to brush up on before you head out.
Players
Each team plays 6 players – 5 outfied and 1 goaltender – at a given time, barring any penalties (we’ll get to that!). Teams have an unlimited number of substitutions and often multiple players are replaced at once, so don’t be surprised if the whole team suddenly starts heading for the bench.
Teams
The game is divided into three 20 minute periods. There is a 15 minute interval after the first period and a 20 minute interval after the second period, during which the ice is re-surfaced.
If the game is tied at the end of the third period, overtime will be played for 20 minutes using golden goal – next goal wins – rules. In the event the game remains tied, a penalty shootout will happen where both sides take 3 penalties, alternating shots. If after 3 penalties each the sides are still tied, the shootout will go to sudden death until a winner is declared.
Face-Off
No, not the Nicolas Cage movie. We know, we’re disappointed too. A face-off occurs at the beginning of every period and after every stoppage in play. A face-off happens in one of 5 zones on the ice, marked with red circles and is similar to a drop-ball in soccer or a throw-in in gaelic football or hurling (probably closer to hurling given the sticks flying everywhere).
Offside
The pesky offside rule. It’s almost a cliché to ask about it so we’ll make sure you’re in the know. An offside occurs when an attacking player crosses the offensive blue line before the puck has crossed the blue line.
Icing
Much to the dismay of Jack Charlton, there’s no Route One in ice hockey. Icing refers to when a defending player hits the puck from their own half all the way down the ice and past the goal line without another player touching it. This results in a face-off in the defending team’s zone.
Penalties
A penalty is awarded to a player when certain rules are broken. A player that is given a penalty must leave the ice and enter the penalty box. Penalties vary in length and severity. Most common offenses like tripping, delay of game, interference or unsportsmanlike conduct carry a 2-Minute Minor Penalty. More serious offenses like fighting or a hit to the head carry a 5-Minute Major Penalty.
Power Play
When a player is given a penalty and leaves the ice, the result is a Power Play for the opposition team. If the team scores during its Power Play, the penalised player may return to the ice, otherwise they remain in the penalty box for their allotted time.
Safety
As a spectator, you have responsibilities too. The ice is surrounded by a plexiglass wall. This will prevent the puck from entering the stands. However, for your own safety, you must keep your eyes on the puck at all times during the game. You wouldn’t want to miss any of the action anyway!
