The Elite Ice Hockey League have today released their schedule for the upcoming 2012/2013 campaign and the Hull Stingrays will begin the upcoming season the way they ended the last - with a fixture against the Nottingham Panthers.
Thankfully for the Rays and their fans, the opening night doesn't and hopefully won't completely mirror that night in April at the Trent FM Arena - in which the Stingrays were defeated 10-3 in their first ever EIHL Playoff Semi-Final and Final Four weekend - as the Panthers and Stingrays start 12/13 at the Hull Arena in with a Challenge Cup fixture on Saturday 8th September (6.30pm).
That is followed up with another home Challenge Cup game - this time against the Cardiff Devils on Thursday 13th September - before the Rays travel north for their first league fixture of the campaign as they take on the Dundee Stars and their trio of former players in Sam McCluskey, Tristan Harper and Jack Watkins on Sunday 16th September.
The Rays complete their eight game Challenge Cup group campaign - from which four out of five teams will this season qualify for a new Quarter Final stage - on 10th November against the Coventry Blaze with the only note to the Challenge Cup campaign being that the Nottingham Panthers fixture on 13th November has been doubled up as a dual cup-league fixture.
Other notable fixtures include a first meeting with the Sheffield Steelers since that unforgettable night at Ice Sheffield last April (26th September), home Christmas fixtures against Sheffield (22nd December) and Edinburgh (27th December) and a first home game against former Coventry owners (10th November).
They end the season in March with five home league fixtures in seven games - including a four game homestand between the 3rd and 16th March. The club's final fixture of the regular season comes on Sunday 24th March against the Coventry Blaze.
The Stingrays have not been afforded the opportunity to cut costs and half the number of trips they make across the Irish Sea with an away double header against the Belfast Giants (they travel to Northern Ireland on 29th December and 2nd February).
However, they have been handed two double headers in Scotland on 1st and 2nd of December and 19th and 20th of January (both Braehead Clan and Edinburgh Capitals - in that order).
Though it could be said the benefits and saving in travel expenditure of those two weekends away could be nullified by hotel costs and a lack of home fixture, and therefore income through paying spectators, the Stingrays appear to have come out relatively well from the notoriously tough EIHL fixtures meeting.
New owner to-be and managing director Bobby McEwan made the decision to change - where possible - the club's preferred match night from a Sunday to a Saturday, meaning next season there will be 16 Saturday match nights, ten on Sunday and five mid-week home games - with Saturday's outweighing Sunday's for what is believed to be the first ever time during the Stingrays reign in Hull.
The potential and hopeful benefits of changing the preferred matchnight is believed to be two fold.
Firstly, there is a natural desire throughout the club to increase attendances - something which would be helped on a Saturday night as opposed to a 'school night' such as a Sunday.
Secondly Stingrays players should - in theory - be fresher, fitter and more prepared for a home fixture on a Saturday after a week of training than they would on a Sunday following an away game and a, more often than not, lengthy and tiring road trip - thus increasing the club's chance of winning their home fixture, in turn increasing positive feeling around the club. At least that's the idea and one the new ownership appear confident in at least trying.
Face-off times have also changed slightly with Saturday fixtures now facing off at 6.30pm - presumably, so as to allow fans of Hull City time to travel between the KC and Hull Arena - and Sunday and mid-week games generally facing-off at 6pm and 7.30pm respectively.
Stingrays to-be owner and managing director said of the opening night and Challenge Cup:
Sun 2nd - Sheffield Steeldogs (H) - P/S
Thu 6th - Sheffield Steeldogs (A) - P/S
Sat 8th - Nottingham Panthers (H) - CC
Thu 13th - Cardiff Devils (H) - CC
Sun 16th - Dundee Stars (A)
Sat 22nd - Edinburgh Capitals (H)
Sun 23rd - Edinburgh Capitals (A)
Wed 26th - Sheffield Steelers (H) - CC
Sat 29th - Coventry Blaze (A) - CC
Sun 30th - Braehead Clan (H)
Sat 6th - Dundee Stars (H)
Sun 7th - Belfast Giants (H)
Sat 13th - Nottingham Panthers (A) - L/CC
Sun 14th - Dundee Stars (A)
Sat 20th - Dundee Stars (H)
Sun 21st - Sheffield Steelers (A) - CC (Ice Sheffield)
Sat 27th - Fife Flyers (H)
Thu 1st - Cardiff Devils (A) - CC
Sun 4th - Fife Flyers (H)
Sat 10th - Coventry Blaze (H) - CC
Sun 11th - Coventry Blaze (A)
Tue 13th - Fife Flyers (A)
Sat 17th - Belfast Giants (H)
Sun 18th - Edinburgh Capitals (A)
Sat 24th - Fife Flyers (A)
Sun 25th - Braehead Clan (H)
Thu 29th - Braehead Clan (H)
Sat 1st - Braehead Clan (A)
Sun 2nd - Edinburgh Capitals (A)
Sun 9th - Nottingham Panthers (A)
Sat 15th - Nottingham Panthers (H)
Sat 22nd - Sheffield Steelers (H)
Sun 23rd - Cardiff Devils (A)
Thu 27th - Edinburgh Capitals (H)
Sat 29th - Belfast Giants (A)
Sat 5th - Cardiff Devils (A)
Sun 6th - Sheffield Steelers (H)
Sat 12th - Edinburgh Capitals (H)
Sun 13th - Coventry Blaze (A)
Sat 19th - Braehead Clan (A)
Sun 20th - Edinburgh Capitals (A)
Sat 26th - Fife Flyers (H)
Sun 27th - Fife Flyers (A)
Wed 30th - Edinburgh Capitals (H)
Sat 2nd - Belfast Giants (A)
Sun 3rd - Coventry Blaze (H)
Sat 9th - Dundee Stars (H)
Sun 10th - Dundee Stars (A)
Wed 13th - Braehead Clan (A)
Sat 16th - Cardiff Devils (H)
Sun 17th - Sheffield Steelers (A)
Sat 23rd - Fife Flyers (A)
Sun 24th - Braehead Clan (H)
Sat 2nd - Braehead Clan (A)
Sun 3rd - Fife Flyers (H)
Sat 9th - Dundee Stars (H)
Sun 10th - Nottingham Panthers (H)
Sat 16th - Cardiff Devils (H)
Sun 17th - Dundee Stars (A)
Sat 23rd - Sheffield Steelers (A)
Sun 24th - Coventry Blaze (H)
Thankfully for the Rays and their fans, the opening night doesn't and hopefully won't completely mirror that night in April at the Trent FM Arena - in which the Stingrays were defeated 10-3 in their first ever EIHL Playoff Semi-Final and Final Four weekend - as the Panthers and Stingrays start 12/13 at the Hull Arena in with a Challenge Cup fixture on Saturday 8th September (6.30pm).
That is followed up with another home Challenge Cup game - this time against the Cardiff Devils on Thursday 13th September - before the Rays travel north for their first league fixture of the campaign as they take on the Dundee Stars and their trio of former players in Sam McCluskey, Tristan Harper and Jack Watkins on Sunday 16th September.
The Rays complete their eight game Challenge Cup group campaign - from which four out of five teams will this season qualify for a new Quarter Final stage - on 10th November against the Coventry Blaze with the only note to the Challenge Cup campaign being that the Nottingham Panthers fixture on 13th November has been doubled up as a dual cup-league fixture.
Other notable fixtures include a first meeting with the Sheffield Steelers since that unforgettable night at Ice Sheffield last April (26th September), home Christmas fixtures against Sheffield (22nd December) and Edinburgh (27th December) and a first home game against former Coventry owners (10th November).
They end the season in March with five home league fixtures in seven games - including a four game homestand between the 3rd and 16th March. The club's final fixture of the regular season comes on Sunday 24th March against the Coventry Blaze.
The Stingrays have not been afforded the opportunity to cut costs and half the number of trips they make across the Irish Sea with an away double header against the Belfast Giants (they travel to Northern Ireland on 29th December and 2nd February).
However, they have been handed two double headers in Scotland on 1st and 2nd of December and 19th and 20th of January (both Braehead Clan and Edinburgh Capitals - in that order).
Though it could be said the benefits and saving in travel expenditure of those two weekends away could be nullified by hotel costs and a lack of home fixture, and therefore income through paying spectators, the Stingrays appear to have come out relatively well from the notoriously tough EIHL fixtures meeting.
New owner to-be and managing director Bobby McEwan made the decision to change - where possible - the club's preferred match night from a Sunday to a Saturday, meaning next season there will be 16 Saturday match nights, ten on Sunday and five mid-week home games - with Saturday's outweighing Sunday's for what is believed to be the first ever time during the Stingrays reign in Hull.
The potential and hopeful benefits of changing the preferred matchnight is believed to be two fold.
Firstly, there is a natural desire throughout the club to increase attendances - something which would be helped on a Saturday night as opposed to a 'school night' such as a Sunday.
Secondly Stingrays players should - in theory - be fresher, fitter and more prepared for a home fixture on a Saturday after a week of training than they would on a Sunday following an away game and a, more often than not, lengthy and tiring road trip - thus increasing the club's chance of winning their home fixture, in turn increasing positive feeling around the club. At least that's the idea and one the new ownership appear confident in at least trying.
Face-off times have also changed slightly with Saturday fixtures now facing off at 6.30pm - presumably, so as to allow fans of Hull City time to travel between the KC and Hull Arena - and Sunday and mid-week games generally facing-off at 6pm and 7.30pm respectively.
Stingrays to-be owner and managing director said of the opening night and Challenge Cup:
"It is a great way to start the season. Panthers are the cup holders and a top team and it will be a packed Hull Arena. All the teams will still be learning their systems and will not be up to scratch straight away. There will be a lot of mistakes but if we can play well then hopefully we can nick a win. The way the Challenge Cup is set up this season gives us a chance of making the quarter-finals and that is something we will be looking to do. I like the new league format, there will be more competitive games and our goal will be to win our conference."Please see below for the Stingrays full fixture list for the 12/13 campaign. Please be advised dates can and probably will change. See www.hullstingrays.net for further information including face-off times.
Hull Stingrays Fixture List - Elite Ice Hockey League12/13
September 2012
2 Pre-season, 4 Challenge Cup, 4 League - 6 Home, 4 Away
Sun 2nd - Sheffield Steeldogs (H) - P/S
Thu 6th - Sheffield Steeldogs (A) - P/S
Sat 8th - Nottingham Panthers (H) - CC
Thu 13th - Cardiff Devils (H) - CC
Sun 16th - Dundee Stars (A)
Sat 22nd - Edinburgh Capitals (H)
Sun 23rd - Edinburgh Capitals (A)
Wed 26th - Sheffield Steelers (H) - CC
Sat 29th - Coventry Blaze (A) - CC
Sun 30th - Braehead Clan (H)
October
2 Challenge Cup, 6 League - 4 Home, 3 Away
Sat 6th - Dundee Stars (H)
Sun 7th - Belfast Giants (H)
Sat 13th - Nottingham Panthers (A) - L/CC
Sun 14th - Dundee Stars (A)
Sat 20th - Dundee Stars (H)
Sun 21st - Sheffield Steelers (A) - CC (Ice Sheffield)
Sat 27th - Fife Flyers (H)
November
2 Challenge Cup, 8 League - 4 Home, 6 Away
Thu 1st - Cardiff Devils (A) - CC
Sun 4th - Fife Flyers (H)
Sat 10th - Coventry Blaze (H) - CC
Sun 11th - Coventry Blaze (A)
Tue 13th - Fife Flyers (A)
Sat 17th - Belfast Giants (H)
Sun 18th - Edinburgh Capitals (A)
Sat 24th - Fife Flyers (A)
Sun 25th - Braehead Clan (H)
Thu 29th - Braehead Clan (H)
December
8 League - 3 Home, 5 Away
Sat 1st - Braehead Clan (A)
Sun 2nd - Edinburgh Capitals (A)
Sun 9th - Nottingham Panthers (A)
Sat 15th - Nottingham Panthers (H)
Sat 22nd - Sheffield Steelers (H)
Sun 23rd - Cardiff Devils (A)
Thu 27th - Edinburgh Capitals (H)
Sat 29th - Belfast Giants (A)
January
9 League - 4 Home, 5 Away
Sun 6th - Sheffield Steelers (H)
Sat 12th - Edinburgh Capitals (H)
Sun 13th - Coventry Blaze (A)
Sat 19th - Braehead Clan (A)
Sun 20th - Edinburgh Capitals (A)
Sat 26th - Fife Flyers (H)
Sun 27th - Fife Flyers (A)
Wed 30th - Edinburgh Capitals (H)
February
9 League - 4 Home, 5 Away
Sat 2nd - Belfast Giants (A)
Sun 3rd - Coventry Blaze (H)
Sat 9th - Dundee Stars (H)
Sun 10th - Dundee Stars (A)
Wed 13th - Braehead Clan (A)
Sat 16th - Cardiff Devils (H)
Sun 17th - Sheffield Steelers (A)
Sat 23rd - Fife Flyers (A)
Sun 24th - Braehead Clan (H)
March
8 League - 5 Home, 3 Away
Sat 2nd - Braehead Clan (A)
Sun 3rd - Fife Flyers (H)
Sat 9th - Dundee Stars (H)
Sun 10th - Nottingham Panthers (H)
Sat 16th - Cardiff Devils (H)
Sun 17th - Dundee Stars (A)
Sat 23rd - Sheffield Steelers (A)
Sun 24th - Coventry Blaze (H)
