The Excel Hull Stingrays have been draw against local rivals the Sheffield Steelers in the first Quarter final of the new Hocktoberfest tournament to be held at Sheffield Arena on Saturday October 4 at 11am.
The draw for the tournament, which will feature all eight Elite League teams in a seven game knockout competition during one day, was featured live tonight on Steelers Hockey, with Sheffield head coach Dave Matsos and Newcastle head coach Rob Wilson picking the teams from a hat.
That draw saw the Rays drawn against their Yorkshire counterparts, and last seasons league and playoff champions, the Sheffield Steelers.
Elsewhere in the draw, the Belfast and Cardiff will fight it out for the right to play the winner of the Stingrays tie, whilst Newcastle and Edinburgh, and Coventry and Nottingham were paired together.
The tournament is a new Elite League initiative, in a similar vein to the 20/20 cricket, which has revitalised the sport with an entertaining take on the traditional game.
In hockey's form, each game will consist of two, forty minute periods, with a running clock, whilst each side will have just four out skaters and a netminder and will also have warm up time restricted to three minutes with just three pucks.
EIHL Hocktoberfest (Saturday 4 October, F/O 11am)
All times estimates
11am: Sheffield Steelers v Excel Hull Stingrays (Game 1)
12pm: Belfast Giants v Cardiff Devils (Game 2)
1pm: Edinburgh Capitals v Newcastle Vipers (Game 3)
2pm: Coventry Blaze v Nottingham Panthers (Game 4)
3pm: Winner of Game 1 v Winner of Game 2 (Game 5- Semi)
4pm: Winner of Game 3 v Winner of Game 4 (Game 6- Semi)
5pm: Winner of Game 5 v Winner of Game 6 (Game 7- Final)
