Hockey season is nearly here, and the Elite League is set for it’s biggest season yet!

Ice hockey has a fantastic supporters culture and no matter how tough the games get, the camaraderie among the UK ‘hockey family’ always shines through.

Cardiff will be back in Belfast after last years thrilling season which saw the Devils and the Giants swapping places at the top of the league through the season – you can expect those games to be heated, but always friendly off the ice.

Another warm welcome will be extended to the Sheffield Steelers, despite the fact that they put the Giants out of the semi final of the Challenge Cup, they always bring good support to Northern Ireland.

Travelling for your team is an important part of any sports, and the Elite League should feel lucky to have such passionate travelling fans.

This season will bring some new faces to the SSE as the Guildford Flames and the Milton Keynes Lightning make their Elite League debuts, bringing a whole new group of fans ready to explore Belfast and cheer on their teams against the Giants.

Milton Keynes and Guildford are both close to London with excellent airport links to Belfast – just an hour away! The new expansion teams join the old rivalries of the Elite League, and I’m sure it won’t take long to make some new ones.

Belfast is an interesting city with a colourful history. Compact enough to explore in a weekend but interesting enough to get you coming back.  A double header weekend is a perfect chance to catch some great hockey and explore a great city.

Colin Shields’ Testimonial

The Giants’ top goalscorer, longest tenured player and Great Britain’s top goal scorer welcomes a host of former Giants and Great Britain players to Belfast on Tuesday 21st of November for the Colin Shields Testimonial.

This fun event will surely bring many followers of British Ice Hockey to Belfast for a celebration of one of the UK’s favourite players with old friends, old teammates and old rivals hitting the ice.

University of Manitoba

The Giants will open their season on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th of August with friendly matches against the University of Manitoba. Playing against teams from different leagues with different styles, will sharpen the player’s skills leading into their respective seasons, and will offer friends, fans and family from Winnipeg the chance to come and explore Belfast!

Canada’s links to the UK and Ireland are long and rich and this trip will give the visitors a chance to explore Belfast’s rich cultural history.

Friendship Four

Now in its third year, this successful project between Belfast and its sister city Boston brings four college ice hockey teams to Belfast in a ‘Festival of Ice Hockey’, furthering the links between the cities and strengthening the global ‘hockey family’.

With plenty of travelling fans, expect to hear a lot of American accents in the city, and see some fast, high-octane hockey on the ice.

Visitors can enjoy tours of Belfast in the morning and our famous nightlife after the games, either side of cheering on their teams.

You can hop-off the Belfast City Sightseeing tour at stop number 3 to visit ‘The SSE Arena’… City Sightseeing can be contacted by email at info@citysightseeingbelfast.com or through our tour office on 028 90 321 321. We look forward to seeing you soon!