Elite League title race goes to the wire (From This Is Lancashire)

Elite League title race goes to the wire

11:10pm Thursday 18th March 2010 in

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ELITE LEAGUE ICE HOCKEY: The Elite League title race is going down to the wire for the first time since its formation in 2003. Three clubs - Belfast Giants, Coventry Blaze and Nottingham Panthers - still have a chance of winning the prestigious Monteith Bowl.

Coventry hope to land their fourth league title in seven years, and whatever happens it won't be decided until the last weekend of the regular season, and a potential winner-takes-all showdown at the Skydome between the Blaze and the Giants.

Paul Thompson's men need just three more points from their remaining three games to regain the trophy they lost to the Sheffield Steelers last season. Coventry host Edinburgh tonight, travel to Murrayfield to face the Capitals on Saturday, before ending their season with the visit of Belfast on Sunday.

The Giants host Newcastle at the Odyssey on Saturday before their trip to the West Midlands 24-hours later. While for Nottingham to stay in the title race, they need Coventry to lose all three remaining games and hope Newcastle do them a favour by beating the Giants in Northern Ireland.

Elite League chairman Eamon Convery said: "It's a great end to the season and the most exciting one we have ever had. It has been a fantastic year for the Elite League and so competitive, and it's no surprise the title race has gone down to the last weekend of the regular season.

"There have been some amazing matches all season long and every team from top to bottom has been competitive. With the play-offs just around the corner, these are thrilling times for UK ice hockey supporters."