Premier Sports Challenge Cup 2023 Format

Belfast Giants looking to defend title

The 2023 Premier Sports Challenge Cup will return to a similar format to previously with Glasgow Clan returning to the competition this season. Here's how it will work:

Group Stage
There are three groups:

• Group A: Belfast Giants, Dundee Stars, Fife Flyers, Glasgow Clan (1 Home, 1 Away)
• Group B: Cardiff Devils, Coventry Blaze, Guildford Flames (2 Home, 2 Away)
• Group C: Manchester Storm, Nottingham Panthers, Sheffield Steelers (2 Home, 2 Away)

Group winners will advance directly to the Quarter-Finals as seeds.

The remaining seven teams shall be ranked according to their points percentage, with those placed 4-8 also advancing to the Quarter-Finals. The teams ranked ninth ad tenth will be eliminated.

In the event of a tie, teams will be separated according to the Tie-Break rules.

Quarter-Finals
Group winners are seeded according to their points percentage in the group stage. The Quarter-Finals will then be played as follows: 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6, 4 vs. 5.

Matchups will be contested over two legs with aggregate scoring determining the winners.

Dates for the Quarter-Finals have provisionally been allocated in December, though one team may need to play a second leg in January depending on ice availability. 

Semi-Finals
The highest-ranked team left in the competition will play the lowest-ranked, while the second highest-ranked will play the second lowest-ranked.

Matchups will be contested over two legs with aggregate scoring determining the winners. Dates for the Semi-Finals have provisionally been allocated in January and February.

Final
The 2022 Premier Sports Challenge Cup Final shall be played as a one-off event in March 2023.

Note: in all playoff rounds, the higher seeded team has the option of playing the second leg at home.