Giants crowned Elite League champions!

Photo: Press Eye

Belfast Giants have won the 2025/26 Elite League title after a 4-2 win over Nottingham Panthers at a sold-out SSE Arena.

The victory gave the Giants the two points they needed to secure the title, their second straight.

It was a cagey first period, with both netminders having to make key saves. However, it was the Giants who took the lead with 89 seconds remaining. Scott Conway found JJ Piccinich in the slot, who laid the puck to David Goodwin. Goodwin fired a one-timer from the right circle past Kevin Carr to give the Giants the lead at 18:31.

The Giants doubled their lead, with Goodwin getting his second of the game. Conway drove into the slot and got his shot away, which came back off the pipes, however Goodwin was there to put away the rebound at 26:49.

Nottingham pulled one back within a minute on the powerplay after Bo Hanson was penalised for slashing. Tim Doherty played the puck along the crease and Ross Armour was there to finish at 27:28.

The Panthers were level under two minutes later through Cooper Zech. Armour squared the puck to Zech, who finished well past Jake Kupsky at 29:13.

However, Nottingham were level for just over three minutes before Mike Lee put the Giants ahead again. Jake Gaudet drove into the right circle and hit a shot which was saved, but Carr couldn’t do anything to deny Lee putting in the rebound at 32:54.

Carsen Twarynski bundling a loose puck over the line put the Giants two ahead with 16:06 to play.

In the closing stages of the final period, the Panthers applied pressure and pulled Carr late on to go with six skaters, but couldn’t find a way past Jake Kupsky, and the Giants held on to secure the league title on their own ice.