Still pushing, still fighting, the Nottingham Panthers are top of the Elite Ice Hockey League for Christmas.

Granted they share the number one spot with rivals Sheffield Steelers, and the Cardiff Devils, it is Danny Stewart’s that have that slender advantage at the top of the pile.

A 6-2 loss at home to seventh place Guildford Flames last time out though cost the Panthers outright leadership, but four wins from six so far this month has seen Nottingham’s finest continue to deliver.

December began with a three-game dance north o’ the border, the Panthers winning two-out-of-three as they faced off against Glasgow Clan, Dundee Stars, and Fife Flyers, the Panthers outscoring their Scottish counterparts 10-7.

Thrillers in the first two games would see the Panthers edge the Clan 4-3 as Matt Alfaro and Chase Pearson netted in the first period, followed by Zsombor Garat in the second, and Mitchell Fossier’s winner in the third; Cade Neilson’s goal for the Clan keeping them in the hunt when tying the contest at threes apiece.

This was followed by a 3-2 OT loss to the Stars, former Panthers star, Otto Nieminen, who else, with the winner for the hosts after Ross Amour and Tim Doherty had levelled proceedings for the visitors. Finnish star, Nieminen, had spent the past two seasons skating in Nottingham, before heading to Dundee in late August.

The third game in quick succession came in Fife, Tim Doherty’s brace helping the Panthers to a 4-1 success, his first coming after Alfaro had opened the scoring in the first period, Chase Pearson added a third to open a three-goal lead in the third period, before Fife pulled one back through Ethan Somoza, Doherty then closing out the win.

Another road trip quickly followed for the Panthers as Stewart took his side to Manchester to face the Storm, Nottingham coming away with a three-goal shut-out win, Didrik Henbrant netting in the first period, before further efforts from Doherty and Alfaro wrapped up the win in the third.

Fife then headed to Nottingham the following night, and were sent packing back to Scotland on the back of a second successive 4-1 loss; Pearson in the first, and Finlay Ulrick in the second gave the Panthers space, before the Flyers halved the deficit early in the third period with Somoza again scoring, however, quick-fire efforts from Doherty, and Matt Spencer, snuffed out any hopes of a visitor’s turnaround.

Another trip to Scotland was on the schedule a week ago, the Panthers heading to Glasgow on 17 December to oppose the Clan in the Challenge Cup Elimination Game, the prize for the victors, a spot in the final four.

As they’d done to Fife, twice in recent weeks, and to the Clan at the start of December, the Panthers knocked in four scores, progressing on the back of a 4-1 win; a scoreless first

period, the game burst to life in the second when David Noel and Matthew Marcinew netted for the visitors, Tristin Langan’s effort sandwiched between for the hosts.

The Panthers though, they’re on a mission this season, and they wrapped up progression to the semi-finals with third period efforts from Spencer and Doherty; victory here set up a New Year double-header with the Panthers rivals, Sheffield Steelers, in mid-February.

Last time out through, the Panthers were brought back to earth with a bump, suffering a 6-2 loss to visiting Guildford Flames, they taking a three-goal, first period lead that rocked the hosts; Bryan Lemos and Matt Alfaro efforts for the Panthers were in vain though, Flames skating to victory with Joshua Waller’s brace a feature in their success.

With the Conti Cup games now just around the corner for the Panthers, there’s three more games to see out 2025, away then home to the Steelers (26 & 27 December), before hosting Coventry Blaze on New Years Eve (31 December), the return coming the following evening in Coventry.

As for the Challenge Cup semis, the Panthers will host the Steelers on 18 February, before travelling to Sheffield a week later, on 25 February; meanwhile, a quick bit of player statistics to close things out as Mitch Fossier leads the way on the ice.

In his 28 games (league and cup), Fossier has put on 16 goals and 17 assists for the Panthers, edging Chase Pearson’s total thus far of 14 goals and 13 assists in his 22 outings; in addition, Ross Amour has a combined 11 goals and 12 assists in 32 games, whilst Matthew Marcinew has registered six goals and nine assists in his eleven cup outings.

More of the same in the New Year could very well lead to an ultimately successful campaign for Danny Stewart and the Nottingham Panthers.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @PanthersIHC Roof cam action from Panthers v Guildford.