Can Belfast Giants end Sheffield Steelers' domination of the EIHL?

When they started the 2023-24 campaign, the Irish were brimming with the confidence that comes with winning a Grand Slam.

But they were in for a rude awakening.

Steelers' lavishly re-built squad quickly served notice that their reign was in serious jeopardy.

Giants were topped 5-1 at Sheffield Arena in their first meeting in November.

Worse still, for Belfast, they were pasted 4-0 on their own ice in their second encounter the following month.

Fast forward to March, this year.

Belfast had successfully ruined Sheffield's retro evening, with the club legends like Ken Priestlay back in the South Yorkshire building, with a Saturday night 5-2 win.

With Sheffield having half an eye on a looming, midweek Challenge Cup Final appointment, Adam Keefe's men must have felt they could win the Sunday night part of the double-header.

Instead, Sheffield chalked up their biggest win of the series, 6-1, watched by 9,182 fans.

It wasn't over there, for Belfast, either.

Having seen Steelers win the league - some 20 points ahead of them in the table - and the Cup, they were then beaten 3-1 by them in the Play Off final.

The treble transition had been completed. Sheffield's avowed aim of closing the gap between the clubs from the previous year had been well and truly accomplished.

This week, though, there were stirrings in the Belfast camp.

Giants winger and captain Mark Cooper gave an interesting interview with the Belfast Telegraph,

His remarks portrayed the same sentiments Sheffield had 12 months earlier.

Cooper, who had struggled with injury and was frustrated by the lack of passing of power across the Irish Sea, said: "It definitely left a bitter taste in my mouth, not being able to lift a trophy this year and watching (Steelers skipper) Robert Dowd do it three times.

"We’ll be out for some revenge this year, and hopefully, I can lead this team to some trophies and the promised land" he said.

"Sheffield kind of reset the bar this year and dummied everyone.

“We’re hoping to achieve what they did and what we did two years ago."

The article concluded: "The disappointment of not seeing a medal around his neck after his first year wearing the ‘C’ has left its scars, ones that Cooper is keen not to repeat."