Devils Hardman Bordeleau Out To Make Clan Feel The Force

Two of the toughest enforcers from NHL ice hockey go head-to-head at Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff Bay on Sunday (6pm).

Patrick Bordeleau, 6ft 5ins tall, is in the Cardiff Devils team, while visitors Braehead Clan will ice 6ft 3ins Jay Rosehill. They have more than 55 hours of penalty minutes between them during their careers and both are in their first season of British hockey.

Devils hardman Bordeleau is a former Colorado Avalanche NHL winger, while Rosehill played at the top level for Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers.

Player-coach Andrew Lord and his team moved seven points clear at the top of Elite League after their 4-2 win at Sheffield Steelers on Friday, but Rosehill believes Glasgow-based Clan can earn a shock win in Cardiff.

Braehead lost 5-1 against Devils away earlier this season, a match which started in dramatic style when ex-Cardiff defenceman Trevor Hendrikx fought Lord on the first shift.

“We have been growing as a team since then and we’ll be going out believing we can win,” says Rosehill. “We’re putting together better performances and finding our identity. There are times when we have dominant spells, go at the opposition in waves and overwhelm them.

“But there are also occasions when we are not finding that level and make mistakes. Our aim is to bring that solid look to the ice every night.”

Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of heavy metal band Iron Maiden, will be a Devils guest at their match against Clan on Sunday.

Dickinson, a registered commercial pilot who owns Cardiff Aviation, is attending his first Devils match and will drop the puck before face-off.

Braehead, who have former Devils captain Ryan Finnerty in charge of their team, could be without goaltender Michal Zajkowski with back-up Gary Russell standing by to play.

Devils and Clan supporters are invited to join the Cardiff team in the Ice Arena Wales bar after Sunday’s game to witness four home players ‘BraveTheShave’ in support of MacMillan cancer.
Josh Batch, David Brine, Sean Bentivoglio and Patrick Asselin have all agreed to have their heads shaved to raise money for Macmillan. Donations can be made by sending a text to 70070 – text JBCD91 followed by the amount you wish to donate (£1, £5, or £10 – please use the £ sign in the text)
Ken Picton Hair and Beauty Salon staff have agreed to oversee the head shaving.

There will be a post-game raffle in the bar with a number of major prizes.

Cardiff play Dundee Stars in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals and the clubs have agreed dates for the two legs. Devils travel to Dundee on Wednesday, December 7 with the return in Cardiff Bay on Wednesday, December 21 (both 7.30pm).
The winners face Belfast Giants or Manchester Storm in the semi-finals.

Ticket information for Devils matches is available from the hotline on 0800 0842 666.