Joey Haddad’s Verdict On Cardiff Devils Team Spirit

Joey Haddad has summed up the Cardiff Devils team spirit, saying: “We’re all good buddies on and off the ice.

“That’s what has helped us throughout this season. That’s our team right there.”

Devils are one game away from completing an Elite League Grand Slam of trophies, having already won the League title, Challenge Cup and Erhardt Conference.

They play Sheffield Steelers in Sunday’s play-off championship final at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham (4pm).

Steelers can stop Devils Grand Slam bid in its tracks and qualify for Europe next season, playing in the Continental Cup, while hundreds of Welsh fans are backing their team to finish with all four trophies.

A Devils win would ensure Belfast Giants, who finished second in the League, qualify for the Continental Cup.

American forward Denny Kearny missed Cardiff’s 4-2 semi-final win against Dundee Stars with a muscle strain and he looks likely to be missing again.

Devils were 2-0 down after the first period against Stars, but clawed their way back and Haddad said: “We stayed calm, talked about it during the break and saw the game through.

“The veterans and leaders in our team made sure we stayed calm and stuck to the game plan.

“We’ve done a great job  as a team season and we will stick together in this play-off final.”

Player-Coach Andrew Lord described the first period against Stars as ‘ugly’ and said: “That was one of our poorer periods in a long time.

“Dundee came out flying and they had a great game plan, but it’s also true our puck management was ugly. It was a real ugly start.

“In the second we got back to our game. When you think of the comebacks we’ve had this season, against Cove try at home, Belfast away, Nottingham a couple of times and Sheffield, it shows we have guys who can elevate them selves over the pressure.”

Man of the match Joey Haddad, Mark Louis, Joey Martin and Andrew Hotham scored the goals for Cardiff in their semi-final and now they take on bitter rivals Steelers in the play-off final.

Nottingham’s NIC arena will be packed for the clash and there are hundreds of Devils fans ready to road their team on, including owner Steve King who sat among supporters for the semi-final.