Finlay Ulrick’s Nottingham Panthers won the 2025/26 Challenge Cup Final as they defeated Coventry Blaze 3-2 in overtime to win their second trophy of the season.

The Panthers secured their ninth Challenge Cup trophy thanks to goals from Mitchell Fossier and Jakob Stridsberg and another overtime winner from Didrik Henbrant.

On winning the Challenge Cup, Ulrick said, "It was great to be a part of that moment. Obviously it’s a big thing for the club and the city of Nottingham, so to be a part of that was pretty special, and to do it with a group of guys who we’ve got was really nice as well.”

It’s always nice to win trophies; obviously in the past I’ve had the pleasure of doing it with Sheffield as well, but now to do it in a full-time role with Nottingham was really fun and really, really cool to be a part of, so I’m just grateful for it.

This year's Challenge Cup final was played at the home of the Panthers, the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, with the match being marked as a sell-out nearly a week before the match.

The final, which was the EIHL’s sixth-straight cup final sellout, also marked the 10-year anniversary of Nottingham’s last victory and appearance in a Challenge Cup final after their 2015/16 double-trophy-winning season.

On winning the cup in a tense game at the sold-out arena, Ulrick said, "It was very tense down at ice level, but I think as a group we’ve been through quite a few tough games in the past, which helped us have that confidence that we could go on and get it done.”

The road to reach the final wasn’t smooth sailing for the Panthers as they faced Glasgow Clan in the elimination game after finishing 3rd in Group A of the competition, which they won by 4-1 in December last year.

They then faced the Sheffield Steelers in the semifinal, which, after a tense second leg, saw the Panthers overcome a Steelers fightback to secure their place in the final after another overtime winner, this time from Bryan Lemos.

On their road to the final, Ulrick said, "We had to go through quite a few hurdles to get to the final; obviously at the start of our Challenge Cup campaign we didn’t do too well, then I think we ended up winning four in a row to get into that elimination game.”

“Then to go up to Glasgow, I think if I remember we were a bit short-benched in that game, so it was good to get that win, and then coming up against Sheffield, you always know with the rivalry it’s going to be an intense game and one that everybody’s putting everything on the line to win, so to come
through those games on top was a good feeling.”

The Challenge Cup is Ulrick and his teammate’s second trophy of the 2025/26 season, as they secured the Continental Cup in January after defeating Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk 4-2 at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham.

Their victory saw the Panthers become the first British side to win the competition twice after their previous success in the competition’s 2016/17 season.

On winning the Continental Cup, Ulrick said, "It's a word I’ve used before, but it was 'special'; I mean, when you're growing up, European competitions are mainly in football as an English kid, but when you get to play in one in the sport that you love, it’s pretty cool.”

“To play against other European opposition and then to go on and win it was even better, so it was really special to be able to lift the plate in the arena and celebrate it with the fans.”

Two trophies remain up for grabs in the EIHL, with the Panthers currently sitting 2nd in the league on 68 points behind the Belfast Giants, who sit on 76 points.

Nottingham have already confirmed their place in the playoffs, which kicks off with the quarter-finals on the second weekend of April before the Playoff Finals Weekend returns to the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham between the 18th and 19th of April.

On their plans and hopes for the rest of the season, Ulrick said, "A few weeks ago we were still hoping to still have that league within our grasp, and for whatever reason it's kind of slipped away from us now, but we’re pushing on and full of confidence from the Challenge Cup win, so I think if we carry that onto the last bit of the season and take that momentum into the playoffs, hopefully we can take that with us and lift another trophy.”

Ulrick and the Nottingham Panthers return to action this week for a road double-header against the Belfast Giants for two top-of-the-league clashes on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th March.