Nottingham to welcome thousands of Ice Hockey fans for annual showpiece

Four teams will battle it out for the Elite League title with matches at 3pm and 7pm on Saturday 20 April and 1pm and 5pm on Sunday 21 April - starting with Sheffield Steelers v Guildford Flames at 3pm and Cardiff Devils v Belfast Giants at 7pm on Saturday.

Live entertainment will take place all weekend at the biggest venue in the East Midlands around the main arena, the outdoor Bolero Square and Saltbox, the official bar for the Playoffs open from 9am for breakfast, until late for the official Playoffs afterparty.

Dedicated fan zones with themed bars for each team have been created around the Arena bowl to make sure all the visiting fans feel at home for the annual showpiece.

Mark Brooks, Elite Ice Hockey League, said: “The Elite League Playoff Finals are always an outstanding occasion at the Motorpoint Arena. Fans right across our league will make the annual trip and enjoy a weekend in Nottingham like no other. The Motorpoint Arena has played host to all Elite League Playoff Finals and created memorable moments for many since 2004. We look forward to everything the weekend has to offer at this great venue and the unrivalled atmosphere as we crown our 2024 Playoff champions.”

Fans are expected to fill out Saltbox ahead of the matches for the 4000 and Counting Podcast with special guests being recorded live at 11am each day. Saturday features Sheffield Steelers announcer and media manager David Simms followed by Todd Kelman, MD of Cardiff Devils on Sunday, with live music and food available in the bar throughout the day.

The Saltbox House Band will get things going for the official afterparty at 9.30pm with their feel-good tunes before handing over to DJs carrying the night on for the fans. It’s open to all, with a £5 entry ticket including a drink.

Former Panthers player turned award-winning master butcher Johnny Puszati will be cooking up a breakfast for champions and his famous hog roast; Project D has created a Playoffs donut while the Arena chefs are bringing out the ‘Homer’ burger along with other specials for the weekend.

Refillable drink cups branded for the 2024 weekend will be available to encourage fans to be sustainable, with bars offering a range of Greene King beers. Local independent brewery Neon Raptor - based just a stone’s throw from the Arena - has been invited in to run a bar takeover creating a special Sin Bin session beer for the occasion.

Josh Mellor, Neon Raptor co-owner, said: “Sin Bin is Neon Raptor’s brand new Session IPA launching exclusively at Nottingham Motorpoint Arena. We’ve combined Citra and Simcoe for slapshot of flavour, that play off each other to the sudden death.”

Martin Ingham, CEO, Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, said: “We’re proud to once again be warmly welcoming so many hockey fans from all round the country for this annual climax to the Elite Ice Hockey League season. With our long-term deal to host the Play Offs until 2029, we are working hard to continually improve the fan experience year on year to make sure everyone has a fantastic weekend and takes home some great memories from what happens both on and off the ice.”

It's in Nottingham, the city's business improvement district, also partnered with Motorpoint Arena and the National Ice Centre to run a Stay-n-Play competition, with the prizes including play-off finals tickets, a meal out in Nottingham city centre and an overnight stay. Their winner, picked at random, said they entered the competition because; "My partner and I both live in a small flat in London and have never been to Nottingham - we are big ice hockey fans after we discovered it in Germany! We'd be interested in exploring the history of Nottingham and discovering a new place..."

Alex Flint, CEO, It’s in Nottingham, said: "We're proud to be part of this weekend's exciting play-off finals in the heart of Nottingham, and to know it will bring thousands of people to Nottingham, from all over the country. Nottingham is a city of sporting greatness, on and off the ice, as well as culture, great shopping and places to eat, so we hope many of our visitors will take time to explore the city centre as well as enjoying the ice hockey. We know that whatever visitors choose to do, a warm Nottingham welcome awaits everyone travelling to our city this weekend."

The Playoffs weekend will be televised on Premier Sports across UK & Ireland as well as a pay-per-view streaming option online, with fans watching on screens able to join the official afterparty at Saltbox.

Motorpoint Arena will have merchandise, including the USA Sports brand, available to purchase over the weekend as well as handing out giveaways for mailing list sign-ups.

For more information, go to www.motorpointarenanottingham.com.