Nottingham Panthers

The returning core

Nottingham enter 2026/27 looking to build on the heights of their 2025/26 cup-winning season. Last time out the Panthers finished 3rd before a quarterfinal exit, and head coach Danny Stewart returns to try to close that gap again.

Up front, the core stays largely intact: Matt Alfaro, Oliver Betteridge, Tim Doherty, Jordan Kelsall and Chase Pearson have all re-signed, giving Stewart a settled group of returning scorers to build around.

Rebuilt at the back

The bigger story is on the blue line and in goal, where turnover has been substantial. Only Zsombor Garát returns among the listed defencemen, with Aiden Hansen-Bukata, Darick Louis-Jean, Henry Newell and Jaakko Niskala all arriving fresh, alongside Joseph Hazeldine, who joins from Glasgow Clan as part of an effective swap that sent Ross Armour and Matt Spencer the other way.

In goal, both Kai Edmonds and Mat Robson are brand new arrivals, a completely refreshed tandem following Kevin Carr' retirement.

Summer reinforcements

Up front, Benjamin Corbeil, Max Grondin, Patrick Larkin, Miikka Pitkänen and Spencer Naas add further scoring depth to a group that's otherwise stayed settled.

Departures & outlook

The list of departures is long and touches nearly every part of the roster: Matt Spencer and Ross Armour both leave for Glasgow, while Jakob Stridsberg, David Noël and Jarod Hilderman all move on from the blue line, alongside forwards Bryan Lemos, Nolan Volcan and Didrik Henbrant. The ever entertaining and Dream Team star Mitch Fossier retires too.

With a settled forward group but a nearly entirely new defensive corps and goaltending tandem, Nottingham's season may hinge on how quickly the new pieces at the back gel with a proven scoring core up front.