We've done the Giants and the Clan, and now it's time for the third team in this series of nine. Featuring this time out are the team that most teams could not find a way past all season, it's Andrew Lord's Cardiff Devils.
Season in summary: Now where do we start? It wasn't a bad old season for the Devils fans was it? Four trophies up for grabs, and three of them are in a trophy cabinet at Ice Arena Wales. After numerous blank seasons, the Devils finally rose from their slumbers and proceeded to steamroller over all and sundry in the 2016-17 season. Everything clicked for the new roster, and you couldn't begrudge them it. It was a campaign that fans, players and officials in Cardiff are never ever going to forget. In short, it was a season that could you might have only seen in a Boy's Own comic. The stuff of dreams.
Performance of the Season: It was a season that provided many highlights both on home ice at IAW but also on the road too. However one result has to stand out more than other and that was the 6-2 win in Sheffield which clinched the Devils their first league title for 20 years. The huge Red Army contingent that night certainly had a night that will live long in the memory for years to come.
Low point of the Season: Some might say the play off final against the Steelers was a low point as it denied the Devils a Grand Slam (yes, it would have been a proper one Nottingham) but I digress. I'm going to go for a rare league loss and what a loss it was too, Devils being shut out by the Panthers 8-0 and in IAW. A game where Brian McGrattan finally came to life.
Player of the Season: As it was one of those seasons, it is so damn hard to pick a Devil that stood out more than anyone. From the forwards, a well organised defence and quality netminding: Devils had it all. But if you are going to push me for one, I'm going to surprise you all by picking player-coach Lord for this. He recruited the roster and was a part of it. Hats off to Andrew eh?
Anything else? After such a remarkable season, the question remains can the Devils continue their new dynasty and keep the trophies a rolling in South Wales? Or will they become one season wonders like the Panthers of 2012-13? My gut instinct tells me that this is a Devils dynasty which will continue to pick up trophies even if they might not have seasons like 2016-17 again. They will do the EIHL proud in the CHL, and depending how that pans out then this will have a good bearing on their 2017-18 domestic form.
In the next one, we shift our attentions to the Coventry Blaze.
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