Cardiff Devils have started the Elite League season with two home wins, following a 2-0 victory over Manchester Storm with a 2-1 result against Glasgow Clan at the Vindico Arena.
The successive victories gave Cardiff what head coach Paul Thompson described as a four-point opening weekend. They also extended the Devils’ unbeaten home sequence, dating from pre-season, to 10 games.
Cardiff did not concede in the first match before Glasgow scored late in the final period, meaning the Devils began their league programme with a controlled pair of results but without consecutive shutouts. Thompson indicated after the Glasgow game that he was satisfied with his side’s character and their work away from the puck.
Harewood and MacDonald settle Manchester game
Cardiff began their Elite League campaign against Manchester on Saturday evening and won 2-0. Bayley Harewood, who was named man of the match, broke the deadlock in the second period.
The home side had to wait until late in the final period to make the result secure. Josh MacDonald scored into an empty net to provide the second goal.
Thompson said Cardiff had managed the third period well and looked solid. He also credited Manchester goaltender Drew DeRidder with making a series of close-range saves, saying the Devils had created five or six point-blank opportunities.
The Cardiff coach singled out Harewood’s all-round contribution, reporting that the scorer had made important plays without the puck as well as supplying the decisive first goal. That assessment reflected a match in which the Devils needed patience before adding the late insurance goal.
The result also supplied the first of the weekend’s four points in front of Cardiff’s own supporters. The BBC reported before the Glasgow fixture that the club had a 100% home record across nine league, cup and pre-season matches in 2026-27, although it also said Cardiff had yet to win a competitive away game.
Devils hold off Glasgow’s late response
Cardiff returned to the Vindico Arena to face Glasgow Clan and completed the weekend with a 2-1 win. Kohen Olischefski put the hosts ahead in the first period, before Joey Martin doubled the advantage in the second.
Glasgow forward Rylan Schwartz scored with three minutes remaining in the final period. His goal prevented Cardiff goaltender Christian Stoever from recording a second successive shutout, but it did not alter the outcome.
Thompson said his players had again made chances which could have increased their lead. He suggested that continuing to create opportunities was the important element, with the goals expected to follow. The coach also said every member of the squad had contributed during the four-point weekend.
The scores show that Cardiff built a two-goal margin in both fixtures before the final outcome was decided. Against Manchester, that cushion arrived with the empty-net finish; against Glasgow, it gave the Devils sufficient protection when Schwartz reduced the deficit late on. On the evidence of the two reports, Cardiff’s defensive control was central: Manchester were held scoreless, while Glasgow were limited to one goal in the closing stages.
Home run provides early platform
The opening pair of league fixtures formed part of a longer home sequence for Cardiff. After the Glasgow match, the BBC reported that the Devils had not lost in 10 home games since pre-season began.
That run offers useful early context rather than a broader judgement on the season. Cardiff’s results so far have been achieved at their own arena, and the report following the Manchester game said they had not yet won a competitive match away from home in 2026-27.
The Devils remain in south Wales for their next league matches, when Dundee Stars and Belfast Giants are due to visit the Vindico Arena. Those games give Cardiff an immediate opportunity to test whether the opening weekend’s home form can be maintained against further Elite League opposition.