Haringey Huskies 2, Cardiff Canucks 3
Eddie Joseph Memorial Cup – presented by Hockey Hound
12th September 2026
I had to double-check and just remind myself that Cardiff isn’t our bogey team, that they don’t always do this to us, and thankfully the results don’t add up and are instead heavily stacked in our favour.
Cardiff does, however, have a history of producing a win against us at least once every season; the play-off quarters in 2024/25, the league shootout at the Palace last year, and now we can add this 2026/27 Eddie Joseph Memorial Cup (EJMC) loss.
For spells, Haringey look every bit the team that has been overhauled this summer, a team still finding its feet. Passes gone awry, loose in possession. As tenacious and well organised as Cardiff are, we give them plenty of opportunities from absolutely nothing.
I missed the game at Basingstoke the week before, but a walloping 1-9 victory on the road was the start to the season we all dreamed of. A hat trick for Chris Beckett and a dominant performance, with 63 Haringey shots on net to Basingstoke’s 13.
This was a very different challenge. Haringey were without Ruskin Springer Hughes, Cam Pow, Johan Persson, Luke Clark, and Conor Pollard, but a team sheet still littered with talent.
The Huskies line-up with Petr Čech in net, Nathan Long beside Max McEwan, and Marton Szasz, Stuart Appleby, and Courtney Grant in the first forward line.
As you’d expect from the first home game of the season, it’s a high energy start. Courtney sends it on net seconds after the face-off, bombing down the left wing, but finds the netminder’s pads. Ross Miller, Cardiff’s new netminder, I thought had a great game, unfortunately, and brings a lot of experience from South 1.
Stephen Woodford fizzes it across the slot from the right, but the charging Jordan Liddell can’t make contact. Max has a look from the point, Matt Ganas rips a one-timer at the backdoor wide.
It’s end-to-end for the first 10 minutes. Jaden Boolkah with a block from the right, Petr kicks out a couple of half-chances and then spills a laser from Steve Osman wide of the post. James Pentecost goes coast-to-coast but is eventually crowded out in the offensive zone.
There’s hammer and tongs but few clear-cut scoring opportunities. There’s a good amount of physicality though, and Jordan makes his presence felt along the boards.
It’s Cardiff who draw first blood. With 12 minutes gone, Haringey can’t clear the zone and it’s worked around the back of the net, across the slot and slammed in and the backdoor by Carter Lloyd, I think (the cessation of NIHL Stats for this season makes us all poorer, and that our governing body can’t conspire to create anything near as good as one volunteer and a WordPress site would be laughable, if not so utterly depressing).
The Huskies push to get back on even terms. Woody sends it across the slot again, but again no one can make it count. Chris is muscled out in the slot. Courtney hits a slapshot from the right whizzing out-of-bounds.
It’s a bitty end to the period, with stoppages and injuries and penalties, which sucks the life and momentum out of it.
The Canucks start fast after the break, and it’s a near miss on the backhand as they walk through the Huskies’ defence all too easily. The game’s still wide open. Chris finds Pents who draws a save, the puck spiralling over the bar from a golden opportunity.
It takes a powerplay for Haringey to equalise. During some 5-on-3 hockey, Haringey work the puck side to side, they find Nathan at the point whose shot from the left is blocked, dropping to Chris at the backdoor to tidy up.
Thirty seconds later it’s 2-1 as Haringey force the issue. It’s continued pressure again on the Cardiff net and Robbie Rejna gets the goal after Courtney’s shot is blocked this time. A brilliant spell from Haringey that completes the turnaround.
Max and Nathan have shots brushed off from the blue line. Matt sees a backhander saved, and George Hagon does well to turnover possession in the defensive zone.
But Cardiff score again with nine minutes remaining in the second. Haringey lose possession on the blue line, and it’s Huskies old boy Joe Tearall who benefits, driving to the net and scoring shortside. There’s still a lot of love for Joe from the Haringey fans but I really could have done without that. 2-2.
There’s still opportunities in what continues to be a frantic game. Haringey find Pents from behind the goal line but his one-timer’s held. Robbie’s gloved from the slot. Petr gloves form the right. George and Sam Bryant tussle before Jaden’s blast from the point is covered.
Haringey would desperately love to score before the end of the period, but it’s a big let off instead that sees them end the second still on terms. Haringey lose possession yet again, this time in centre ice and Cardiff go through 1-on-1 with a smart finish top shelf which looks like it might go bar down. It’s initially given but after review is wiped (does it get caught in Petr’s pads? It’s behind him but I don’t think it ever crosses the line), much to the Huskies’ relief.
Nathan showed again and again why he’s one of the best defencemen in the league. He almost grabs a late one with 30 seconds left on the clock, skating across the lines only to have his backhander tipped over from close range. Some goal that would have been.
The third drifts with a few half chances. Cardiff finish the stronger of the two sides. There’s another let off in the Haringey slot as Cardiff turn the puck over, but it’s mercifully a swing and a miss and comes to nothing. The Canucks push and push, forcing Petr into a number of saves towards the end of the period. It looks for all the world like it’s heading to overtime. But, alas.
It’s an awful way to lose. With 1.9 seconds remaining on the clock. It comes out to the top of the left D and it’s a wicked one-timer that goes high farside. Petr had made a wonderful double save just moments before.
Cardiff win 2-3 in the first of the EJMC games. Haringey still have five games left in this merciless competition where first and second in the mini-league progress to the final, and they can’t afford to lose any more.
It’s disappointing but it’s very early days yet. This team will be back and they will improve, they have too many good players not to. It starts next Saturday as we get to re-do it all over again at the Vindico. Here’s hoping they can put their one and only loss to Cardiff of the season behind them.
Let’s Go Huskies.
Photos by Phil Hutchinson
