This Sunday, 31st August, the Solihull Barons will take on the Nottingham Lions in a pre-season challenge at Solihull Ice Rink in a tie supporting Birmingham Children's Hospital.

The fixture will be a repeat of the final game of the 2013-14 season in which the Barons clinched the Easter weekend Laidler Play-off trophy with a dramatic shoot-out victory over the Lions.

For the Lions, pushing the otherwise dominant Barons so close in this final was perhaps a highlight of a 2013-14 season which saw them struggle to maintain consistent wining form despite starting the season among the favourites. Going into 2014-15, the Barons, Lions and Deeside Dragons look to be amongst the title favourites, with the ambitious Widnes Wild and the new Telford side also likely to be in the mix to top the Laidler division.

The 2014-15 Double-winning Barons have managed to retain the majority of last seasons roster with the exception of veteran defenceman and legend of British ice hockey Phil Lee who, after over thirty years of senior hockey, has decided to hang up the skates for the final time. Coming into the squad are brothers Dan and Simon Harrison from Telford, while Thomas Soar joins from Peterborough Phantoms.

The league proper starts on the 6th September, away at Widnes Wild, with Sunday, 14th September, the first home tie against the Blackburn Eagles. In the meantime the Barons will expect a good turn-out for what should be an entertaining pre-season tie this Sunday against the Lions.

Face-off : 6:30pm.