FHL Cup preview: byes, qualifiers and a “lucky dawg” among the Cup Kings

The FHL Cup picture is taking shape, with 146 teams receiving byes and 110 qualifying ties on the card. For the bye recipients, the first hurdle is already cleared. For everyone in the qualifiers, the route into the next round starts with a head-to-head contest.

There are familiar names on both sides of that divide: the reigning Cup Kings have secured a bye, while a returning former winner has qualifying business to attend to. And among all the names on the bye list, one deserves a particularly affectionate nickname.

🏆 The Kessel Run: the Cup’s “lucky dawg”

Step forward, The Kessel Run—our NASCAR-inspired “lucky dawg”. Their stellar Gameweek 3 helped carry them into the bye places, giving the defending champions a welcome pass through the qualifiers. That big week has earned a reward being the last team to get a bye to the first round.

These are the current Cup Kings, having beaten Jere the Berry in the last cup final. They already know what it takes to finish the competition on top, and now their title defence begins with one fewer hurdle to negotiate. The nickname brings a little racing flavour; the bye was helped along by a timely fantasy performance.

A bye does not defend the trophy for them, of course. Once their cup campaign gets under way, The Kessel Run will still have to earn their progress. But a place among the bye recipients is a useful opening chapter for the holders.

Who joins the holders on the bye list?

Hard to Yandle, Ballycastle Puffins, Tellmema and Pepsi Max Grondin are among those sitting out the qualifiers. Lord of the Rinks, KeeFeing it real!, Jasper the friendly Ghost, Scott Land Nil and Up the black and gold are also through without a qualifying tie.

The list extends well beyond those familiar league contenders. Subbuteo Kings, Ruffin Ready, Stick wizards, The Mighty Sparrows of Coventry and The Kessel Run all have that breathing space. Every bye recipient supplied for this preview is listed below, so managers can check their own team’s place.

👀 LastMinutePicks returns to the cup stage

One qualifier worth keeping an eye on is Brumblaze versus LastMinutePicks. LastMinutePicks is a former cup winner returning this season and a name well known to the FHL team. There is history behind that entry, and it makes their return an interesting part of this year’s competition.

They could be one to watch as the season develops, particularly in its later stages. First, though, there is a qualifying tie against Brumblaze to negotiate. Past success gives the story its interest; it does not settle the fixture.

🏒 Qualifiers to follow

The draw offers plenty of other pairings to follow. Charlie faces Worcester Wolves, Busby Babes meets Storm 2.0, and Nottingham Panthers takes on The Nottingham Kraken. Last Place is paired with Return of the Mack, while old macdonalds farm faces Frozen Wastes Wightwalkers.

Elsewhere, Storm Chasers meets Ched monkeys, The Mighty Loons faces Scotia IHC, and A Crack In The Plexi takes on The Mighty Pucksters. The Tortoise and the Harewood versus AD/HD is another fixture that catches the eye on names alone. With 110 ties, there is room for plenty of new cup stories alongside those of the established winners.

The holders have their bye, the returning former champion has an opening test, and every pairing below has its own route forward to decide!

📋 Full bye list

The following 146 teams received byes:

• Hard to Yandle
• Ballycastle Puffins
• Tellmema
• Pepsi Max Grondin
• Lord of the Rinks
• KeeFeing it real!
• No Regretzkys
• Jasper the friendly Ghost
• Scott Land Nil
• Up the black and gold
• Shooting Stars Watch Us Fly
• Csollákin’ Crackin’
• Subbuteo Kings
• Get Dowd and Dirty
• Murphys Men
• Belfast Bruins
• Brexit Hockey
• Heavy Armour Division
• Nerves of steel
• Erm…
• BSDT11
• Wuhoo ice hockey wuhoo
• Ruffin Ready
• McDonald’s unhappy meals
• Jimmy o’winy
• Laight Again
• Macoys salt n vinegar erkamps
• the linkin pucks
• Swadlincote Ducks
• Belfast Blackhawks
• Csollaka lacka
• Clangus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
• Carrsy
• Mismashknights86
• Light the Lamppa
• Fee Fi Fo Fum
• Newts no hopers
• Krispies
• Hip hop mieeyyy-hooooo
• Heanor Hellfire
• Reading Royals
• Stick wizards
• Vaeh’s Figure fairies
• cammyface86
• Huskies
• Roughriders
• Ulett The Dogs Out
• The Frozen Dominion
• Blazing Hops
• Keefers crackers
• Tuscania Blues
• Resting mitch face
• You set my heart on fire!
• OkamiGigantes
• The Mighty Sparrows of Coventry
• BlitzBlue
• Wolfy’s Wonders
• Coventry Blackhawks
• WiFi password
• Chases chasers
• SteelerPhil
• PuckingHell
• Maple Flames
• Bumblebee
• Stoevtop
• Conway club
• Braehead Blunders
• Teal We Meet Again
• Lawsy Lads
• Mitchell’s Ballsack
• Cliffy’s Hotshots
• Carnarvon Street Cougars
• Wheel, Snipe, Celly
• Monmouthshire Devils
• Pot-Tate-To
• Turtle 🐢 Clan 💜
• Belfastgiants27
• WhatThePuck
• I love the O2 jerseys
• DIRTY DIRTY DEVILS
• Frilly
• Killie Valhalla Warriors
• Keefes Bench Door
• No Dowd About It
• Hazeldi-namite
• Buddies
• Panu chocolat
• Mid Ice Crisis
• Fazio & Furious
• #BeaTheInnocent
• Under Dogs
• Andy Savage Macho Men
• Blazin’ Squad
• Up in Flames
• Cadishead Stormtroopers
• Nass-ty boys
• Yorkshire Yaks
• All Out Of Puck
• Brandt New Champions
• Archers
• Where’d ya get ya Carr from aye
• Show Us Your Mitts
• Ice Ice Maybe
• Hockey fc
• BetterHalfOfThatStormCouple
• Devilwithoutacause
• Blocked Capitals
• Steel Team Six
• Este’s testes
• FlamesofGuildford
• McBean Me Up Scotty
• Maxx54
• Po-Tait-oes
• Fife minutes for fighting
• The fighting Riley’s
• Cormier? I barely know her
• Blast Past
• Doncaster Steelers
• Deakinallstars
• Puck Me
• Cinnamon Rollers
• Pearidge
• betteridge-late_than_never
• Locke-d in
• Dowd in the dumps
• Ice Hammers
• Robotham
• Sherwood Moose
• No woman, no Krejci
• Letitia Mewindmill Save
• Steele the Points
• Ciritropolis Huskies
• Locke & Load
• JBK
• Honey badgers
• Mussers Predators
• goats?
• WHISTLE while you work
• Ben Lakes Blue Baumers
• Baddie Braddie Marchandie
• SteelerLoopy
• BakersLightning
• District 5
• Boo bears
• Jooky Time
• The Kessel Run

Full qualifier fixtures

All 110 pairings are shown in the supplied order, without current scores.

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