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Belfast Giants head of hockey Steve Thornton says there is a "real sense of optimism" after a date was announced for a return of the Elite League.

Action will resume on 25-26 September and run through to the Playoff Finals Weekend on 23-24 April 2022.

There have been no games since March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"This has been a long time coming for the club and the fans and we're excited to progress with our planning for the forthcoming season," added Thornton.

"This is welcome news and a really positive step forward. There's a real sense of optimism now that getting back on the ice in Belfast could soon become a reality."

The Elite League will hold the annual fixtures meeting as usual at the end of June, with the full schedule due to be released in July.

Formats to be finalised

Further information including League, Playoffs and Challenge Cup format are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

A return to ice-hockey this autumn is dependent on guidance from the NI Executive on the easing of restrictions around indoor sport in Northern Ireland.

The SSE Arena has been used as the mass Covid-19 vaccination centre for Northern Ireland since March and it is anticipated the this will run until August.

"Naturally, there are still events and decisions that remain outside of our control," said Thornton, who is also head of commercial.

"As the rollout of the vaccination programme continues, we are hopeful that we will see easing of restrictions needed locally to get us back on the ice in Belfast for the next season.

"We would like to thank our fans and partners for their continued patience and support. We can't wait to welcome everyone back to the SSE Arena and we will update on plans for our return as soon as we can."