2001–02 ISL season
Encyclopedia
The 2001–02 Ice Hockey Superleague season was the sixth season of the Ice Hockey Superleague
Ice Hockey Superleague
The Ice Hockey Superleague was a professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom between 1996 and 2003. Formed in 1995, it replaced the Premier Division of the British Hockey League, it was the highest level of ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom...

 (ISL).

Although the league started the season as the Sekonda Ice Hockey Superleague, Sekonda
Sekonda
Sekonda is a British distributor of fashion wristwatches. Sekonda is the best-selling watch brand in the United Kingdom. Originally a company which marketed Soviet-made time pieces in the West, Sekonda's Soviet ties ended with the break-up of the USSR...

 withdrew their sponsorship of the league in December 2001 and the league reverted to being known simply as the Ice Hockey Superleague. Benson & Hedges
Benson & Hedges
Benson & Hedges is a British brand of cigarettes owned by the Gallaher Group, which became a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco in 2007. They are registered in Old Bond Street in London, and are manufactured in Lisnafillen, Ballymena, Northern Ireland for the UK and Irish markets.-History:Benson & Hedges...

 also withdrew their sponsorship of the Autumn Cup and the competition ceased to take place.

Cardiff Devils
Cardiff Devils
The Cardiff Devils are a Welsh ice hockey team who play in the British Elite Ice Hockey League. The team currently plays in the temporary Cardiff Arena...

 were stripped of their franchise after the club went into voluntary liquidation. Following the Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

 franchise being taken over by the Eye Group, the Newcastle Jesters
Newcastle Jesters
The Newcastle Jesters were an ice hockey franchise based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. The team were members of the Ice Hockey Superleague and played their home games at the Telewest Arena .-Single Season of Jesters :...

 players were not paid and the club was eventually stripped of their franchise in October 2001 without having played a game.

There was trouble in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

 when the Cooke, Jenkinson and Smith consortium who bailed out the Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 at the end of the previous season
2000–01 ISL season
The 2000–01 Ice Hockey Superleague season was the fifth season of the Sekonda Ice Hockey Superleague .Belfast Giants, a new team formed in Northern Ireland, were granted a franchise, although they did not take part in the Benson & Hedges Cup...

 were denied the franchise in favour of the league's preferred bidder, Norton Lea. After the Sheffield Arena refused to award ice time to Norton Lea, preferring to deal with the Cooke, Jenkinson and Smith consortium, the Cooke, Jenkinson and Smith consortium applied for the Sheffield Steelers to play in the second tier British National League
British National League
The British National League is a defunct second-level professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Although no formal promotion and relegation existed during its period of existence, it was considered to have a standard below that of the Ice Hockey Superleague and above that of the...

. However, this application was refused and the club eventually continued in the ISL under the ownership of Norton Lea.

As a replacement for the fixtures lost from the Newcastle Jesters games, the ISL arranged a new Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...

 style tournament between the ISL teams and teams from the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) to be called the Ahearne Trophy
Ahearne Cup
Ahearne Cup is the name of two ice hockey tournaments, the first played from 1952 to 1977 and the second created in 2001. Both are named after British ice hockey promoter, J. F...

 to be played in February 2002.

After awarding three points for a win, two points for an overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...

 win and one point for an overtime loss the previous season, the league discontinued overtime and reverted to awarding two points for a win and one point for a draw.

Challenge Cup

All seven teams in the league competed in the Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup (UK Ice Hockey)
The Challenge Cup, hosted annually by the Elite Ice Hockey League, is a cup competition for ice hockey clubs in the United Kingdom. It is one of three competitions ran each season by the Elite League, the others being the league championship and the playoff championship...

. The first round was the first home and away meeting of each team in the league with the points counting towards both the Challenge Cup table and the league table. The top four teams progressed to the semi finals. The semi finals were home and away games with the winner on aggregate progressing to the one off final game.

First round

Challenge Cup GP W T L GF GA Pts
Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

 
12 10 0 2 49 29 20
Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 
12 6 4 2 44 35 16
Ayr Scottish Eagles
Ayr Scottish Eagles
The Ayr Scottish Eagles were a professional Scottish ice hockey club, from Ayr, Scotland. They were formed in 1996 and played their home games at the Centrum Arena. The team competed in the Ice Hockey Superleague and the club's main sponsor was Barr Construction...

 
12 5 3 4 34 33 13
Bracknell Bees
Bracknell Bees
The Bracknell Bees are an ice hockey team from Bracknell, Berkshire, UK.-Early years:The Bracknell Bees were formed in 1987, under the ownership of John Nike OBE. Bees began life in the Heineken League Division Two, under the leadership of former Durham Wasps and Nottingham Panthers forward, Jamie...

 
12 5 2 5 40 41 12
Manchester Storm
Manchester Storm
The Manchester Storm were an ice hockey team from Manchester, England. The team formed in 1995, playing their home games at the then newly built Nynex Arena . Storm won the British Hockey League Division One in their first season, watched by an average crowd of 6,342...

 
12 3 2 7 24 37 8
London Knights
London Knights (UK)
London Knights were an English ice hockey team based in London. They first played in the UK's Ice Hockey Superleague in September 1998 and finally folded in April 2003....

 
12 2 4 6 29 34 8
Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 
12 3 1 8 35 46 7

Semi finals

1st place (Belfast) vs 4th place (Bracknell)
  • Belfast Giants
    Belfast Giants
    The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

     5–1 Bracknell Bees
    Bracknell Bees
    The Bracknell Bees are an ice hockey team from Bracknell, Berkshire, UK.-Early years:The Bracknell Bees were formed in 1987, under the ownership of John Nike OBE. Bees began life in the Heineken League Division Two, under the leadership of former Durham Wasps and Nottingham Panthers forward, Jamie...

  • Bracknell Bees 5–4 Belfast Giants (Belfast win 9–6 on aggregate)


3rd place (Ayr) vs 2nd place (Nottingham)
  • Ayr Scottish Eagles
    Ayr Scottish Eagles
    The Ayr Scottish Eagles were a professional Scottish ice hockey club, from Ayr, Scotland. They were formed in 1996 and played their home games at the Centrum Arena. The team competed in the Ice Hockey Superleague and the club's main sponsor was Barr Construction...

     3–0 Nottingham Panthers
    Nottingham Panthers
    The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

  • Nottingham Panthers 4–4 Ayr Scottish Eagles (Ayr win 7–4 on aggregate)

Final

Winner semi final 1 vs Winner semi final 2
  • Belfast Giants
    Belfast Giants
    The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

     0–5 Ayr Scottish Eagles
    Ayr Scottish Eagles
    The Ayr Scottish Eagles were a professional Scottish ice hockey club, from Ayr, Scotland. They were formed in 1996 and played their home games at the Centrum Arena. The team competed in the Ice Hockey Superleague and the club's main sponsor was Barr Construction...


Ahearne Trophy

Ahearne Trophy GP W T L GF GA Pts
DEL 14 6 4 4 44 42 16
ISL 14 4 4 6 42 44 12

League

Each team played four home games and four away games against each of their opponents. All seven teams in the league were entered into the playoffs
British Championship
The British Championship is the most prestigious ice hockey cup competition in the United Kingdom, and also the longest established ice hockey competition. It has been run under various formats and titles since 1930 and contested annually since 1966...

.
Superleague GP W T L GF GA Pts
Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

 
48 31 8 9 177 119 70
Ayr Scottish Eagles
Ayr Scottish Eagles
The Ayr Scottish Eagles were a professional Scottish ice hockey club, from Ayr, Scotland. They were formed in 1996 and played their home games at the Centrum Arena. The team competed in the Ice Hockey Superleague and the club's main sponsor was Barr Construction...

 
48 20 9 19 136 130 49
Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 
48 18 12 18 138 144 48
Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 
48 19 9 20 140 141 47
Bracknell Bees
Bracknell Bees
The Bracknell Bees are an ice hockey team from Bracknell, Berkshire, UK.-Early years:The Bracknell Bees were formed in 1987, under the ownership of John Nike OBE. Bees began life in the Heineken League Division Two, under the leadership of former Durham Wasps and Nottingham Panthers forward, Jamie...

 
48 15 13 20 140 158 43
London Knights
London Knights (UK)
London Knights were an English ice hockey team based in London. They first played in the UK's Ice Hockey Superleague in September 1998 and finally folded in April 2003....

 
48 14 13 21 130 145 41
Manchester Storm
Manchester Storm
The Manchester Storm were an ice hockey team from Manchester, England. The team formed in 1995, playing their home games at the then newly built Nynex Arena . Storm won the British Hockey League Division One in their first season, watched by an average crowd of 6,342...

 
48 13 12 23 117 141 38

Playoffs

All seven teams in the league took part in the playoffs
British Championship
The British Championship is the most prestigious ice hockey cup competition in the United Kingdom, and also the longest established ice hockey competition. It has been run under various formats and titles since 1930 and contested annually since 1966...

. After an initial round where each team played all the other teams once the top four teams qualified for the finals weekend.

Round one

Playoffs GP W T L GF GA Pts
Ayr Scottish Eagles
Ayr Scottish Eagles
The Ayr Scottish Eagles were a professional Scottish ice hockey club, from Ayr, Scotland. They were formed in 1996 and played their home games at the Centrum Arena. The team competed in the Ice Hockey Superleague and the club's main sponsor was Barr Construction...

 
6 5 1 0 22 13 11
Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 
6 4 1 1 15 8 9
London Knights
London Knights (UK)
London Knights were an English ice hockey team based in London. They first played in the UK's Ice Hockey Superleague in September 1998 and finally folded in April 2003....

 
6 4 0 2 17 15 8
Manchester Storm
Manchester Storm
The Manchester Storm were an ice hockey team from Manchester, England. The team formed in 1995, playing their home games at the then newly built Nynex Arena . Storm won the British Hockey League Division One in their first season, watched by an average crowd of 6,342...

 
6 2 1 3 24 21 5
Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

 
6 2 1 3 21 19 5
Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 
6 1 2 3 13 20 4
Bracknell Bees
Bracknell Bees
The Bracknell Bees are an ice hockey team from Bracknell, Berkshire, UK.-Early years:The Bracknell Bees were formed in 1987, under the ownership of John Nike OBE. Bees began life in the Heineken League Division Two, under the leadership of former Durham Wasps and Nottingham Panthers forward, Jamie...

 
6 0 0 6 10 26 0

Semi Finals

1st place vs 4th place
  • Ayr Scottish Eagles
    Ayr Scottish Eagles
    The Ayr Scottish Eagles were a professional Scottish ice hockey club, from Ayr, Scotland. They were formed in 1996 and played their home games at the Centrum Arena. The team competed in the Ice Hockey Superleague and the club's main sponsor was Barr Construction...

     1-2 Manchester Storm
    Manchester Storm
    The Manchester Storm were an ice hockey team from Manchester, England. The team formed in 1995, playing their home games at the then newly built Nynex Arena . Storm won the British Hockey League Division One in their first season, watched by an average crowd of 6,342...



2nd place vs 3rd place
  • Sheffield Steelers
    Sheffield Steelers
    The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

     3–2 London Knights
    London Knights (UK)
    London Knights were an English ice hockey team based in London. They first played in the UK's Ice Hockey Superleague in September 1998 and finally folded in April 2003....


Final

Winner semi final 1 vs Winner semi final 2
  • Manchester Storm 3–4 Sheffield Steelers (after overtime
    Overtime (sports)
    Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...

     and penalty shootout
    Penalty shootout
    The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...

    )

Scoring leaders

The scoring leaders are taken from all league games.
  • Most points
    Point (ice hockey)
    Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...

    : 59 Kevin Riehl (Belfast Giants
    Belfast Giants
    The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

    )
  • Most goals
    Goal (ice hockey)
    In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...

    : 24 Chris Lipsett (Sheffield Steelers
    Sheffield Steelers
    The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

    )
  • Most assists
    Assist (ice hockey)
    In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...

    : 37 Kevin Riehl (Belfast Giants)
  • Most PIMs
    Penalty (ice hockey)
    A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...

    : 222 Barry Nieckar
    Barry Nieckar
    Barry Glenn Nieckar is a retired Canadian ice hockey player who played eight games in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim between 1992 and 1998...

     (Nottingham Panthers
    Nottingham Panthers
    The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

    )

Awards

  • Coach of the Year Trophy
    Coach of the Year Trophy (IHJUK)
    The Coach of the Year Trophy is an award given by Ice Hockey Journalists UK to the best coach in the Elite League and the English Premier League at the end of each season. In previous seasons it has been awarded to coaches in the British Hockey League's Premier and First Divisions, the Super League...

     – Dave Whistle, Belfast Giants
    Belfast Giants
    The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

  • Player of the Year Trophy
    Player of the Year Trophy (IHJUK)
    The Player of the Year Trophy is an award given by Ice Hockey Journalists UK to the MVP in the Elite League and the English Premier League at the end of each season. In previous seasons it has been awarded to players in the British Hockey League's Premier and First Divisions, the Super League and...

     – Kevin Riehl, Belfast Giants
  • Ice Hockey Annual Trophy
    Ice Hockey Annual Trophy
    The Ice Hockey Annual Trophy is an ice hockey trophy in the United Kingdom which is awarded to the British player who has scored the most points during the season in league competition only....

     – Jonathan Weaver
    Jonathan Weaver
    Jonathan Weaver is a British professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League .- Playing career :...

    , Ayr Scottish Eagles
    Ayr Scottish Eagles
    The Ayr Scottish Eagles were a professional Scottish ice hockey club, from Ayr, Scotland. They were formed in 1996 and played their home games at the Centrum Arena. The team competed in the Ice Hockey Superleague and the club's main sponsor was Barr Construction...


All Star teams

First Team Position Second Team
Mike Bales
Mike Bales
Michael Raymond Bales is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. A goaltender, he has played for the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators in the National Hockey League. He attended the Ohio State University, lettering with the Buckeyes from 1990 to 1992, and was drafted by Boston in the fifth...

, Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

G
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...

Joaquin Gage
Joaquin Gage
Joaquin Jesse Gage is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for Pustertal-Val Pusteria Wolves of Italy's Serie A...

, Ayr Scottish Eagles
Ayr Scottish Eagles
The Ayr Scottish Eagles were a professional Scottish ice hockey club, from Ayr, Scotland. They were formed in 1996 and played their home games at the Centrum Arena. The team competed in the Ice Hockey Superleague and the club's main sponsor was Barr Construction...

Johan Silfwerplatz, Ayr Scottish Eagles
Ayr Scottish Eagles
The Ayr Scottish Eagles were a professional Scottish ice hockey club, from Ayr, Scotland. They were formed in 1996 and played their home games at the Centrum Arena. The team competed in the Ice Hockey Superleague and the club's main sponsor was Barr Construction...

D
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...

Alan Schuler, Ayr Scottish Eagles
Ayr Scottish Eagles
The Ayr Scottish Eagles were a professional Scottish ice hockey club, from Ayr, Scotland. They were formed in 1996 and played their home games at the Centrum Arena. The team competed in the Ice Hockey Superleague and the club's main sponsor was Barr Construction...

Rob Stewart, Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

D
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...

Maurizio Mansi, London Knights
London Knights (UK)
London Knights were an English ice hockey team based in London. They first played in the UK's Ice Hockey Superleague in September 1998 and finally folded in April 2003....

Kevin Riehl, Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

F
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...

P. C. Drouin, Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

Sean Berens, Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

F
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...

Ed Courtenay
Ed Courtenay
Edward Emmett Courtenay is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger and head coach.-Professional career:...

, Ayr Scottish Eagles
Ayr Scottish Eagles
The Ayr Scottish Eagles were a professional Scottish ice hockey club, from Ayr, Scotland. They were formed in 1996 and played their home games at the Centrum Arena. The team competed in the Ice Hockey Superleague and the club's main sponsor was Barr Construction...

Jason Ruff
Jason Ruff
Jason C. Ruff is a professional ice hockey player.Ruff was the third choice, 96th overall selection of the St. Louis Blues in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft...

, Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

F
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...

Scott Allison
Scott Allison (ice hockey)
Scott Allison is a retired professional ice hockey player. He was the first pick for the Edmonton Oilers in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft , but never made the NHL.-Awards:...

, Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

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