Elite Ice Hockey League
Encyclopedia
Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup
and Knockout Cup
. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other teams in the league. Two points are awarded for a win and one for an overtime
or penalty shootout defeat. Overtime consists of five minutes of four-on-four hockey and ends immediately if a goal is scored. The team that has most points after all fixtures are completed is declared champion.
After the regular season is complete, the teams with the best regular season records enter the playoffs, the winner of which receives the British Championship
. The number of teams competing in the playoffs has varied, the first two seasons saw six teams qualify, while the demise of the London Racers in November 2005 saw all eight teams qualify. Prior to the 2006–07 season, the teams were divided into two groups, with the members of each group playing on a round-robin
basis. The top two teams in each group qualify for the semi-finals, which are straight knockout matches. However, since the 2006–07 season, the top eight teams of the regular season have qualified for the quarter-finals with the team finishing 1st playing the 8th placed team, 2nd vs 7th, 3rd vs 6th and 4th vs 5th, with all ties being played on a two-legged, home and away game basis with the four winners qualifying for the semi-finals. Both the semi-finals and the final take place over a single weekend in April at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham
.
The Challenge Cup has taken a number of different formats, ranging from a table formed from the results designated league fixtures to four team groups played on a round robin basis at the beginning of the season. The semi finals and final are two-legged games, the winner being the team with the highest aggregate score at the end of the second game.
The Knockout Cup was created in 2005 after the London Racers withdrew from the league. The Cup is a knockout
tournament in which teams are randomly drawn to face one another in two-legged games, with aggregate scoreline determining the winner of each tie.
The Elite League is governed by a Board of ten Directors: the owners of the eight participating teams, plus the owners of the London Racers
and Milton Keynes Lightning
, who maintain the right to join the league without making an application. The day to day operation of the league is overseen by chairman Eamon Convery and Director of Hockey Andy French. Disciplinary matters are handled by Director of Discipline and former referee Simon Kirkham. The level below the Elite League is the English Premier Ice Hockey League
. A system of promotion and relegation
is not operated by the Elite League; teams enter the league on the basis of a decision by the Board of Directors. In 2006 the Hull Stingrays
, the club which finished eighth in the EPIHL during the 2005–06 season, were elected into the Elite League.
At the end of the 2008-09 season two teams, the Basingstoke Bison
and Manchester Phoenix
withdrew from the EIHL largely due to financial difficulties.
(the highest senior competition since 1982) was disbanded and replaced by the Ice Hockey Superleague
and British National League
.
The loss of the Cardiff Devils and Newcastle Jesters in 2001 reduced the membership of the Superleague to seven and when the Manchester Storm
and Scottish Eagles
collapsed within a week of one another at the beginning of the 2002–03 season, there were just five remaining teams. In December 2002 the Bracknell Bees
announced their intention to resign from the league to join the BNL at the end of the season and uncertainty surrounded the future of the London Knights
and their London Arena
home. Owing a large debt to Ice Hockey UK and facing the prospect of having only three members, the league put itself into liquidation on 30 April 2003.
The three remaining clubs (the Belfast Giants, Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers) began considering the formation of a new league with a lower wage cap and larger commitment to British players in order to attract other clubs into joining them. In the weeks that followed they were joined by the Basingstoke Bison, Cardiff Devils and Coventry Blaze of the British National League and two new organisations from London
and Manchester
. A team based in Glasgow
was also planned, but did not come to fruition. The new league met considerable opposition from the British National League and the governing body
Ice Hockey UK
. IHUK wished the remaining Superleague clubs to integrate themselves into the BNL and initially refused to grant the new league affiliation. The Superleague clubs were reluctant to join the predominantly British trained league after several years of playing in an import-dominated league where British players were seldom able to step up to the standard of their North American and European counterparts. The Elite League instead preferred a twelve import limit with the rest of the team comprising British trained players.
The refusal to grant affiliation caused a bitter row to ensue that showed little sign of being resolved. Despite not having the support of the governing body, the new league continued their plans regardless. No affiliation would have meant that the clubs would have problems attaining work permit
s for their signings and finding officials to referee their matches. The row also threatened the future of the Nottingham Panthers, as the National Ice Centre were reluctant to allow a team from an unaffiliated league hire their arena. The issue was resolved in August 2003 when the Panthers and the NIC announced an icetime agreement. The EIHL finally agreed affiliation in August 2003, with only weeks to go before the beginning of the new season.
The new league began on 12 September 2003 when the Sheffield Steelers, who went on to become the inaugural league champions, defeated the newly formed London Racers 6–1 at Alexandra Palace
. The Racers endured a difficult first season, moving to a different rink only weeks into the season and having to wait 40 games to record a win, a 3–0 victory over the Cardiff Devils. The Racers finished the season with ten points, thirty-eight points behind second bottom Basingstoke. The other new team, Manchester Phoenix fared slightly better, qualifying for the playoff finals after finishing sixth in the league, where they were defeated 6–1 by Nottingham in the semi final. The club played at the 17,500 capacity MEN Arena which had been home to the Manchester Storm, but Phoenix crowds averaged 2,250, well below the break-even mark of 3,000. Late in the season, the Phoenix choose to play a game at IceSheffield
rather than pay the considerable cost of hiring the arena for a mid week game (which usually had lower attendances). In the close season they allowed fans to vote on the option of either suspending playing operations while a new rink was constructed or playing in exile away from Manchester while a new rink was built. Supporters opted to suspend playing operations pending the construction of a new facility.
The second season of the EIHL saw a series of games between the EIHL clubs and the members of the BNL. In addition to three home games and three away games against their Elite opponents, each club also played one home game and one away game against the BNL clubs in crossover matchups. Results in these crossover games would count towards a team's points tally. The NHL lockout also saw a number of NHL
players join British clubs. Coventry won a Grand Slam of all three titles, winning the Championship
with an overtime victory over the Nottingham Panthers.
The crossover games with the BNL clubs were seen by many to be the first stage towards the amalgamation of the two organisations into one league. However, early in the season it was revealed that teams including the Edinburgh Capitals and Newcastle Vipers were seeking to resign from the BNL and join the Elite League. A withdrawal of the these clubs would leave the British National League with only a small number of participating teams. This situation led to the resigning teams temporarily withdrawing their Elite League applications and entering into collective discussions on the entire BNL joining the EIHL instead. The Elite League offered the BNL clubs invitations to join the EIHL structure, which were declined due to unfavourable terms. Subsequently Edinburgh and Newcastle resubmitted individual applications to the Elite League, both of which were accepted. A combination of this and Bracknell Bees
owner John Nike
's announcement that he was withdrawing funding from the BNL team prompted the collapse of the BNL at the end of the 2004–05 season.
With the Edinburgh Capitals and Newcastle Vipers becoming the ninth and tenth members of the league, the 2005–06 season began with nine clubs (Manchester had opted to take another season out with no rink yet constructed). However, in November 2005 the London Racers withdrew their team from competition and immediately ceased operations. From their formation the Racers suffered problems finding a rink with comparable facilities to those of their rivals and maintained only a very small fan base. The club had made the Lee Valley Ice Centre
their home after playing only a small number of games at the Alexandra Palace
in their first season. The facilities were very basic, seating only 900 people with an overall capacity of barely 1000. In November 2005, during a game against Nottingham, Panthers player Blaž Emeršič
suffered a serious facial injury after colliding with a protruding object in the boardings. Further concerns were raised when a game against the Sheffield Steelers was abandoned after a piece of plexiglas shattered in an irregular manner, injuring a spectator. When a similar event took place during practice a few days later, the Racers management began to question seriously the safety of the rink. With the Ice Centre unable to ensure the safety of players and spectators at Elite League games, the Racers were forced to suspend team operations with immediate effect.
In January 2006, the Manchester Phoenix were granted planning permission to construct a new rink in Altrincham
. A few weeks later the Cardiff Devils also received planning permission for the construction of a new rink. The Wales National Ice Rink
was earmarked for demolition and a campaign for the council to provide a new facility proved successful. With both clubs confirming their intent to take part the following season, speculation began about the possible inclusion of a tenth team to replace London. After the season was over, rumours about the possible admission of either Hull or Dundee became more and more widespread. On 22 June 2006, the Hull Stingrays were formally elected into the Elite Ice Hockey League as the tenth active member.
In June 2006 the EIHL announced the adoption of the 'zero tolerance' interpretation of the rules with regard to holding, hooking and interference implemented in the National Hockey League
during the 2005–06 season. These rules had proved highly successful in the NHL, increasing the pace of the game and leading to a rise in spectator numbers.
On 25 August 2006, the Elite League announced a sponsorship deal with the low cost airline bmibaby
. The agreement sees the company's name incorporated into the league's title and the airline's branding at each of the league's ten arenas. The deal is set to last for seven seasons.
The sponsorship deal ended prematurely, during the 2008-09 season.
On 30 April 2009, the Manchester Phoenix
announced that they would be withdrawing from the league, and would play instead in the English Premier Ice Hockey League
, due to cost issues. This news followed the announcement that the Basingstoke Bison
were also leaving to play in the EPL for the 2009-2010 season.
After losing two teams at the end of the 2008/09 season the Elite League was boosted by a new franchise joining the league. The Braehead Clan
were announced as the ninth team that would compete from the 2010/11 season. On April 27, 2010, the Dundee Stars were unanimously accepted into the League by the EIHL board. They will compete from the 2010/11 season.
Hull Stingrays
withdrew from the League on August 11, 2010, which was announced via the clubs official website, and later confirmed on the BBC's site. However, after a takeover from Coventry Blaze
on August 17, 2010, the Hull Stingrays confirmed that they would indeed be participating in the League for the 2010/11 season.
and AHL
before coming to Britain. For example, of the 21 players to play for champions Belfast Giants in the 2005–06 season, 10 were Canadian, 8 were British and 3 were American. The league restricts the number of import players which can be dressed for a game, with a current limit of 10 imports. Player turnover is high, with a large proportion of players spending a single season at a team before moving on, and multi-year contracts are uncommon.
As would be expected in a league dominated by North American players, the style of ice hockey in Britain is similar to that played in North America, and has a more physical style than that played in other, technically natured European countries. This was demonstrated during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. Of the NHL players to join Elite League teams, the majority were players noted for physical strength rather than puck-handling skills, such as Wade Belak
and Eric Cairns
.
While British players account for a minority of Elite League players, the league supplies the majority of players for the Great Britain
team. 20 of the 22 players in the Great Britain squad for the 2008 World Championships played for Elite League teams in the preceding season.
reported on the NHL players playing the Elite League as a result of the lockout but since the lockout ended, coverage has returned to its previous levels.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Sky Sports
and the BBC
's Grandstand
programme covered the British Hockey League and Superleague and their important games and competitions regularly. However, in 2001 the Superleague sold its broadcasting rights to 'Premium TV Ltd' who planned to set up a new sports channel, which never materialised. British ice hockey was left without coverage from any television network. This situation continued through the final seasons of the Superleague and into the first seasons of the Elite League. In 2005, Elite League officials concluded an agreement with the North American Sports Network
to provide a weekly highlights and news programme. These usually provide highlights from a game recorded the previous weekend and are an hour in length. In September, 2007 the Elite League announced a deal with Sky Sports
for a weekly show of Elite League highlights. In 2010 sky sports showed the playoff final between the Belfast Giants and Cardiff Devils live, this was the first time sky had shown a live game for several years. Sky Sports have recently announced plans to show 8 live games along with a weekly highlight show during the 2010/2011 season.
Coverage in the towns and cities where Elite League clubs are based is more extensive, and local newspapers have dedicated ice hockey reporters who cover the local team. Local radio stations such as BBC Coventry & Warwickshire
, BBC Radio Nottingham
and BBC Radio Sheffield
all provide live commentary of matches. These are either broadcast live on the stations themselves or are webcast
through the stations' websites. Radio Sheffield also provides a weekly ice hockey programme Iceline while Radio Nottingham has broadcast a similar programme, Powerplay since the later stages of the 2005–06 season, and has a fifteen minute weekly preview of games on a Saturday evening during the ice hockey season after the station's coverage of the local football
teams is completed. BBC Coventry & Warwickshire
have also followed suit with Faceoff, a program broadcast on the first Thursday of the month during the season. Video footage can also be viewed from the website.
The Coventry Blaze and Belfast Giants also provide webcasts on match nights.
, and the Elitserien
but is of a higher standard than the Dutch Eredivisie
or the French Ligue Magnus
. It is on par with the Italian Serie A (ice hockey), Danish AL-Bank Ligaen and Norweigen GET-ligaen
The EIHL champions are invited to play in the Continental Cup, Europe's 2nd level club competition. For the 2009-2010 tournament, the EIHLs entrants are entering the tournament in the penultimate (3rd) group stage.
When compared to North American leagues, the calibre of play is probably equivalent to that of the teams in the ECHL even though the league has attracted the likes of top players from the AHL
and even the NHL including number 5 draft pick Ed Courtenay
, former Atlanta Thrashers
Goaltender
Scott Fankhouser
and former Calgary Flames
star Theo Fleury and many others like Nick Boynton
, Eric Cairns
, Chris McAllister
, Wade Belak
, and Rumun Ndur
.
and Manchester Phoenix
in 2008-2009). Recently both the Edinburgh Capitals
and Newcastle Vipers
have made public statements about their potentially perilous financial situations, casting further doubt over both their own, and the leagues sustained viability.
This perceived problem with expenditure was given further credence when the Hull Stingrays
announced on 11 August 2010 that they were ceasing operations with immediate effect due to an inability to raise sufficient funds from sponsorship to guarantee completing the season. They were, however, taken over on 17 August 2010 by Coventry Blaze
and therefore Hull Stingrays
will continue to operate.
In 2011 the Newcastle Vipers
announced that they would not be able to compete in the 2011-2012 season due to financial difficulties and lack of a permanent home stadium Newcastle had, up to this point, been playing their home games at Whitley Bay ice rink. A proposed new stadium in the Newcastle area did not materialise.
and the Dundee Stars for the 2010-2011 season, the EIHL reported that it had attempted to enter discussions with the Fife Flyers
formerly of the defunct BNL, and then resident in the SNL. The matter was finally resolved when on 24 June 2011, it was confirmed that the Fife Flyers
had been admitted to the EIHL in time for the commencement of the 2011-2012 season.
Further to this, Neil Black, owner of the Nottingham Panthers
and Braehead Clan
has expressed the desire to see a Manchester team back in the EIHL by 2015, along with teams in Dublin and London, subject to there being suitable venues available.
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...
and Knockout Cup
British Knockout Cup
The British Knockout Cup is an Elite Ice Hockey League competition originally created to fill the void left by the demise of the London Racers in the 2005-06 season. The first winners of the cup were the Sheffield Steelers who defeated the Coventry Blaze on penalty shots in the final.The format was...
. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other teams in the league. Two points are awarded for a win and one 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...
or penalty shootout defeat. Overtime consists of five minutes of four-on-four hockey and ends immediately if a goal is scored. The team that has most points after all fixtures are completed is declared champion.
After the regular season is complete, the teams with the best regular season records enter the playoffs, the winner of which receives the British Championship
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...
. The number of teams competing in the playoffs has varied, the first two seasons saw six teams qualify, while the demise of the London Racers in November 2005 saw all eight teams qualify. Prior to the 2006–07 season, the teams were divided into two groups, with the members of each group playing on a round-robin
Round-robin
The term round-robin was originally used to describe a document signed by multiple parties in a circle to make it more difficult to determine the order in which it was signed, thus preventing a ringleader from being identified...
basis. The top two teams in each group qualify for the semi-finals, which are straight knockout matches. However, since the 2006–07 season, the top eight teams of the regular season have qualified for the quarter-finals with the team finishing 1st playing the 8th placed team, 2nd vs 7th, 3rd vs 6th and 4th vs 5th, with all ties being played on a two-legged, home and away game basis with the four winners qualifying for the semi-finals. Both the semi-finals and the final take place over a single weekend in April at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
.
The Challenge Cup has taken a number of different formats, ranging from a table formed from the results designated league fixtures to four team groups played on a round robin basis at the beginning of the season. The semi finals and final are two-legged games, the winner being the team with the highest aggregate score at the end of the second game.
The Knockout Cup was created in 2005 after the London Racers withdrew from the league. The Cup is a knockout
Single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
tournament in which teams are randomly drawn to face one another in two-legged games, with aggregate scoreline determining the winner of each tie.
The Elite League is governed by a Board of ten Directors: the owners of the eight participating teams, plus the owners of the London Racers
London Racers
The London Racers was a British ice hockey club based in London, England formerly members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. Although founded in 2003, it claimed to be a successor of the Harringay Racers club established in 1936. Due to a lack of suitable ice facility the club suspended its team...
and Milton Keynes Lightning
Milton Keynes Lightning
The Milton Keynes Lightning is an ice hockey team from Milton Keynes, England, currently playing in the semi-professional English Premier Ice Hockey League...
, who maintain the right to join the league without making an application. The day to day operation of the league is overseen by chairman Eamon Convery and Director of Hockey Andy French. Disciplinary matters are handled by Director of Discipline and former referee Simon Kirkham. The level below the Elite League is the English Premier Ice Hockey League
English Premier Ice Hockey League
The English Premier Ice Hockey League commonly abbreviated to EPIHL, or simply EPL, is a senior ice hockey league in England, and is run and administered by the English Ice Hockey Association...
. A system of promotion and relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
is not operated by the Elite League; teams enter the league on the basis of a decision by the Board of Directors. In 2006 the Hull Stingrays
Hull Stingrays
Hull Stingrays are a British ice hockey club from Kingston upon Hull. They were formed in 2003 and play their home games at Hull Arena.The Stingrays replaced previous clubs Hull Thunder 1999–2002, Kingston Hawks 1996–1998, Humberside Hawks 1993–1995, and Humberside Seahawks 1988–1992...
, the club which finished eighth in the EPIHL during the 2005–06 season, were elected into the Elite League.
At the end of the 2008-09 season two teams, the Basingstoke Bison
Basingstoke Bison
The Basingstoke Bison are an English Ice Hockey club from Basingstoke. They currently compete in the English Premier Ice Hockey League and have previously been members of the Ice Hockey Superleague and its successor the Elite Ice Hockey League- History :...
and Manchester Phoenix
Manchester Phoenix
Manchester Phoenix are a professional ice hockey team from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. The club was formed in 2003 as a result of the efforts of supporters group Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey to bring top-level ice hockey back to Manchester after Manchester Storm folded in...
withdrew from the EIHL largely due to financial difficulties.
History
British ice hockey's structure underwent major reorganisation in 1996. The British Hockey LeagueBritish Hockey League
The British Hockey League was the top-flight ice hockey league in the United Kingdom from 1982 until 1996, when it was replaced by the Ice Hockey Superleague and the British National League...
(the highest senior competition since 1982) was disbanded and replaced by 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...
and 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...
.
The loss of the Cardiff Devils and Newcastle Jesters in 2001 reduced the membership of the Superleague to seven and when the 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...
and 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...
collapsed within a week of one another at the beginning of the 2002–03 season, there were just five remaining teams. In December 2002 the 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...
announced their intention to resign from the league to join the BNL at the end of the season and uncertainty surrounded the future of the 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....
and their London Arena
London Arena
The London Arena was an indoor arena and exhibition centre, on the Isle of Dogs, in East London, England...
home. Owing a large debt to Ice Hockey UK and facing the prospect of having only three members, the league put itself into liquidation on 30 April 2003.
The three remaining clubs (the Belfast Giants, Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers) began considering the formation of a new league with a lower wage cap and larger commitment to British players in order to attract other clubs into joining them. In the weeks that followed they were joined by the Basingstoke Bison, Cardiff Devils and Coventry Blaze of the British National League and two new organisations from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. A team based in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
was also planned, but did not come to fruition. The new league met considerable opposition from the British National League and the governing body
Sport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
Ice Hockey UK
Ice Hockey UK
Ice Hockey UK is the national governing body of the sport of ice hockey in the United Kingdom. Affiliated to the International Ice Hockey Federation , IHUK is the internationally recognised umbrella body in the United Kingdom. IHUK was created to replace the British Ice Hockey Association.The...
. IHUK wished the remaining Superleague clubs to integrate themselves into the BNL and initially refused to grant the new league affiliation. The Superleague clubs were reluctant to join the predominantly British trained league after several years of playing in an import-dominated league where British players were seldom able to step up to the standard of their North American and European counterparts. The Elite League instead preferred a twelve import limit with the rest of the team comprising British trained players.
The refusal to grant affiliation caused a bitter row to ensue that showed little sign of being resolved. Despite not having the support of the governing body, the new league continued their plans regardless. No affiliation would have meant that the clubs would have problems attaining work permit
Work permit
Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment.It is most often used in reference to instances where a person is given permission to work in a country where one does not hold citizenship, but is also used in reference to minors, who in some...
s for their signings and finding officials to referee their matches. The row also threatened the future of the Nottingham Panthers, as the National Ice Centre were reluctant to allow a team from an unaffiliated league hire their arena. The issue was resolved in August 2003 when the Panthers and the NIC announced an icetime agreement. The EIHL finally agreed affiliation in August 2003, with only weeks to go before the beginning of the new season.
The new league began on 12 September 2003 when the Sheffield Steelers, who went on to become the inaugural league champions, defeated the newly formed London Racers 6–1 at Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
. The Racers endured a difficult first season, moving to a different rink only weeks into the season and having to wait 40 games to record a win, a 3–0 victory over the Cardiff Devils. The Racers finished the season with ten points, thirty-eight points behind second bottom Basingstoke. The other new team, Manchester Phoenix fared slightly better, qualifying for the playoff finals after finishing sixth in the league, where they were defeated 6–1 by Nottingham in the semi final. The club played at the 17,500 capacity MEN Arena which had been home to the Manchester Storm, but Phoenix crowds averaged 2,250, well below the break-even mark of 3,000. Late in the season, the Phoenix choose to play a game at IceSheffield
IceSheffield
IceSheffield is an ice arena in the Lower Don Valley, Sheffield, England. It was completed in May 2003 at a cost of £15 million. It consists of two Olympic-size ice rinks with seating for 1,500 people...
rather than pay the considerable cost of hiring the arena for a mid week game (which usually had lower attendances). In the close season they allowed fans to vote on the option of either suspending playing operations while a new rink was constructed or playing in exile away from Manchester while a new rink was built. Supporters opted to suspend playing operations pending the construction of a new facility.
The second season of the EIHL saw a series of games between the EIHL clubs and the members of the BNL. In addition to three home games and three away games against their Elite opponents, each club also played one home game and one away game against the BNL clubs in crossover matchups. Results in these crossover games would count towards a team's points tally. The NHL lockout also saw a number of NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
players join British clubs. Coventry won a Grand Slam of all three titles, winning the Championship
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...
with an overtime victory over the Nottingham Panthers.
The crossover games with the BNL clubs were seen by many to be the first stage towards the amalgamation of the two organisations into one league. However, early in the season it was revealed that teams including the Edinburgh Capitals and Newcastle Vipers were seeking to resign from the BNL and join the Elite League. A withdrawal of the these clubs would leave the British National League with only a small number of participating teams. This situation led to the resigning teams temporarily withdrawing their Elite League applications and entering into collective discussions on the entire BNL joining the EIHL instead. The Elite League offered the BNL clubs invitations to join the EIHL structure, which were declined due to unfavourable terms. Subsequently Edinburgh and Newcastle resubmitted individual applications to the Elite League, both of which were accepted. A combination of this and 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...
owner John Nike
John Nike
John Nike OBE is a Bracknell-based leisure and hotels entrepreneur.He used to own the Thames Valley Tigers basketball team. With his family, he is worth £92 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2006....
's announcement that he was withdrawing funding from the BNL team prompted the collapse of the BNL at the end of the 2004–05 season.
With the Edinburgh Capitals and Newcastle Vipers becoming the ninth and tenth members of the league, the 2005–06 season began with nine clubs (Manchester had opted to take another season out with no rink yet constructed). However, in November 2005 the London Racers withdrew their team from competition and immediately ceased operations. From their formation the Racers suffered problems finding a rink with comparable facilities to those of their rivals and maintained only a very small fan base. The club had made the Lee Valley Ice Centre
Lee Valley Ice Centre
The Lee Valley Ice Centre is situated in the Lee Valley Regional Park in London, England. Figure Skating, ice hockeyand public skating sessions are all available at Lee Valley Ice Centre.- Ice hockey :...
their home after playing only a small number of games at the Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
in their first season. The facilities were very basic, seating only 900 people with an overall capacity of barely 1000. In November 2005, during a game against Nottingham, Panthers player Blaž Emeršič
Blaz Emersic
Blaž Emeršič is a Slovenian ice hockey player currently playing for Milton Keynes Lightning of the English Premier Ice Hockey League.He began his career with Olimpija Ljubljana before moving to North America in 1999...
suffered a serious facial injury after colliding with a protruding object in the boardings. Further concerns were raised when a game against the Sheffield Steelers was abandoned after a piece of plexiglas shattered in an irregular manner, injuring a spectator. When a similar event took place during practice a few days later, the Racers management began to question seriously the safety of the rink. With the Ice Centre unable to ensure the safety of players and spectators at Elite League games, the Racers were forced to suspend team operations with immediate effect.
In January 2006, the Manchester Phoenix were granted planning permission to construct a new rink in Altrincham
Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
. A few weeks later the Cardiff Devils also received planning permission for the construction of a new rink. The Wales National Ice Rink
Wales National Ice Rink
The Wales National Ice Rink was an ice rink in Cardiff, Wales. It was the former home of the Cardiff Devils ice hockey team. The WNIR was opened in 1986 and was demolished in September 2006....
was earmarked for demolition and a campaign for the council to provide a new facility proved successful. With both clubs confirming their intent to take part the following season, speculation began about the possible inclusion of a tenth team to replace London. After the season was over, rumours about the possible admission of either Hull or Dundee became more and more widespread. On 22 June 2006, the Hull Stingrays were formally elected into the Elite Ice Hockey League as the tenth active member.
In June 2006 the EIHL announced the adoption of the 'zero tolerance' interpretation of the rules with regard to holding, hooking and interference implemented in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
during the 2005–06 season. These rules had proved highly successful in the NHL, increasing the pace of the game and leading to a rise in spectator numbers.
On 25 August 2006, the Elite League announced a sponsorship deal with the low cost airline bmibaby
Bmibaby
Bmibaby Limited is a small British low-cost airline and a subsidiary of British Midland International. It flies to destinations in the UK and Europe from its bases at Belfast-City, Birmingham and East Midlands airports....
. The agreement sees the company's name incorporated into the league's title and the airline's branding at each of the league's ten arenas. The deal is set to last for seven seasons.
The sponsorship deal ended prematurely, during the 2008-09 season.
On 30 April 2009, the Manchester Phoenix
Manchester Phoenix
Manchester Phoenix are a professional ice hockey team from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. The club was formed in 2003 as a result of the efforts of supporters group Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey to bring top-level ice hockey back to Manchester after Manchester Storm folded in...
announced that they would be withdrawing from the league, and would play instead in the English Premier Ice Hockey League
English Premier Ice Hockey League
The English Premier Ice Hockey League commonly abbreviated to EPIHL, or simply EPL, is a senior ice hockey league in England, and is run and administered by the English Ice Hockey Association...
, due to cost issues. This news followed the announcement that the Basingstoke Bison
Basingstoke Bison
The Basingstoke Bison are an English Ice Hockey club from Basingstoke. They currently compete in the English Premier Ice Hockey League and have previously been members of the Ice Hockey Superleague and its successor the Elite Ice Hockey League- History :...
were also leaving to play in the EPL for the 2009-2010 season.
After losing two teams at the end of the 2008/09 season the Elite League was boosted by a new franchise joining the league. The Braehead Clan
Braehead Clan
Braehead Clan are a Scottish professional ice hockey team. They were formed in 2010 as the UK Elite Ice Hockey League expanded into the Glasgow and West of Scotland market, and are based at the 4,000 capacity Braehead Arena in Renfrewshire, around two miles outside the Glasgow City limits...
were announced as the ninth team that would compete from the 2010/11 season. On April 27, 2010, the Dundee Stars were unanimously accepted into the League by the EIHL board. They will compete from the 2010/11 season.
Hull Stingrays
Hull Stingrays
Hull Stingrays are a British ice hockey club from Kingston upon Hull. They were formed in 2003 and play their home games at Hull Arena.The Stingrays replaced previous clubs Hull Thunder 1999–2002, Kingston Hawks 1996–1998, Humberside Hawks 1993–1995, and Humberside Seahawks 1988–1992...
withdrew from the League on August 11, 2010, which was announced via the clubs official website, and later confirmed on the BBC's site. However, after a takeover from Coventry Blaze
Coventry Blaze
Coventry Blaze are an ice hockey team based in Coventry, England. They currently compete in the British Elite Ice Hockey League .-Club history:...
on August 17, 2010, the Hull Stingrays confirmed that they would indeed be participating in the League for the 2010/11 season.
Clubs
| Club | Founded | City | Arena(s) | Capacity | Years in EIHL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Belfast GiantsBelfast 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.... |
2000 | Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... , Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... |
Odyssey Arena | 8,300 | 2003–present |
 Braehead ClanBraehead Clan Braehead Clan are a Scottish professional ice hockey team. They were formed in 2010 as the UK Elite Ice Hockey League expanded into the Glasgow and West of Scotland market, and are based at the 4,000 capacity Braehead Arena in Renfrewshire, around two miles outside the Glasgow City limits... |
2010 | Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
Braehead Arena Braehead Arena The Braehead Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Renfrewshire, Scotland, in the western part of the Glasgow conurbation. The arena was built in 1999, and is located within the Braehead Complex.... |
4,000 | 2010–present |
 Cardiff DevilsCardiff 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... |
1986 | Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... , Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... |
Cardiff Arena Cardiff Arena The Cardiff Arena, also known as Cardiff Bay Ice Arena and also known by ice hockey fans as the Big Blue Tent, is a temporary ice rink in Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, Wales. It has a capacity of 2,500 for ice hockey and is home to the Cardiff Devils after leaving the Wales National Ice Rink, in order to... |
2,500 | 2003–present |
 Coventry BlazeCoventry Blaze Coventry Blaze are an ice hockey team based in Coventry, England. They currently compete in the British Elite Ice Hockey League .-Club history:... |
2000 | Coventry Coventry Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
SkyDome Arena SkyDome Arena The SkyDome Arena is a 3,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Coventry, England. It was built in 1999. It is home to the Coventry Blaze Ice hockey team... |
2,650 | 2003–present |
| Dundee Stars |
2001 | Dundee Dundee Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
Dundee Ice Arena Dundee Ice Arena Dundee Ice Arena is a multi-purpose ice rink arena located in the Camperdown district of Dundee. The arena has a capacity of 2,300 seats making it the third largest ice rink arena by capacity in Scotland after the Braehead Arena and Fife Ice Arena. It hosts a number of events such as Dundee Stars... |
2,300 | 2010–present |
| Edinburgh Capitals Edinburgh Capitals The Edinburgh Capitals are a Scottish ice hockey club, playing in the UK-wide Elite Ice Hockey League.They are based in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh... |
1998 | Edinburgh Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
Murrayfield Ice Rink Murrayfield Ice Rink Murrayfield Ice Rink is a 3,800-seat multi-purpose arena in the Murrayfield area of Edinburgh, Scotland, right next door to Murrayfield Stadium. It was built between 1938 and 1939. It is home to the Edinburgh Capitals ice hockey team... |
3,800 | 2005–present |
| Fife Flyers Fife Flyers The Fife Flyers, established in 1938, are the oldest ice hockey team in Scotland, and also in the United Kingdom, beating the Nottingham Panthers by 8 years... |
1938 | Kirkcaldy Kirkcaldy Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
Fife Ice Arena Fife Ice Arena Fife Ice Arena opened in 1938. was designed by architects & . Fife Ice Arena is the home venue of the oldest Ice Hockey team in the UK - the Fife Flyers. It is also a venue for public skating, figure skating, speed skating, curling and ice shows... |
3,280 | 2011–present |
| Hull Stingrays Hull Stingrays Hull Stingrays are a British ice hockey club from Kingston upon Hull. They were formed in 2003 and play their home games at Hull Arena.The Stingrays replaced previous clubs Hull Thunder 1999–2002, Kingston Hawks 1996–1998, Humberside Hawks 1993–1995, and Humberside Seahawks 1988–1992... |
2003 | Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Hull Arena | 2,000 | 2006–present |
| 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... |
1946 | Nottingham Nottingham Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
National Ice Centre | 10,000 | 2003–present |
| 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... |
1991 | 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... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Sheffield Arena | 8,500 | 2003–present |
Former clubs
| Club | Founded | City | Arena(s) | Capacity | Years in EIHL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basingstoke Bison Basingstoke Bison The Basingstoke Bison are an English Ice Hockey club from Basingstoke. They currently compete in the English Premier Ice Hockey League and have previously been members of the Ice Hockey Superleague and its successor the Elite Ice Hockey League- History :... |
1988 | Basingstoke Basingstoke Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Planet Ice Silverdome Arena | 1,800 | 2003–2009 |
| London Racers London Racers The London Racers was a British ice hockey club based in London, England formerly members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. Although founded in 2003, it claimed to be a successor of the Harringay Racers club established in 1936. Due to a lack of suitable ice facility the club suspended its team... |
2003 | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Lee Valley Ice Centre Lee Valley Ice Centre The Lee Valley Ice Centre is situated in the Lee Valley Regional Park in London, England. Figure Skating, ice hockeyand public skating sessions are all available at Lee Valley Ice Centre.- Ice hockey :... |
1,200 | 2003–2005 |
| Manchester Phoenix Manchester Phoenix Manchester Phoenix are a professional ice hockey team from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. The club was formed in 2003 as a result of the efforts of supporters group Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey to bring top-level ice hockey back to Manchester after Manchester Storm folded in... |
2003 | Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
M.E.N. Arena Manchester Evening News Arena The Manchester Evening News Arena is an indoor arena situated in Manchester, England. It is adjacent to Manchester Victoria station near Corporation Street... / Altrincham Ice Dome Altrincham Ice Dome Altrincham Ice Dome is an ice rink in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. It has 2,000 seats according to the rink website, and up to 500 standing places. despite this, the building has a capacity capped at 2,000 for ice hockey as standing around the plexi glass is not allowed in the... |
2,150 | 2003–2009 |
| Newcastle Vipers Newcastle Vipers The Newcastle Vipers were an ice hockey club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Former members of the Elite Ice Hockey League, the club previously held membership in the British National League.- History :... |
2002 | 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... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Newcastle Arena / Whitley Bay Ice Rink Whitley Bay Ice Rink The Whitley Bay Ice Rink is an ice rink in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, England and is the home of the Whitley Warriors ice hockey team. An additional team to played out of the ice rink,the Newcastle Vipers... |
3,000 | 2005–2011 |
Players
Elite League teams rely heavily on players from outside the United Kingdom (termed imports). The majority of these players are from North America, and typically played in the minor North American leagues such as the ECHLECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
and AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
before coming to Britain. For example, of the 21 players to play for champions Belfast Giants in the 2005–06 season, 10 were Canadian, 8 were British and 3 were American. The league restricts the number of import players which can be dressed for a game, with a current limit of 10 imports. Player turnover is high, with a large proportion of players spending a single season at a team before moving on, and multi-year contracts are uncommon.
As would be expected in a league dominated by North American players, the style of ice hockey in Britain is similar to that played in North America, and has a more physical style than that played in other, technically natured European countries. This was demonstrated during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. Of the NHL players to join Elite League teams, the majority were players noted for physical strength rather than puck-handling skills, such as Wade Belak
Wade Belak
Wade Belak was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and defenceman. He was drafted 12th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft...
and Eric Cairns
Eric Cairns
Eric Cairns is a retired ice hockey defenceman and current pro scout for the New York Islanders. His last season was with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL...
.
While British players account for a minority of Elite League players, the league supplies the majority of players for the Great Britain
British national ice hockey team
The British men's national ice hockey team is the name of the national ice hockey Team for the United Kingdom...
team. 20 of the 22 players in the Great Britain squad for the 2008 World Championships played for Elite League teams in the preceding season.
Media coverage
Ice hockey receives little national media coverage in the United Kingdom although media coverage has increased recently . Some national newspapers list results and provide short summaries of the league's news but more extensive coverage remains minimal. There was a small surge in interest during the 2004–05 season when newspapers such as The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reported on the NHL players playing the Elite League as a result of the lockout but since the lockout ended, coverage has returned to its previous levels.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Grandstand
Grandstand (BBC)
Grandstand was a British television sport programme. Broadcast between 1958 and 2007, it was one of the BBC's longest running sports shows, alongside BBC Sports Personality of the Year.Its first presenter was Peter Dimmock...
programme covered the British Hockey League and Superleague and their important games and competitions regularly. However, in 2001 the Superleague sold its broadcasting rights to 'Premium TV Ltd' who planned to set up a new sports channel, which never materialised. British ice hockey was left without coverage from any television network. This situation continued through the final seasons of the Superleague and into the first seasons of the Elite League. In 2005, Elite League officials concluded an agreement with the North American Sports Network
North American Sports Network
ESPN America is a British based European sports network, focusing on professional and collegiate sports of the United States and Canada. Originally launched on 5 December 2002 as NASN , ESPN America broadcasts a selection of top North American professional and collegiate sports leagues including...
to provide a weekly highlights and news programme. These usually provide highlights from a game recorded the previous weekend and are an hour in length. In September, 2007 the Elite League announced a deal with Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
for a weekly show of Elite League highlights. In 2010 sky sports showed the playoff final between the Belfast Giants and Cardiff Devils live, this was the first time sky had shown a live game for several years. Sky Sports have recently announced plans to show 8 live games along with a weekly highlight show during the 2010/2011 season.
Coverage in the towns and cities where Elite League clubs are based is more extensive, and local newspapers have dedicated ice hockey reporters who cover the local team. Local radio stations such as BBC Coventry & Warwickshire
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire
BBC Coventry and Warwickshire is the BBC Local Radio service serving the City of Coventry and the county of Warwickshire. It broadcasts on 94.8, 103.7 and 104 MHz FM, DAB Digital Radio and is streamed on the internet via the ....
, BBC Radio Nottingham
BBC Radio Nottingham
BBC Radio Nottingham is a BBC Local Radio station serving the English county of Nottinghamshire. It broadcasts on FM, AM, and digital DAB radio from studios located on London Road in Nottingham city centre.-Transmission frequences:...
and BBC Radio Sheffield
BBC Radio Sheffield
BBC Radio Sheffield is the BBC Local Radio service for English metropolitan county of South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire. This includes the city of Sheffield, plus Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham, Chesterfield and surrounding areas. It was the BBC local radio station, beginning on 15 November 1967...
all provide live commentary of matches. These are either broadcast live on the stations themselves or are webcast
Webcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
through the stations' websites. Radio Sheffield also provides a weekly ice hockey programme Iceline while Radio Nottingham has broadcast a similar programme, Powerplay since the later stages of the 2005–06 season, and has a fifteen minute weekly preview of games on a Saturday evening during the ice hockey season after the station's coverage of the local football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
teams is completed. BBC Coventry & Warwickshire
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire
BBC Coventry and Warwickshire is the BBC Local Radio service serving the City of Coventry and the county of Warwickshire. It broadcasts on 94.8, 103.7 and 104 MHz FM, DAB Digital Radio and is streamed on the internet via the ....
have also followed suit with Faceoff, a program broadcast on the first Thursday of the month during the season. Video footage can also be viewed from the website.
The Coventry Blaze and Belfast Giants also provide webcasts on match nights.
Champions
| Season | League | Play-Offs | Challenge Cup | British Knockout Cup | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champions | Runners-Up | Champions | Runners-Up | Winners | Runners-Up | Winners | Runners-Up | |
| 2004–05 2004–05 EIHL season The 2004–05 Elite Ice Hockey League season was the second season of the British Elite Ice Hockey League . Manchester Phoenix did not ice due as they could not agree a deal with the Manchester Evening News Arena.... |
Coventry Blaze | Belfast Giants | Coventry Blaze | Nottingham Panthers | Coventry Blaze | Cardiff Devils | — | — |
| 2005–06 | Belfast Giants | Newcastle Vipers | Newcastle Vipers | Sheffield Steelers | Cardiff Devils | Coventry Blaze | Sheffield Steelers | Coventry Blaze |
| 2006–07 | Coventry Blaze | Belfast Giants | Nottingham Panthers | Cardiff Devils | Coventry Blaze | Sheffield Steelers | Cardiff Devils | Coventry Blaze |
| 2007–08 2007–08 EIHL season The 2007–08 Elite Ice Hockey League season began September 5, 2007 and ran until April 6, 2008. It was the fifth season of Elite League competition.The defending league champions were the Coventry Blaze, who were also the holders of the Challenge Cup... |
Coventry Blaze | Sheffield Steelers | Sheffield Steelers | Coventry Blaze | Nottingham Panthers | Sheffield Steelers | Coventry Blaze | Basingstoke Bison |
| 2008–09 2008–09 EIHL season The 2008–09 EIHL season was the sixth season of the Elite Ice Hockey League. It began in September 2008 and ran through to April 2009. The ten clubs in the League competed for 4 different competitions: the Elite League, the Play-Offs, the Challenge Cup, and the Knockout Cup. The winners of... |
Sheffield Steelers | Coventry Blaze | Sheffield Steelers | Nottingham Panthers | Belfast Giants | Manchester Phoenix | Belfast Giants | Manchester Phoenix |
| 2009–10 2009–10 EIHL season The 2009–10 EIHL season is the seventh season of the Elite Ice Hockey League. It began in September 2009 and concluded in April 2010.-League business:... |
Coventry Blaze | Belfast Giants | Belfast Giants | Cardiff Devils | Nottingham Panthers | Cardiff Devils | 20-20 Hockeyfest | |
| 2010–11 | Sheffield Steelers | Cardiff Devils | Nottingham Panthers | Cardiff Devils | Nottingham Panthers | Belfast Giants | Braehead Clan | Nottingham Panthers |
Comparison to other leagues
In terms of international quality, the EIHL is one of the lesser European Senior Leagues. The quality is below that of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the SM-liigaSM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
, and the Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
but is of a higher standard than the Dutch Eredivisie
Eredivisie (hockey)
The Eredivisie is the only professional ice hockey league in the Netherlands and the highest level of competition sanctioned by the Nederlandse IJshockey Bond...
or the French Ligue Magnus
Ligue Magnus
-Former Teams:*Bisons de Neuilly-sur-Marne*Orques d'Anglet*Sangliers Arvernes*Corsaires de Dunkerque*Albatros de Brest*Jets de Viry-Essonne-Defunct Teams:*Diables Noirs de Tours*Hockey Club de Mulhouse*Séquanes de Besançon*Flammes Bleues de Reims...
. It is on par with the Italian Serie A (ice hockey), Danish AL-Bank Ligaen and Norweigen GET-ligaen
GET-ligaen
GET-ligaen is the premier Norwegian ice hockey league, organised by the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation. The league was known as 1. divisjon until 1990, when it was reorganized and named Eliteserien . That name was held until 2004 when cable TV company UPC became main sponsor...
The EIHL champions are invited to play in the Continental Cup, Europe's 2nd level club competition. For the 2009-2010 tournament, the EIHLs entrants are entering the tournament in the penultimate (3rd) group stage.
When compared to North American leagues, the calibre of play is probably equivalent to that of the teams in the ECHL even though the league has attracted the likes of top players from the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
and even the NHL including number 5 draft pick Ed Courtenay
Ed Courtenay
Edward Emmett Courtenay is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger and head coach.-Professional career:...
, former Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
Goaltender
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...
Scott Fankhouser
Scott Fankhouser
Scott Fankhouser was an American ice hockey goaltender, he is currently the Assistant Coach for the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL.- Career :...
and former Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
star Theo Fleury and many others like Nick Boynton
Nick Boynton
Nicholas Carl Boynton is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent.-Playing career:...
, Eric Cairns
Eric Cairns
Eric Cairns is a retired ice hockey defenceman and current pro scout for the New York Islanders. His last season was with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL...
, Chris McAllister
Chris McAllister
Chris J. McAllister is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who most recently played for the Wichita Thunder in the Central Hockey League and formerly played in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche and New...
, Wade Belak
Wade Belak
Wade Belak was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and defenceman. He was drafted 12th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft...
, and Rumun Ndur
Rumun Ndur
Rumun Ndur is a Nigerian-born Canadian professional ice hockey player.- Career :He has played in the NHL for the Buffalo Sabres, the New York Rangers, and the Atlanta Thrashers. Ndur is also the first Nigerian-born player ever to play in the NHL...
.
Criticism of the EIHL
The main criticism levelled at the EIHL is that the league is too expensive, an accusation given credence by the collapse of the London Racers mid season in 2005, and the continued financial problems experienced by a number of other member clubs (most notably Basingstoke BisonBasingstoke Bison
The Basingstoke Bison are an English Ice Hockey club from Basingstoke. They currently compete in the English Premier Ice Hockey League and have previously been members of the Ice Hockey Superleague and its successor the Elite Ice Hockey League- History :...
and Manchester Phoenix
Manchester Phoenix
Manchester Phoenix are a professional ice hockey team from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. The club was formed in 2003 as a result of the efforts of supporters group Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey to bring top-level ice hockey back to Manchester after Manchester Storm folded in...
in 2008-2009). Recently both the Edinburgh Capitals
Edinburgh Capitals
The Edinburgh Capitals are a Scottish ice hockey club, playing in the UK-wide Elite Ice Hockey League.They are based in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh...
and Newcastle Vipers
Newcastle Vipers
The Newcastle Vipers were an ice hockey club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Former members of the Elite Ice Hockey League, the club previously held membership in the British National League.- History :...
have made public statements about their potentially perilous financial situations, casting further doubt over both their own, and the leagues sustained viability.
This perceived problem with expenditure was given further credence when the Hull Stingrays
Hull Stingrays
Hull Stingrays are a British ice hockey club from Kingston upon Hull. They were formed in 2003 and play their home games at Hull Arena.The Stingrays replaced previous clubs Hull Thunder 1999–2002, Kingston Hawks 1996–1998, Humberside Hawks 1993–1995, and Humberside Seahawks 1988–1992...
announced on 11 August 2010 that they were ceasing operations with immediate effect due to an inability to raise sufficient funds from sponsorship to guarantee completing the season. They were, however, taken over on 17 August 2010 by Coventry Blaze
Coventry Blaze
Coventry Blaze are an ice hockey team based in Coventry, England. They currently compete in the British Elite Ice Hockey League .-Club history:...
and therefore Hull Stingrays
Hull Stingrays
Hull Stingrays are a British ice hockey club from Kingston upon Hull. They were formed in 2003 and play their home games at Hull Arena.The Stingrays replaced previous clubs Hull Thunder 1999–2002, Kingston Hawks 1996–1998, Humberside Hawks 1993–1995, and Humberside Seahawks 1988–1992...
will continue to operate.
In 2011 the Newcastle Vipers
Newcastle Vipers
The Newcastle Vipers were an ice hockey club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Former members of the Elite Ice Hockey League, the club previously held membership in the British National League.- History :...
announced that they would not be able to compete in the 2011-2012 season due to financial difficulties and lack of a permanent home stadium Newcastle had, up to this point, been playing their home games at Whitley Bay ice rink. A proposed new stadium in the Newcastle area did not materialise.
Expansion
Despite there being a limited number of suitable venues for league expansion, there have been various attempts during the EIHLs lifespan thus far to expand the league. After the successful addition of the Braehead ClanBraehead Clan
Braehead Clan are a Scottish professional ice hockey team. They were formed in 2010 as the UK Elite Ice Hockey League expanded into the Glasgow and West of Scotland market, and are based at the 4,000 capacity Braehead Arena in Renfrewshire, around two miles outside the Glasgow City limits...
and the Dundee Stars for the 2010-2011 season, the EIHL reported that it had attempted to enter discussions with the Fife Flyers
Fife Flyers
The Fife Flyers, established in 1938, are the oldest ice hockey team in Scotland, and also in the United Kingdom, beating the Nottingham Panthers by 8 years...
formerly of the defunct BNL, and then resident in the SNL. The matter was finally resolved when on 24 June 2011, it was confirmed that the Fife Flyers
Fife Flyers
The Fife Flyers, established in 1938, are the oldest ice hockey team in Scotland, and also in the United Kingdom, beating the Nottingham Panthers by 8 years...
had been admitted to the EIHL in time for the commencement of the 2011-2012 season.
Further to this, Neil Black, owner of the 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...
and Braehead Clan
Braehead Clan
Braehead Clan are a Scottish professional ice hockey team. They were formed in 2010 as the UK Elite Ice Hockey League expanded into the Glasgow and West of Scotland market, and are based at the 4,000 capacity Braehead Arena in Renfrewshire, around two miles outside the Glasgow City limits...
has expressed the desire to see a Manchester team back in the EIHL by 2015, along with teams in Dublin and London, subject to there being suitable venues available.
Records
- Most Regular Season Titles: Coventry BlazeCoventry BlazeCoventry Blaze are an ice hockey team based in Coventry, England. They currently compete in the British Elite Ice Hockey League .-Club history:...
(4) - Most Play-Off Championship Titles: Sheffield SteelersSheffield SteelersThe 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) - Most Challenge Cup Titles (EIHL era): Nottingham PanthersNottingham PanthersThe Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
(4) - Most Knockout Cup Titles: Belfast GiantsBelfast GiantsThe 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....
, Cardiff DevilsCardiff DevilsThe 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...
, Coventry BlazeCoventry BlazeCoventry Blaze are an ice hockey team based in Coventry, England. They currently compete in the British Elite Ice Hockey League .-Club history:...
, Sheffield SteelersSheffield SteelersThe 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...
(All 1) - Most 20-20 Hockeyfest Titles: Sheffield SteelersSheffield SteelersThe 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...
(1)
- Most Wins in Regular Season: Sheffield SteelersSheffield SteelersThe 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...
(44) (2003–04, 56 Game Season) - Most Ties in Regular Season: London RacersLondon RacersThe London Racers was a British ice hockey club based in London, England formerly members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. Although founded in 2003, it claimed to be a successor of the Harringay Racers club established in 1936. Due to a lack of suitable ice facility the club suspended its team...
(9) (2004–05, 50 Game Season) - Most Losses in Regular Season (inc. Overtime): London RacersLondon RacersThe London Racers was a British ice hockey club based in London, England formerly members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. Although founded in 2003, it claimed to be a successor of the Harringay Racers club established in 1936. Due to a lack of suitable ice facility the club suspended its team...
(51) (2003–04, 56 Game Season) - Most Goals Scored in Regular Season: Cardiff DevilsCardiff DevilsThe 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...
(269) (2010–11, 54 Game Season) - Most Goals Conceded in Regular Season: Edinburgh CapitalsEdinburgh CapitalsThe Edinburgh Capitals are a Scottish ice hockey club, playing in the UK-wide Elite Ice Hockey League.They are based in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh...
(418) (2010–11, 54 Game Season) - Most Points in Regular Season: Sheffield SteelersSheffield SteelersThe 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...
(92) (2003–04, 56 Game Season)
- Most Shutouts in Regular Season: Ervis Mustukovs (Sheffield SteelersSheffield SteelersThe 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...
) 10 (20010-11)
- Highest Attendance (Regular Season): 8,634 (Sheffield SteelersSheffield SteelersThe 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...
.v. Nottingham PanthersNottingham PanthersThe Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
, 20/03/2010) - Most Goals in a Single Game (Team) (Regular Season): Sheffield SteelersSheffield SteelersThe 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...
(18) (Sheffield SteelersSheffield SteelersThe 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...
18-1 Edinburgh CapitalsEdinburgh CapitalsThe Edinburgh Capitals are a Scottish ice hockey club, playing in the UK-wide Elite Ice Hockey League.They are based in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh...
, 15/01/2011) - Largest Winning Margin (Regular Season): Sheffield SteelersSheffield SteelersThe 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...
(17) (Sheffield SteelersSheffield SteelersThe 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...
18-1 Edinburgh CapitalsEdinburgh CapitalsThe Edinburgh Capitals are a Scottish ice hockey club, playing in the UK-wide Elite Ice Hockey League.They are based in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh...
, 15/01/2011)