The Ice Hockey Superleague (known as the Sekonda Ice Hockey Superleague from 1998–99 for sponsorship reasons) was a professional

Professional

A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...

 ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 league in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 between 1996 and 2003. Formed in 1995, it replaced the Premier Division of the British Hockey League

British 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...

, it was the highest level of ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom. It was disbanded after the 2002-2003 season and replaced by the Elite Ice Hockey League

Elite Ice Hockey League

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...

. Unlike its North American counterparts, the Superleague was not divided into conferences; teams competed in a single division.

History

British ice hockey's structure underwent major reorganisation in 1996. The British Hockey League

British 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 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 Ice Hockey Superleague Ltd was established on 1 November 1995 and held its first season in 1996-1997 with eight founding clubs - Ayr Scottish Eagles, Basingstoke Bison, Bracknell Bees, Cardiff Devils, Manchester Storm, Newcastle Cobras Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers.

Overview

Several competitions fell under the juristiction of the of the Superleague. The Superleague ran a total of four competitions: the League, the Play-offs, the Express Cup and the Benson and Hedges Cup. The league consisted of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other teams in the league. Two points were awarded for a win and one point for an overtime defeat. Overtime consisted of 10 minutes of sudden death. The team that had most points after all fixtures were completed were declared Superleague champions.

After the regular season was complete, the teams would be entered into the play-offs, the winner of which won the British Championship. The teams were entered into two groups, Group A and Group B, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other teams in the group. Two points were awarded for a win and one point for an overtime defeat. Overtime consisted of 10 minutes of sudden death. The top two teams in each group qualified for the semi-finals, which were straight knockout matches. Both the semi finals and final took place over the course of a weekend.

The Superleague was governed by a board of directors who were the owners of the participating teams with Martin Weddell as Chairman. The chief executive Ian Taylor from 1996–02 was replaced by the league's former secretary, Brian Storey in what would be the leagues final season of 2003. A system of promotion and relegation was not operated by the Superleague; teams entered the league on the basis of a decision by the Board of Directors, however the British National league was regarded as the league below the level of the Superleague.

Trophy

The trophy that was awarded to the winners of the superleague, was called the Ice hockey superleague trophy. It was a silver replica of a George III Monteith Bowl. In the inaugural season, the trophy was taken around the arenas of the superleague teams and publicly displayed on the following dates:

• 21 September 1996 - Bracknell
• 22 September 1996 - Cardiff
• 1 October 1996 - Nottingham
• 5 October 1996 - Sheffield
• 10 October 1996 - Newcastle
• 10 November 1996 - Ayr
• 17 November 1996 - Manchester
• 23 November 1996 - Basingstoke

The trophy itself resembled a Monteith bowl used to cool wine (or punch) glasses that are suspended by their feet through the scallop-edged rim of the bowl. The bowl itself was made of silver, was 14 inches in diameter and 12 inches tall with a mahogany plinth.

Sekonda sponsorship

In 1998, the Superleague secured a major sponsorship deal with 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...

. Sekonda remained the title sponsor until 2002, during which time the league was known as the Sekonda Ice Hockey Superleague. During this time, the man of the match

Man of the match

In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...

 awards were presented with a Sekonda watch.

Each month one of the man of the match winners would be selected as the Sekonda Face to Watch. At the end of each season the Sekonda Superleague Player of the Year would be selected from the Sekonda Face to Watch winners by a panel of journalists — except for the season 2001–02 when Sekonda's sponsorship finished part way through the season.

Year	October	November	December	January	February	March
1998–99	Greg Hadden	Kip Noble	Frank Pietrangelo Frank Pietrangelo Frank Pietrangelo is a retired Canadian ice hockey goaltender.Pietrangelo started his National Hockey League career with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1988, winning the Stanley Cup in 1991. He also played for the Hartford Whalers. He left the NHL after the 1994 season...	Paul Adey Paul Adey Paul Adey is the head coach of Renon Ritten Sport Hockey in the Italian Serie A. Adey enjoyed a notable playing career in British ice hockey, playing 11 seasons for the Nottingham Panthers between 1988 and 1999 and 29 games for the Sheffield Steelers during the 2000–01 season...	Grant Sjerven	Shayne McCosh
1999–00	Ed Courtenay Ed Courtenay Edward Emmett Courtenay is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger and head coach.-Professional career:...	Mark Cavallin	Tony Hand Tony Hand Tony Hand MBE is a Scottish ice hockey player who became the first British-raised player to be drafted by an NHL team when he was picked by the Edmonton Oilers in 1986. He is currently player-coach of the Manchester Phoenix...	Steve Thornton	Rob Stewart	Jimmy Hibbert
2000–01	Trevor Robins	Tony Hand	Stevie Lyle	Shayne McCosh	David Longstaff David Longstaff David Longstaff is a British ice hockey forward. He is the team captain of the Guildford Flames of the English Premier Ice Hockey League....	Joe Cardarelli
2001–02	Mark Cadotte	Colin Ward	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:...	—	—	—

(names in bold won the Sekonda Superleague Player of the Year award)

Collapse

The Cardiff Devilsand Newcastle Jesters pulled out of the league in 2001, reducing the membership of the Superleague to seven clubs.

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 the 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, leaving just five teams remaining.

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 member clubs, the Superleague put itself into liquidation on 30 April 2003.

Elite ice hockey league

The Elite Ice Hockey League was formed by the remaining three clubs - the Belfast Giants, Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers - and played their first season on 12 September 2003. The Elite league is seen as the successor league to the BISL.

Participating clubs

The superleague was formed with eight founding clubs, with nine participating at any one time at its peak. Ten clubs have played in the Superleague.

Club	Founded	City	Arena(s)	Capacity	Years in BISL
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... *	1996	Ayr Ayr Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...	Centrum Arena Centrum Arena (Prestwick) The Centrum Arena was a 2,733 seat ice arena in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland that opened on 25th August 1996. The arena was used during the winter months for recreational ice skating and ice hockey matches. In the summer months, the arena was used for various events such as the Chinese State...	2,733	1996 – 2002
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...	Planet Ice Silverdome	2,000	1996 - 1998
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....	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...	Odyssey Arena	8,300	2000 - 2003
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... *	1987	Bracknell Bracknell Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...	John Nike Leisuresport Complex	—	1996 - 2003
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... *	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...	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	1996 - 2001
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....	1998	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...	London Arena London Arena The London Arena was an indoor arena and exhibition centre, on the Isle of Dogs, in East London, England...	12,500	1998 - 2003
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... *	1995	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...	Manchester Evening News 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...	17,245	1995 - 2002†
Newcastle Cobras*	1996	Newcastle-upon-Tyne	Telewest Arena	4,500	1996 - 1998
Newcastle Riverkings	1998	Newcastle-upon-Tyne	Telewest Arena	4,500	1998 - 2000
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 :...	2000	Newcastle-upon-Tyne	Telewest Arena	4,500	2000 - 2001
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...	National Ice Centre	10,000	1996 - 2003
Scottish Eagles	2002	Renfrewshire Renfrewshire Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...	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	2002 - 2003†
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...	Sheffield Arena	8,500	1996 – 2003

^* Denotes founding member

† Club folded in the 2002-03 season.

Champions

Season	League		Play-Offs		Challenge Cup		Benson & Hedges Cup
	Champions	Runners-Up	Champions	Runners-Up	Winners	Runners-Up	Winners	Runners-Up
1996–97	Cardiff Devils	Sheffield Steelers	Sheffield Steelers	Nottingham Panthers	—	—	Nottingham Panthers	Ayr Scottish Eagles
1997–98	Ayr Scottish Eagles	Manchester Storm	Ayr Scottish Eagles	Cardiff Devils	Ayr Scottish Eagles	Bracknell Bees	Ayr Scottish Eagles	Cardiff Devils
1998-99	Manchester Storm	Cardiff Devils	Cardiff Devils	Nottingham Panthers	Sheffield Steelers	Nottingham Panthers	Nottingham Panthers	Ayr Scottish Eagles
1999-00	Bracknell Bees	Sheffield Steelers	London Knights	Newcastle Riverkings	Sheffield Steelers	Nottingham Panthers	Manchester Storm	London Knights
2000-01	Sheffield Steelers	Cardiff Devils	Sheffield Steelers	London Knights	Sheffield Steelers	Ayr Scottish Eagles	Sheffield Steelers	Newcastle Jesters
2001-02	Belfast Giants	Ayr Scottish Eagles	Sheffield Steelers	Manchester Storm	Ayr Scottish Eagles	Belfast Giants	—	—
2002-03	Sheffield Steelers	Belfast Giants	Belfast Giants	London Knights	Sheffield Steelers	Nottingham Panthers	—	—

Criticism

There were two main areas of criticism of the Superleague. It was widely regarded that the BISL was too reliant on imported players, illustrated by the participation of only four British trained players in the 2003 season. The financial situation of the league was unsustainble partly due to a high salary cap at £400k. Smaller teams such as Bracknell couldn't compete with the larger arena teams who had higher revenues.