The British ice hockey league champions are the winners of the regular season of the highest ice hockey league in the United Kingdom, currently the Elite Ice Hockey League. Previously, the highest league has been the British National League (1954–60), the Premier Division (1983–96) and the Ice Hockey Superleague (1996–2003).
While the regular season winners are recognised as the British League champions, the British champions are regarded as the winners of the end-of-season playoffs, for which the league provides qualification and seeding.
History
Prior to the formation of the British National League, England and Scotland each had their own competitions. The English League was founded in 1931 with the Scottish National League being formed a year later. The majority of English League clubs left to form the English National League in 1935, leading the disbandment of the English League at the end of the 1935–36 season. The Scottish National League and English National League both continued until 1954. In that year the decision was taken to amalgamate the two leagues into one. The new competition initially fielded 12 sides in its inaugural season, four from England and eight from Scotland. The Dunfermline Vikings withdrew from the league in early 1955 and at the end of the season six of the seven remaining Scottish sides withdrew, leaving the league with five members. This fell to four following the closure of Harringay Arena in 1958 but increased again to five in 1959 following the admission of Streatham. The league was disbanded following the 1959–60 season.
Following the closure of the British National League, no league competition took place in the United Kingdom for the next six years. Instead clubs, some of which did not have a home rink, participated in rink tournaments. In 1966 the Northern League was formed. This league was made up of teams from Scotland and North East England and was the country's only league for four years. The Southern League was established in 1970 and was divided into the English League North and Inter-City League in 1978. The British Hockey League was formed in 1982 with the Premier Division being launched a season later. There has been a British league continuously since then, although there have been three different organisations and the number of teams taking part has varied from twelve in 1993–94, 1994–95 and 2017–18 to five in 2002–03. The current Elite Ice Hockey League was established in 2003.
There has been a British league competition for 48 seasons and 16 teams have won the league championship. The most successful club is the Sheffield Steelers, who have won the championship on ten occasions, followed by the Belfast Giants (9), the Cardiff Devils (6), the now-defunct Durham Wasps (5) and the Coventry Blaze (4). The Nottingham Panthers, the only club to have played in all 47 seasons, have won the title twice (additionally Nottingham were English champions twice before the British National League was formed). The Durham Wasps, Murrayfield Racers, Cardiff Devils, Sheffield Steelers, Coventry Blaze and Belfast Giants are the only sides to have successfully defended a title.
Champions 1954–60: British National League
SeasonWinner (number of titles)Runner-upThirdTop points scorerPlayerPoints1954–55Harringay Racers (1)Nottingham PanthersPaisley PiratesChick Zamick (Nottingham)1121955–56Nottingham Panthers (1)Wembley LionsPaisley PiratesStatistics not available1956–57Wembley Lions (1)Harringay RacersBrighton Tigers1957–58Brighton Tigers (1)Nottingham PanthersHarringay Racers1958–59Paisley Pirates (1)Wembley LionsBrighton Tigers1959–60Streatham (1)Nottingham PanthersBrighton Tigers
1982–96: Premier Division
SeasonWinner (number of titles)Runner-upThirdTop points scorerPlayerPoints1982–83Dundee Rockets (1)Durham Wasps 1983–84Dundee Rockets (2)Durham WaspsStreatham RedskinsRoy Halpin (Dundee) 1751984–85Durham Wasps (1)Fife FlyersMurrayfield RacersDavid Stoyanovich (Fife) 1751985–86Durham Wasps (2)Murrayfield RacersAyr BruinsTim Salmon (Ayr) 2541986–87Murrayfield Racers (1)Dundee RocketsNottingham PanthersRick Fera (Murrayfield) 2421987–88Murrayfield Racers (2)Whitley WarriorsFife FlyersScott Morrison (Whitley) 2241988–89Durham Wasps (3)Murrayfield RacersNottingham PanthersRick Brebant (Durham) 2181989–90Cardiff Devils (1)Murrayfield RacersDurham WaspsSteve Moria (Cardiff) 1751990–91Durham Wasps (4)Cardiff DevilsPeterborough PiratesRick Brebant (Durham) 2091991–92Durham Wasps (5)Nottingham PanthersCardiff DevilsRick Brebant (Durham) 1601992–93Cardiff Devils (2)Murrayfield RacersNottingham PanthersTony Hand (Murrayfield) 1851993–94Cardiff Devils (3)Sheffield SteelersFife FlyersTony Hand (Murrayfield) 2221994–95Sheffield Steelers (1)Cardiff DevilsNottingham PanthersTony Hand (Murrayfield) 2071995–96Sheffield Steelers (2)Cardiff DevilsDurham WaspsTony Hand (Sheffield) 135
1996–2003: Ice Hockey Superleague
SeasonWinner (number of titles)Runner-upThirdTop points scorerPlayerPoints1996–97Cardiff Devils (4)Sheffield SteelersAyr Scottish EaglesDale Junkin (Bracknell) 601997–98Ayr Scottish Eagles (1)Manchester StormCardiff DevilsTony Hand (Sheffield) 391998–99Manchester Storm (1)Cardiff DevilsNottingham PanthersPaul Adey (Nottingham) 561999–2000Bracknell Bees (1)Sheffield SteelersManchester StormEd Courtenay (Sheffield) 702000–01Sheffield Steelers (3)Cardiff DevilsBracknell BeesGreg Bullock (Manchester) 602001–02Belfast Giants (1)Ayr Scottish EaglesSheffield SteelersKevin Riehl (Belfast) 562002–03Sheffield Steelers (4)Belfast GiantsNottingham PanthersLee Jinman (Nottingham) 36
2003–present: Elite Ice Hockey League
SeasonWinner (number of titles)Runner-upThirdTop points scorerPlayerPoints2003-04Sheffield Steelers (5)Nottingham PanthersCoventry BlazeMark Dutiaume (Sheffield) 882004–05Coventry Blaze (1)Belfast GiantsCardiff DevilsDan Carlson (Coventry) 612005–06Belfast Giants (2)Newcastle VipersNottingham PanthersTheo Fleury (Belfast) 812006–07Coventry Blaze (2)Belfast GiantsCardiff DevilsDan Tessier (Sheffield) 842007–08Coventry Blaze (3)Sheffield SteelersNottingham PanthersAdam Calder (Coventry) 1042008–09Sheffield Steelers (6)Coventry BlazeNottingham PanthersDavid-Alexandre Beauregard (Manchester) 1072009–10Coventry Blaze (4)Belfast GiantsNottingham PanthersColin Shields (Belfast) 1062010–11Sheffield Steelers (7)Cardiff DevilsBelfast GiantsJon Pelle (Cardiff) 1112011–12Belfast Giants (3)Sheffield SteelersNottingham PanthersJade Galbraith (Braehead) 1012012–13Nottingham Panthers (2)Belfast GiantsSheffield SteelersDavid Ling (Nottingham) 952013–14Belfast Giants (4)Sheffield SteelersDundee StarsRyan Ginand (Coventry) 852014–15Sheffield Steelers (8)Braehead ClanCardiff DevilsMathieu Roy (Sheffield) 792015–16Sheffield Steelers (9)Cardiff DevilsBraehead ClanMathew Sisca (Manchester) 752016–17Cardiff Devils (5)Belfast GiantsSheffield SteelersMatt Beca (Braehead) 752017–18Cardiff Devils (6)Manchester StormSheffield SteelersMike Hammond (Manchester) 832018–19Belfast Giants (5)Cardiff DevilsNottingham PanthersDarcy Murphy (Belfast) 792019–20Season abandoned due to coronavirus pandemic. No championship awarded.Sam Herr (Nottingham) 592020–21Season cancelled entirely due to coronavirus pandemic. No championship awarded.N/A N/A2021–22Belfast Giants (6)Sheffield SteelersCardiff DevilsJ.J. Piccinich (Belfast) 802022–23Belfast Giants (7)Guildford FlamesSheffield SteelersScott Conway (Belfast)902023–24Sheffield Steelers (10)Cardiff DevilsBelfast GiantsMitchell Balmas (Sheffield)662024–25Belfast Giants (8)Sheffield SteelersNottingham PanthersAlexis D'Aoust (Manchester)682025–26Belfast Giants (9)Cardiff DevilsNottingham PanthersMitchell Balmas (Sheffield)65
Total titles won
Teams in bold are current Elite Ice Hockey League members. Teams in italics are teams which play outside of the Elite Ice Hockey League. The remaining teams are defunct, although Dundee, Edinburgh (home of the Murrayfield Racers) and Manchester still have their own ice hockey teams.
Club Winners Runners-up Winning yearsSheffield Steelers 1994–95, 1995–96, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2023–24Belfast Giants 2001–02, 2005–06, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26Cardiff Devils 1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1996–97, 2016–17, 2017–18Durham Wasps 1984–85, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92Coventry Blaze 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10Nottingham Panthers 1955–56, 2012–13Murrayfield Racers 1986–87, 1987–88Dundee Rockets 1982-83, 1983–84Wembley Lions 1956–57Harringay Racers 1954–55Ayr Scottish Eagles 1997–98Manchester Storm 1998–99Brighton Tigers 1957–58Paisley Pirates 1958–59Streatham 1959–60Bracknell Bees1999–2000
Total titles won by Home Nation
Each of the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom have had at least one team who have been British champions. 10 different teams from England have been league champions on 27 occasions, while 4 Scottish sides have won five times between them, while Welsh side Cardiff Devils (6) and the Northern Ireland based Belfast Giants (8) are the only sides from their parts of the United Kingdom to win the league. In 46 completed seasons, English sides have won 27 titles, while the Celtic nations combined have won 19.
Nation Number of titles Clubs England Sheffield Steelers (10), Durham Wasps (5), Coventry Blaze (4), Nottingham Panthers (2), Bracknell Bees (1), Manchester Storm (1), Streatham (1), Brighton Tigers (1), Wembley Lions (1), Harringay Racers (1) Northern Ireland Belfast Giants (9) Wales Cardiff Devils (6) Scotland Murrayfield Racers (2), Ayr Scottish Eagles (1), Dundee Rockets (1), Paisley Pirates (1)
Notes
References