Have you ever thought about watching an ice hockey game? Or maybe you are a fan struggling to keep up with the many changes to the leagues. This is a complete guide to the top competitive UK ice hockey leagues and their teams.
The top UK ice hockey league is the UK-wide EIHL. Directly below the EIHL are the NIHL National League in England and the SNL in Scotland. The remaining leagues are the NIHL 1 and NIHL 2 leagues, each with a north and south division.
Top 7 UK Ice Hockey Leagues
| Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) |
| NIHL National |
| NIHL 1 North Division (Britton) |
| NIHL 1 South Division (Moralee) |
| NIHL 2 North Division (Laidler) |
| NIHL 2 South Division (Wilkinson) |
| Scottish National League (SNL) |
An Overview Of UK Ice Hockey Leagues
The highest-level UK ice hockey league is the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). This is a self-governing league that doesn’t fall under the control of any of the national UK hockey associations and effectively sets its own rules.
The second tier of UK leagues is the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL). The NIHL is administered by the English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA), with five competitive men’s hockey leagues.
Finally, the Scottish Ice Hockey Association (SIHL) administers the Scottish National League (SNL). The level of play here is equivalent to the NIHL National (the top NIHL league).
The teams in all of these UK ice hockey leagues charge for entry to games. The EIHL teams charge around £20 for a full-price non-concessionary ticket, and the NIHL National teams around £16. Scottish SNL tickets are a little cheaper at £10 for an adult. The NIHL 1 and 2 teams generally charge around £5-£10 for full-price tickets.
Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL)
The EIHL is the highest-level professional UK ice hockey league, made up of 10 teams; in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) Teams
| Belfast Giants | Glasgow Clan |
| Cardiff Devils | Guildford Flames |
| Coventry Blaze | Manchester Storm |
| Dundee Stars | Nottingham Panthers |
| Fife Flyers | Sheffield Steelers |
Around 35% of the players in this league are British, 40% are from Canada, and the remaining players are from other countries such as the US, Sweden and the Czech Republic.
The EIHL season runs from September to March/April, with the teams playing two (sometimes three) games a week, usually one home and one away. The most common days for games are Saturday and Sunday, but the team occasionally plays Fridays or mid-week.
Many of these are league games, and others (especially in the first half of the season) are Challenge Cup games. The top eight teams in the league will enter the playoff series toward the end of the season. This consists of one elimination round and a playoff weekend for the final four teams.
NIHL National League
The NIHL National is the second-highest UK ice hockey league behind the EIHL. It is a semi-professional league with eleven teams, ten based in England and one in Scotland.
NIHL National Teams
| Bees Ice Hockey Club | Raiders Ice Hockey Club |
| Bristol Pitbulls | Sheffield Steeldogs |
| Hull Seahawks | Solway Sharks |
| Leeds Knights | Swindon Wildcats |
| Milton Keynes Lightning | Telford Tigers |
| Peterborough Phantoms |
The season structure is similar to the EIHL, running from September to March/April. Teams play two (sometimes three) games a week, usually one home and one away. The most common days for games are Saturday and Sunday, with the occasional game on Friday or midweek.
These teams compete in the main league and in the Autumn Cup. Most of the Autumn Cup games are played in the early part of the season.
The league concludes April with a playoff weekend, where the top 4 teams fight it out for the league championship.
NIHL 1 North Division (Britton)
The third-highest UK ice hockey league is the NIHL 1 league, which is divided into northern and southern divisions. Nine teams compete in the north division and eight in the southern division.
NIHL 1 North (Moralee) Teams
| Billingham Stars | Sheffield Scimitars |
| Blackburn Hawks | Solihull Barons |
| Deeside Dragons | Whitley Warriors |
| Hull Jets | Widness Wild |
| Nottingham Lions |
NIHL 1 North teams compete for the regular season, playoff and national titles, and the Moralee and Challenge cups. The league season runs from September to late March, concluding in early April with a playoff weekend for the semi-final and final games.
NIHL 1 South Division (Moralee)
The amateur NIHL 1 league is the third-highest in the UK, behind the EIHL and NIHL National leagues. Eight teams compete in the southern division (see below), and nine teams in the northern division.
NIHL 1 South (Britton) Teams
| Chelmsford Chieftains | Raiders IHC 2 |
| Invicta Dynamos | Slough Jets |
| Milton Keynes Thunder | Solent Devils |
| Oxford City Stars | Streatham IHC |
NIHL 1 South teams compete for the regular season, playoff and national titles, as well as the Britton Cup. The league season runs from September to late March, concluding in early April with a playoff weekend for the semi-final and final games.
NIHL 2 North Division (Laidler)
The amateur NIHL 2 league is the fourth-highest UK ice hockey league, behind the EIHL, NIHL National and NIHL 1 leagues. Nine teams compete in the northern division (see below), and thirteen compete in the southern division.
NIHL 2 North (Laidler) Teams
| Altrincham Aces | Nottingham Lions 2 |
| Billingham Buccanneers | Sheffield Titans |
| Bradford Bulldogs | Sutton Sting |
| Coventry NIHL Blaze | Telford Tigers 2 |
| Kingston Sharks |
NIHL 2 North teams compete for the regular season and playoff titles and the Laidler Cup. The league season runs from September to late March, concluding in early April with a playoff weekend for the semi-final and final games.
NIHL 2 South Division (Wilkinson)
The amateur NIHL 2 league is the fourth-highest UK ice hockey league, behind the EIHL, NIHL National and NIHL 1 leagues. Thirteen teams compete in the southern division (see below), and nine compete in the northern division.
NIHL 2 South (Wilkinson) Teams
NIHL 2 South teams compete for the regular season title, the playoff title, and the Wilkinson Cup. The league season runs from September to late March, concluding in early April with a playoff weekend for the semi-final and final games.
Scottish National League (SNL)
The SNL is the second-highest league in Scotland behind the Elite Ice Hockey League. It is an equivalent level of play to the English NIHL National League, with eight competing teams (see below).
Scottish National League Teams
| Aberdeen Lynx | Kilmarnock Thunder |
| Dundee Comets | Kirkcaldy Kestrels |
| Dundee Tigers | North Ayrshire Wild |
| Edinburgh Capitals | Paisley Pirates |
SNL teams compete for the regular season title, the playoff title, and the Scottish Cup. The league season runs from September to late March, concluding in early April with a playoff weekend for the semi-final and final games.
FAQ – UK Ice Hockey Leagues
Is Fighting Allowed in UK Ice Hockey Leagues?
Technically fighting isn’t allowed in UK ice hockey leagues, and it can sometimes lead to suspensions. However, for most fights, the players will serve just 5 minutes in the penalty box before being allowed back into the game.
Can I Get A Drink At An Ice Hockey Match UK?
UK hockey rinks normally have at least one bar and will serve alcohol during ice hockey games. Most rinks allow you to take drinks back into the stands with you, so long as they are in a plastic glass. At a few venues (e.g. Guildford Ice Rink), you will need to finish alcoholic drinks in the bar before returning to the arena.
Can I Watch Ice Hockey in the UK?
There are 41 ice rinks in the UK where you can watch competitive ice hockey. The top-level games are played in the Elite Ice Hockey League, where game attendance can be many thousands. The biggest ice arena in the UK is SSE Arena in Belfast, with a capacity of more than 10,000; this is followed by Sheffield Utilita Arena, with game seating for more than 8,000.
