The British Ice Hockey Superleague was a professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom between 1996 and 2003. Devised in 1995, it replaced the premier division of the British Hockey League at the end of 1995–1996 season; following the major reshuffle of the league and the split between the first and second tier divisions; with the British National League becoming the new second tier division. It was disbanded after the 2002-03 season and replaced by the Elite Ice Hockey League. Unlike its North American counterparts, the Superleague was not divided into conferences; teams competed in a single division.
The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to internationally as the British Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague, it is the highest level of ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom.
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. Their main team sponsor is the Nottingham Building Society.
The British National League (BNL) was the second tier of the professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom between 1996 and 2005. Although no formal promotion and relegation existed during its period of existence, it was considered to have been a standard below that of the Ice Hockey Superleague and above that of the English National Ice Hockey League and the Scottish National League. Fife Flyers and Guildford Flames were the only two teams to consistently feature in the BNL during every season of the league's history.
Women's ice hockey in Great Britain is administered by the English and Scottish Ice Hockey Associations. It is one of the fastest growing areas of the game.
The Slough Jets are an ice hockey team from Slough, Berkshire, England playing in the NIHL South Division 1. The team was founded in 1986 after the construction of the Slough Ice Arena in Montem Lane in Slough and joined the first division of the British League. With the help of Gary Stefan who had previously been with Streatham Redskins, the Slough Jets were formed.
The National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) is a set of semi-professional ice hockey leagues administered by the English Ice Hockey Association. It is currently the second tier of British ice hockey, below the Elite Ice Hockey League. Formerly called the English National Ice Hockey League (ENIHL), it was renamed in 2012 to recognise the inclusion of several teams from Scotland and Wales.
The 2006–07 Elite Ice Hockey League season commenced on September 9, 2006 and concluded on April 8, 2007. It was the Elite League's fourth season of competition.
The 2005–06 Elite Ice Hockey League season ran from September 9, 2005, through April 9, 2006. The Edinburgh Capitals and Newcastle Vipers joined the Elite League from the British National League while the Manchester Phoenix did not participate for a second season due to a lack of suitable ice facility.
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).
The Oxford University Ice Hockey Club (OUIHC) is home to the Men’s and Women’s Blues ice hockey teams of the University of Oxford, England. The Men's Blues, also known as Oxford University Blues, is one of the world's oldest ice hockey teams. Tradition places the origin of the team in 1885, when a match is said to have been played against Cambridge University Ice Hockey Club in St Moritz, Switzerland. This date is recognised by the Hockey Hall of Fame, and prior to the 1985 Ice Hockey Varsity Match, the International Ice Hockey Federation formally recognised the 1885 game as the first ice hockey match played in Europe. However, there is no contemporary evidence that this match took place, and Oxford now claims that this was a bandy match.
Bradford Sabres was an English ice hockey team that played in Division 2 of North league of the British Universities Ice Hockey Association. They played their home games at the Bradford Ice Arena, Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team was established in 2005, and disbanded in 2020.
The Sheffield Bears are a university ice hockey club from Sheffield, England who have teams in BUIHA northern divisions 1, 2, 3, and 5. They were formed in 2004 and play their home games at iceSheffield. The team's leading sponsor is The AMRC with Boeing. The club are also sponsored by Windows 8, Roland Smith Orthodontics, Walkabout, and Sheffield Parties. The Bears are currently Division 2 Southern Conference Play-Off Champions, National Play-Off Runners-up, and Division 1 National Champions.
The Rugby League Conference (RLC), also known as the Co-operative Rugby League Conference as a result of sponsorship from The Co-operative Group, was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
The Cardiff Redhawks are a Welsh ice hockey team that play in the British Universities Ice Hockey Association, formed in 2004. They play their home games at Vindico Arena, Cardiff, Wales.
Ice hockey has been played in the United Kingdom since the beginning of the twentieth century, and it was a game between English Army veterans played in Canada that is the first recorded use of a sawed-off ball, which led to the use of the puck in hockey. The Great Britain men's national ice hockey team enjoyed worldwide success through the 1920s and 1930s, achieving bronze at the 1924 Olympics, and gold twelve years later. They also won medals at the World Championships in 1935, 1937 and 1938, though never won the tournament. The national team has struggled since the Second World War, and has not finished better than twelfth in the World Championships since 1962. Ice hockey is played professionally in the United Kingdom in the Elite Ice Hockey League, a ten team league which was founded in 2003.
The Newcastle Wildcats are a university ice hockey team representing Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. NUIHC are a member club of the British Universities Ice Hockey Association (BUIHA) and ice three teams across all three tiers of UK university competition.
The Edinburgh Beagles was a British ice hockey team that played in the Northern Conference of Division 2 in the British Universities Ice Hockey Association. They played their home games at Murrayfield Ice Rink in Edinburgh, Scotland and are associated with the Edinburgh Eagles.
The Blackburn Buccaneers are a recreational ice hockey team who play their home games from Blackburn Ice Arena.
The University of London Dragons, formerly known as the University of London Union Purples, are a British student ice hockey team based in London, England. They compete in three divisions under the British Universities Ice Hockey Association. Dragons are the most successful student ice hockey team in the history of British university ice hockey.
Andrew Miller
Richard Gray
