The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to as the British Elite League or, for sponsorship reasons, the Viaplay 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 Belfast Giants are a professional ice hockey team based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. They compete in the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) and are the current champions for the 7th time in their history. They play their home games at the SSE Arena. Since their inception in 2000, the Giants have won fourteen major honours, including seven British league championships, three British championships by winning the play-offs, and five Challenge Cups.
Derrick Walser is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently the head coach of the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League. Walser played 91 National Hockey League (NHL) games with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Jonathan Nicolas Camil Ferland is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for Saint-Georges Cool FM 103.5 in the LNAH. Prior to this, Ferland played two seasons with the Belfast Giants in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). Ferland previously played for and captained the Vienna Capitals in the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL).He currently coaches the St Patrick's High School U17Major and the RSEQ Hockey Team in Quebec City Canada
James Patrick Vandermeer is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who last played for the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). Vandermeer previously played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, Phoenix Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers and the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Paxton James Schulte is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player.
James Sheppard is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for Vienna Capitals of the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL). He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks and the New York Rangers.
Matt Pelech is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman/forward who last played for and captained the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). He formerly played with the Calgary Flames and the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Pelech was a draft pick of the Flames, selected in the first round, 26th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut in 2009 as a defenceman with the Flames. He has since switched to right wing and become known as an enforcer. His brothers, Michael Pelech and Adam Pelech, also play professionally.
Noah Clarke is an American former professional ice hockey left winger. He played 21 games in the National Hockey League with the Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils between 2003 and 2008. The rest of his career, which lasted from 2003 to 2013, was spent in the minor leagues and then in Europe.
Edwin Fitzgerald (Gerry) James is a Canadian former professional Canadian football running back and professional ice hockey player. He played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) between 1952 and 1964 and the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1955 and 1960. His is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, like his father, Eddie James, who also played for the Blue Bombers. James was born in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Ralph Krueger is a Canadian-born German professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the former head coach of the Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL), and former chairman of Southampton Football Club. Since April 2019, he has held a Swiss passport.
Reto Berra is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for HC Fribourg-Gottéron of the National League (NL). Berra played seven seasons in Switzerland's National League A, spending time with the GCK Lions, HC Davos and SCL Tigers before joining EHC Biel in 2009 where he was the team's starting goaltender for four years. He was an NHL draft pick of the St. Louis Blues, selected in the fourth round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and was traded to the Calgary Flames, with whom he made his NHL debut in 2013–14. Internationally, Berra has played with the Swiss National Team on several occasions; he has appeared in two World Championships. At the 2013 tournament, he shared goaltending duties with Martin Gerber and helped lead Switzerland to a silver medal, the nation's first medal in 60 years.
Tyler Paul Seguin is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Griffin Reinhart is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who last played for the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL).
Tanner Richard is a Canadian-born Swiss professional ice hockey centre who is currently playing for Genève-Servette HC of the National League (NL). He previously played for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Mirco Müller is a Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing with HC Lugano of the National League (NL). He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks and the New Jersey Devils from 2014 to 2020. The Sharks selected Müller in the first round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Kevin Fiala is a Swiss professional ice hockey left winger for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He spent one season with the Malmö Redhawks junior team, then joined HV71, splitting a season between their junior team and their senior team in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), being selected by the Nashville Predators 11th overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Fiala started the following season with HV71 before moving to North America halfway through, splitting two seasons between the Predators and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.
The ice hockey (hockey) competitions of the 2018 Winter Olympics were played at two venues within the Gangneung Coastal Cluster in Gangneung, South Korea. The Gangneung Hockey Centre, which seats 10,000, and the Kwandong Hockey Centre, which seats 6,000, were both originally scheduled to be completed in 2016 but appear to have been completed in early 2017. Both venues contain Olympic-sized rinks.
Nico Hischier is a Swiss professional ice hockey centre and captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hischier made his professional debut in his native Switzerland in 2015, spending time both in the top-tier National League A (NLA) and the second-tier National League B. He moved to North America for the 2016–17 season to play major junior hockey for the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in hopes of furthering his hockey career; in his first season in the QMJHL, he was named rookie of the year, along with the award for best rookie in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), the governing body for major junior hockey in Canada. Internationally Hischier has represented Switzerland at several junior tournaments, including two World Junior Championships. Regarded as a strong two-way forward and a top prospect for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Hischier was selected first overall by the Devils, the first time a Swiss player was selected first overall, and made his NHL debut in 2017. He was named captain of the Devils in 2021.
Ice hockey in Switzerland is one of the most popular team sports in the country rivaling football in terms of attendances and TV ratings.
