2024–25 EIHL season
| 2024–25 EIHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | Elite Ice Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration |
|
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Regular season | |
| Challenge Cup | |
| Winners | Belfast Giants (6th title) |
| Runners-up | Cardiff Devils |
| Playoffs | |
The 2024–25 EIHL season is the 21st season of the Elite Ice Hockey League, the highest level of domestic ice hockey played in the United Kingdom, with three separate competitions played for between September 2024 and April 2025.[1][2]
Ten teams compete in the league, over a 54-game regular season, with the best eight teams qualifying for the second competition, the playoffs. The playoffs are then held over three knockout rounds with aggregated quarter-finals, and one-off matches for the semi-finals and final – with the last two rounds played over the finals weekend at the Nottingham Arena. Teams also compete in the Challenge Cup, involving group play and one-off knockout rounds to crown its winner.
The defending champion in all three competitions are the Sheffield Steelers, having completed a Grand Slam in 2023–24. The first silverware of the season went to the Belfast Giants, who won the Challenge Cup for the sixth time overall, and a fifth time in seven seasons, with a 4–0 victory over the Cardiff Devils.[3][4]
Teams
The same ten teams that competed in 2023–24 remained for the 2024–25 season.
| Team | City/Town | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast Giants |  Belfast
|
SSE Arena Belfast | 8,700 |
| Cardiff Devils |  Cardiff
|
Vindico Arena | 3,088 |
| Coventry Blaze |  Coventry
|
Coventry Skydome | 3,000 |
| Dundee Stars |  Dundee
|
Dundee Ice Arena | 2,400 |
| Fife Flyers | Kirkcaldy
|
Fife Ice Arena | 3,525 |
| Glasgow Clan | Glasgow
|
Braehead Arena | 4,000 |
| Guildford Flames | Guildford
|
Guildford Spectrum | 2,001 |
| Manchester Storm | Altrincham
|
Altrincham Ice Dome | 2,351 |
| Nottingham Panthers | Nottingham
|
Motorpoint Arena Nottingham | 7,500 |
| Sheffield Steelers | Sheffield
|
Utilita Arena Sheffield | 9,300 |
Regular season
League standings
Each team plays 54 games, playing each of the other nine teams six times: three times on home ice, and three times away from home. Points are awarded for each game, two points are awarded for all victories, regardless of whether it was in regulation time or after overtime or game-winning shots. One point is awarded for losing in overtime or game-winning shots, and zero points for losing in regulation time. At the end of the regular season, the team that finishes with the most points will be crowned the league champion, and will qualify for the 2025–26 Champions Hockey League.[5] The top eight teams will qualify for the playoffs.[6]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belfast Giants (Q) | 52 | 31 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 202 | 128 | +74 | 76 | Qualification to playoffs |
| 2 | Sheffield Steelers (Q) | 52 | 33 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 211 | 131 | +80 | 75 | |
| 3 | Nottingham Panthers (Q) | 52 | 30 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 178 | 114 | +64 | 72 | |
| 4 | Cardiff Devils (Q) | 53 | 29 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 176 | 140 | +36 | 67 | |
| 5 | Coventry Blaze (Q) | 53 | 22 | 7 | 4 | 20 | 179 | 164 | +15 | 62 | |
| 6 | Guildford Flames (Q) | 53 | 22 | 3 | 7 | 21 | 176 | 170 | +6 | 57 | |
| 7 | Glasgow Clan (Q) | 53 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 25 | 162 | 185 | −23 | 53 | |
| 8 | Dundee Stars | 53 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 27 | 163 | 203 | −40 | 47 | |
| 9 | Manchester Storm | 53 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 29 | 164 | 192 | −28 | 46 | |
| 10 | Fife Flyers (E) | 52 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 46 | 111 | 295 | −184 | 10 |
Rules for classification:
- In-season: 1) Points; 2) Fewest games played; end of season criteria as below.
- End of season: 1) Points; 2) Games won in regulation time; 3) Number of games won; 4) Head-to-head results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 5) Fewest regulation losses; 6) Away game results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 7) Goals scored; 8) Goal difference; 9) Fewest penalty minutes; 10) Drawing of lots.
(E) Eliminated; (Q) Qualified to the phase indicated
Statistics
Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in points, at the conclusion of games played on 4 April 2025.[7] If two or more skaters are tied (i.e. same number of points, goals and played games), all of the tied skaters are shown.
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/– | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexis D'Aoust | Manchester Storm | 53 | 31 | 36 | 67 | +3 | 30 |
| Chase Gresock | Coventry Blaze | 53 | 31 | 30 | 61 | +8 | 38 |
| Alessio Luciani | Coventry Blaze | 53 | 27 | 31 | 58 | +11 | 23 |
| Josh MacDonald | Cardiff Devils | 50 | 28 | 29 | 57 | +12 | 14 |
| Nick Seitz | Coventry Blaze | 53 | 29 | 27 | 56 | +7 | 55 |
| Scott Conway | Belfast Giants | 52 | 26 | 29 | 55 | +35 | 40 |
| Mikko Juusola | Sheffield Steelers | 52 | 27 | 27 | 54 | +29 | 12 |
| Patrick Watling | Sheffield Steelers | 51 | 16 | 38 | 54 | +25 | 20 |
| Brendan Harms | Dundee Stars | 53 | 24 | 29 | 53 | 0 | 48 |
| Mitchell Balmas | Sheffield Steelers | 52 | 20 | 33 | 53 | +15 | 8 |
Leading goaltenders
The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average, provided that they have played at least 40% of their team's minutes, at the conclusion of games played on 4 April 2025.[8]
| Player | Team(s) | GP | TOI | W | L | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Grande | Nottingham Panthers | 29 | 1619:28 | 19 | 9 | 46 | 3 | 94.92% | 1.70 |
| Jackson Whistle | Belfast Giants | 25 | 1458:31 | 18 | 6 | 53 | 2 | 92.23% | 2.18 |
| Matt Greenfield | Sheffield Steelers | 47 | 2751:29 | 35 | 12 | 101 | 3 | 92.94% | 2.20 |
| Ryan Bednard | Nottingham Panthers | 23 | 1342:47 | 15 | 7 | 50 | 2 | 92.32% | 2.23 |
| Tom McCollum | Belfast Giants | 28 | 1684:10 | 17 | 11 | 64 | 2 | 91.10% | 2.28 |
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup was split into two stages: an initial group stage where the league's ten teams were divided into two groups based on geographical distance – one group of six teams (Group A) and a group of four teams (Group B).[9] The teams in Group A (the five English teams and the Cardiff Devils) played each of the other teams twice for a total of ten games, while the teams in Group B (the three Scottish teams and the Belfast Giants) played each of the other teams four times for a total of twelve games.
The top two teams in Group A and the winners of Group B qualified for the semi-finals. The runners-up in Group B faced the third-placed team in Group A in a one-off game, held at the arena of the team with a higher group stage points percentage, to determine the final semi-finalist.[10]
Group stage
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheffield Steelers | 10 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 38 | 30 | +8 | 16 | Qualification to semi-finals |
| 2 | Cardiff Devils | 10 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 42 | 32 | +10 | 13 | |
| 3 | Nottingham Panthers | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 32 | 29 | +3 | 13 | Qualification to play-in match |
| 4 | Coventry Blaze | 10 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 32 | 35 | −3 | 12 | |
| 5 | Manchester Storm | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 32 | 38 | −6 | 9 | |
| 6 | Guildford Flames | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 23 | 35 | −12 | 5 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Games won in regulation time; 3) Number of games won; 4) Head-to-head results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 5) Fewest regulation losses; 6) Away game results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 7) Goals scored; 8) Goal difference; 9) Fewest penalty minutes; 10) Drawing of lots.
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belfast Giants | 12 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 49 | 24 | +25 | 21 | Qualification to semi-finals |
| 2 | Glasgow Clan | 12 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 40 | 34 | +6 | 15 | Qualification to play-in match |
| 3 | Dundee Stars | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 38 | 41 | −3 | 9 | |
| 4 | Fife Flyers | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 28 | 56 | −28 | 7 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Games won in regulation time; 3) Number of games won; 4) Head-to-head results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 5) Fewest regulation losses; 6) Away game results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 7) Goals scored; 8) Goal difference; 9) Fewest penalty minutes; 10) Drawing of lots.
Knockout stage
Bracket
|
|
| |||||||||||||
| 1 | Belfast Giants | 3 | 0 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 4 | Nottingham Panthers | 5 | 4 | Nottingham Panthers | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 5 | Glasgow Clan | 1 | 1 | Belfast Giants | 4 | ||||||||||
| 3 | Cardiff Devils | 0 | |||||||||||||
| 2 | Sheffield Steelers | 5 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||||
| 3 | Cardiff Devils | 3 | 4 | 7 | |||||||||||
Play-in match
| 22 January 2025 19:30 | Nottingham Panthers | 5–1 (2–0, 1–1, 2–0) | Glasgow Clan | Nottingham Arena |
| Game reference | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Grande | Goalies | Landon Bow | Referees: Joe Sewell Chris Wells Linesmen: Danny Beresford Ryan Fraley | |||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 min | Penalties | 8 min | ||||||||||||||||||
| 46 | Shots | 25 | ||||||||||||||||||
Semi-finals
As the highest seed from the group stage, the Belfast Giants selected the Nottingham Panthers to be their semi-final opponents,[11] with the Sheffield Steelers taking on the Cardiff Devils as a result of this.[12]
(1) Belfast Giants vs. (4) Nottingham Panthers
| 12 February 2025 | Belfast Giants | 3–0 | Nottingham Panthers | SSE Arena Belfast | Recap | |||
|
First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Jordan Kawaguchi – 7:48 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Jackson Whistle (31 shots / 31 saves) | Goalie stats | Jason Grande (30 shots / 27 saves) | ||||||
| 26 February 2025 | Nottingham Panthers | 2–0 | Belfast Giants | Nottingham Arena | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| Zsombor Garát (PPG) – 12:17 | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Cooper Zech – 0:37 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Jason Grande (32 shots / 32 saves) | Goalie stats | Jackson Whistle (29 shots / 27 saves) | ||||||
| Belfast Giants win 3–2 on aggregate. | |
(2) Sheffield Steelers vs. (3) Cardiff Devils
| 5 February 2025 | Sheffield Steelers | 5–3 | Cardiff Devils | Sheffield Arena | Recap | |||
|
First period | No scoring | ||||||
| Mitchell Balmas (PPG) – 10:21 | Second period |
| ||||||
|
Third period | 10:03 – Cole Sanford (2) | ||||||
| Matt Greenfield (16 shots / 13 saves) | Goalie stats | Mac Carruth (40 shots / 35 saves) | ||||||
| 12 February 2025 | Cardiff Devils | 4–1 | Sheffield Steelers | Ice Arena Wales | Recap | |||
|
First period | No scoring | ||||||
| Zach O'Brien – 10:45 | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Joey Martin – 2:52 | Third period | 7:25 – Mitchell Balmas | ||||||
| Mac Carruth (29 shots / 28 saves) | Goalie stats | Matt Greenfield (30 shots / 26 saves) | ||||||
| Cardiff Devils win 7–6 on aggregate. | |
Final
As the highest remaining seed,[13] the Belfast Giants had home advantage for the final against the Cardiff Devils.[14]
| 12 March 2025 19:00 | Belfast Giants | 4–0 (2–0, 2–0, 0–0) | Cardiff Devils | SSE Arena Belfast Attendance: 6,149 |
| Game reference | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson Whistle | Goalies | Mac Carruth | Referees: Chris Wells Andy Dalton Linesmen: Nathan Carmichael Ryan Fraley | |||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| 10 min | Penalties | 4 min | ||||||||||||
| 32 | Shots | 37 | ||||||||||||
Statistics
Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in points, at the conclusion of the Challenge Cup.[15] If two or more skaters are tied (i.e. same number of points, goals and played games), all of the tied skaters are shown.
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/– | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Kawaguchi | Belfast Giants | 14 | 8 | 11 | 19 | +12 | 4 |
| Mark Cooper | Belfast Giants | 15 | 9 | 8 | 17 | +8 | 6 |
| Chase Gresock | Coventry Blaze | 10 | 7 | 9 | 16 | +8 | 16 |
| Deven Sideroff | Glasgow Clan | 13 | 8 | 7 | 15 | +8 | 6 |
| Scott Conway | Belfast Giants | 12 | 5 | 10 | 15 | +10 | 10 |
| Mitchell Heard | Glasgow Clan | 13 | 3 | 12 | 15 | +9 | 55 |
| Cole Sanford | Cardiff Devils | 12 | 11 | 3 | 14 | +4 | 8 |
| Phélix Martineau | Fife Flyers | 12 | 7 | 7 | 14 | −5 | 6 |
| Ryan Hughes | Manchester Storm | 10 | 5 | 9 | 14 | −4 | 6 |
| J. J. Piccinich | Belfast Giants | 15 | 6 | 7 | 13 | +12 | 2 |
Leading goaltenders
The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average, provided that they have played at least 40% of their team's minutes, at the conclusion of the Challenge Cup.[16]
| Player | Team(s) | GP | TOI | W | L | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson Whistle | Belfast Giants | 10 | 605:51 | 8 | 2 | 15 | 4 | 94.30% | 1.49 |
| Ryan Bednard | Nottingham Panthers | 6 | 356:03 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 92.57% | 2.19 |
| Landon Bow | Glasgow Clan | 8 | 480:04 | 4 | 4 | 23 | 1 | 91.39% | 2.87 |
| Matt Greenfield | Sheffield Steelers | 10 | 605:03 | 8 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 89.18% | 2.88 |
| Mac Carruth | Cardiff Devils | 7 | 367:56 | 4 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 89.71% | 2.94 |
References
- ^ "2024/25 Schedule Released!". EIHL. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ "Gamecentre". EIHL. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ^ McKendry, Adam (12 March 2025). "Belfast Giants complete first part of treble push with Challenge Cup Final victory over Cardiff Devils". Belfast Telegraph. Mediahuis Ireland. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
- ^ "Belfast Giants win 2025 Challenge Cup!". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
- ^ "Champion To Qualify For Champions Hockey League". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. 2 April 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Standings 2024/2025 Elite Ice Hockey League". EIHL. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ "Statistics: Players – Elite Ice Hockey League 2024/2025". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Statistics: Goalies – Elite Ice Hockey League 2024/2025". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ Crow, Allan (13 May 2024). "EIHL's new Challenge Cup format revealed after fans' survey criticism – and it still feels clunky". Fife Free Press. National World. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "New Challenge Cup format for 2024/25". EIHL. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ "Panthers against Giants in Cup semi-finals". Nottingham Panthers. 23 January 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
- ^ "Devils trail Steelers after semi-final first leg". BBC Sport. BBC. 5 February 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
- ^ "Challenge Cup Final on 12 March 2025". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. 24 February 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
- ^ McKendry, Adam (26 February 2025). "Adam Keefe proud as Belfast Giants battle through adversity to set up Challenge Cup Final date with Cardiff". Belfast Telegraph. Mediahuis Ireland. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
- ^ "Statistics: Players – Challenge Cup 2024/2025". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
- ^ "Statistics: Goalies – Challenge Cup 2024/2025". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
