2024–25 EIHL season

2024–25 EIHL season
LeagueElite Ice Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Duration
  • 7 September 2024 – 20 April 2025
Number of teams10
Regular season
Challenge Cup
Playoffs
EIHL seasons
2025–26 →

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.

Teams

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The same ten teams that competed in 2023–24 competed in the 2024–25 season.

Team City/Town Arena Capacity
Belfast Giants Northern Ireland Belfast SSE Arena Belfast 8,700
Cardiff Devils Wales Cardiff Vindico Arena 3,088
Coventry Blaze England Coventry Coventry Skydome 3,000
Dundee Stars Scotland Dundee Dundee Ice Arena 2,400
Fife Flyers Scotland Kirkcaldy Fife Ice Arena 3,525
Glasgow Clan Scotland Glasgow Braehead Arena 4,000
Guildford Flames England Guildford Guildford Spectrum 2,001
Manchester Storm England Altrincham Altrincham Ice Dome 2,351
Nottingham Panthers England Nottingham Motorpoint Arena Nottingham 7,500
Sheffield Steelers England Sheffield Utilita Arena Sheffield 9,300

Regular season

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League standings

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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 may qualify for the 2025–26 Champions Hockey League. The top eight teams will qualify for the playoffs.[3]

Pos Team Pld W OTW OTL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Cardiff Devils 26 18 0 2 6 95 59 +36 38 Qualification to playoffs
2 Belfast Giants 24 15 2 2 5 94 57 +37 36
3 Nottingham Panthers 24 12 3 1 8 86 58 +28 31
4 Sheffield Steelers 24 14 1 0 9 92 65 +27 30
5 Guildford Flames 25 12 2 1 10 81 81 0 29
6 Coventry Blaze 25 12 1 2 10 86 78 +8 28
7 Glasgow Clan 24 11 1 0 12 73 82 −9 24
8 Dundee Stars 27 7 2 2 16 83 112 −29 20
9 Manchester Storm 23 7 1 1 14 73 99 −26 17
10 Fife Flyers 24 2 0 2 20 52 124 −72 6
Updated to match(es) played on 1 January 2025. Source: Elite League
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.

Statistics

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Scoring leaders

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The following players led the league in points, at the conclusion of games played on 1 January 2025.[4] 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
Josh MacDonald Cardiff Devils 26 19 14 33 +18 2
Chase Gresock Coventry Blaze 25 12 17 29 +5 14
Michael Regush Coventry Blaze 25 8 21 29 +2 8
Nick Seitz Coventry Blaze 25 16 12 28 +7 29
Grant Hebert Manchester Storm 23 13 15 28 +6 14
Alexis D'Aoust Manchester Storm 23 11 17 28 0 14
Elijiah Barriga Belfast Giants 24 12 15 27 +18 4
Joey Martin Cardiff Devils 24 12 15 27 +21 6
Alessio Luciani Coventry Blaze 25 12 15 27 +6 11
Cole Sanford Cardiff Devils 25 10 17 27 +18 22

Leading goaltenders

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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 1 January 2025.[5]

Player Team(s) GP TOI W L GA SO SV% GAA
Ben Bowns Cardiff Devils 16 958:07 12 4 32 0 94.04% 2.00
Tom McCollum Belfast Giants 16 964:44 10 6 34 2 92.34% 2.11
Ryan Bednard Nottingham Panthers 22 1292:07 15 7 49 2 92.07% 2.28
Matt Greenfield Sheffield Steelers 19 1099:34 14 5 43 0 92.57% 2.35
Jake Kupsky Guildford Flames 13 780:34 9 4 38 1 91.38% 2.92

Challenge Cup

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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).[6] 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 will face 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.[7]

Group stage

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Group A

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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
Source: Elite League
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

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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
Source: Elite League
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

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Bracket

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Statistics

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Scoring leaders

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The following players led the league in points, at the conclusion of games played on 22 December 2024.[8] 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 11 6 11 17 +10 4
Chase Gresock Coventry Blaze 10 7 9 16 +8 16
Deven Sideroff Glasgow Clan 12 8 7 15 +9 6
Mark Cooper Belfast Giants 12 7 7 14 +5 6
Phélix Martineau Fife Flyers 12 7 7 14 –5 6
Scott Conway Belfast Giants 10 5 9 14 +9 8
Ryan Hughes Manchester Storm 10 5 9 14 –4 6
Mitchell Heard Glasgow Clan 12 2 12 14 +8 53
Domenico Alberga Dundee Stars 12 5 8 13 +5 11
J. J. Piccinich Belfast Giants 12 5 7 12 +11 2

Leading goaltenders

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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 22 December 2024.[9]

Player Team(s) GP TOI W L GA SO SV% GAA
Jackson Whistle Belfast Giants 7 425:51 6 1 13 2 92.12% 1.83
Tom McCollum Belfast Giants 5 303:20 4 1 10 2 94.15% 1.98
Ryan Bednard Nottingham Panthers 6 356:03 4 2 13 1 92.57% 2.19
Landon Bow Glasgow Clan 7 420:04 4 3 18 1 91.86% 2.57
Lucas Brine Glasgow Clan 5 295:28 3 2 13 0 89.26% 2.64

References

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  1. ^ "2024/25 Schedule Released!". EIHL. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Gamecentre". EIHL. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Standings 2024/2025 Elite Ice Hockey League". EIHL. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Statistics: Players – Elite Ice Hockey League 2024/2025". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  5. ^ "Statistics: Goalies – Elite Ice Hockey League 2024/2025". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "New Challenge Cup format for 2024/25". EIHL. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Statistics: Players – Challenge Cup 2024/2025". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  9. ^ "Statistics: Goalies – Challenge Cup 2024/2025". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
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