2024–25 EIHL Season

The 2024–25 EIHL season was 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.

Ten teams competed in the league, over a 54-game regular season, with the best eight teams qualifying for the second competition, the playoffs. The playoffs were 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 competed 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. The Giants then added a record seventh regular season title, prevailing over the Steelers by three points, after both teams had entered the final day of the season with an opportunity to finish top of the table. The Devils stopped a Grand Slam with a 5–0 win over the Giants in the playoff semi-final, progressing to the final against the Nottingham Panthers. In a final where both teams had a game-winning overtime goal overturned via coach's challenge, the Panthers won 4–3 in double overtime for their first playoff title since 2016.

Teams

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

Regular season

League standings

Each team played 54 games, playing each of the other nine teams six times: three times on home ice, and three times away from home. Points were awarded for each game, two points were awarded for all victories, regardless of whether it was in regulation time or after overtime or game-winning shots. One point was 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 finished with the most points was crowned the league champion, and qualified for the 2025–26 Champions Hockey League. The top eight teams qualified for the playoffs.

Statistics

Scoring leaders

The following players led the league in points, at the conclusion of the regular season. If two or more skaters are tied (i.e. same number of points, goals and played games), all of the tied skaters are shown.

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 regular season.

Playoffs

Bracket

In the two-legged quarter-finals, the highest-ranked team met the lowest-ranked team, the second-highest-ranked team met the second-lowest-ranked team and so forth. The winners of each tie was determined by aggregate scoring over the two games. In the semi-finals, the highest remaining seed was matched against the lowest remaining seed, with the other two teams facing off. The winners of the semi-finals progressed to the Final, with the losers playing in the third-place match.

Quarter-finals

(1) Belfast Giants vs. (8) Dundee Stars

(2) Sheffield Steelers vs. (7) Glasgow Clan

(3) Nottingham Panthers vs. (6) Guildford Flames

(4) Cardiff Devils vs. (5) Coventry Blaze

Semi-finals

Following the conclusion of the quarter-final matchups, the schedule for the Finals weekend was confirmed.

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Third-place match

Final

Statistics

Scoring leaders

The following players led the league in points, at the conclusion of the playoffs. If two or more skaters are tied (i.e. same number of points, goals and played games), all of the tied skaters are shown.

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 playoffs.

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). 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.

Group stage

Group A

Group B

Knockout stage

Bracket

Play-in match

Semi-finals

As the highest seed from the group stage, the Belfast Giants selected the Nottingham Panthers to be their semi-final opponents, with the Sheffield Steelers taking on the Cardiff Devils as a result of this.

=(1) Belfast Giants vs. (4) Nottingham Panthers

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=(2) Sheffield Steelers vs. (3) Cardiff Devils

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Final

As the highest remaining seed, the Belfast Giants had home advantage for the final against the Cardiff Devils.

Statistics

Scoring leaders

The following players led the league in points, at the conclusion of the Challenge Cup. If two or more skaters are tied (i.e. same number of points, goals and played games), all of the tied skaters are shown.

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.

References

External links

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{{2024–25 in men's ice hockey

Elite Ice Hockey League seasons
2024–25 in British ice hockey
United Kingdom