Northern UK ice hockey awakens from enforced slumber

Posted on by

(Image permission: IceHockeyMedia)

ENGLAND, UK – The English Ice Hockey Association’s announcement of the line-up for NIHL1 North marked the end of a miserable period for the sport in the UK.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the early curtailment of the 2019/20 campaign, while last season was lost completely aside from mini cup competitions.

Thankfully the 2021/22 season is scheduled to go ahead, with the EIHA confirming that eight clubs will compete in its second-tier next term.

Reigning champions Whitley Warriors will be keen to defend the title, with Solway Sharks and Solihull Barons expected to provide stiff competition.

Billingham Stars, Blackburn Hawks, Nottingham Lions, Sheffield Scimitars and Widnes Wild complete the new-look line-up.

The league campaign will start on September 11, with teams playing two home and two away against each other.

Regular season play runs until April 10, after which the play-offs will begin.

A quarter-final round will see the eight teams play two-legged ties (1v8, 2v7, 3v6, 4v5) over the weekend of April 16/17.

The four winners will compete in a Finals Weekend on April 23/24, with the venue yet to be determined.

The North 1 league winners will also feature in a National Championship game against the South 1 winners as part of the NIHL National Finals weekend at Coventry on May 1.

Alongside the league, there will also be a cup competition with the competing teams split into two groups. They will play the other teams in their group once home and once away.

There is also the possibility of two additional teams from outside the EIHA taking part in the cup, with the final details still to be confirmed.

The teams are likely to come from the Scottish National League (SNL), but their identity has not been confirmed.

Scottish Ice Hockey is currently in the process of establishing itself as a standalone governing body and is yet to reveal its league line-up for the upcoming season.

While rinks in England are up-and-running again, some Scottish venues remain closed, creating an unwelcome headache for the clubs involved and the league.

However, the EIHA’s announcement is undoubtedly positive news for ice hockey in the north of the United Kingdom, and the SNL are likely to follow suit in the coming weeks.

Pro Hockey News will be covering NIHL1 & NIHL2 North and the SNL throughout the season.