Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL)
The most important league in the UK. The EIHL is affiliated to Ice Hockey UK and is comprised of 10 teams:

• Basingstoke Bison
• Belfast Giants
• Cardiff Devils
• Coventry Blaze
• Edinburgh Capitals
• Hull Stingrays
• Manchester Phoenix
• Newcastle Vipers
• Nottingham Panthers
• Sheffield Steelers

The EIHL encompasses four competitions; the league, the playoffs, the Challenge Cup, and the Knockout Cup. The structure of the league is simple - each team faces each other team in the league three times at home and three times away. The team which accumulates the most points by the end of the season wins the league.

The Playoffs are connected to the British Championships. The teams with the most successful records from the rest of the season compete in a knock-out tournament for the title. The finals are held on an annual basis at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham.

The Challenge Cup was previously an event conducted by the Ice Hockey Superleague (IHS). When the EIHL replaced the IHS, the league also took responsibility for the annual Challenge Cup competition.

The Knockout Cup did not exist until the London Racers backed out of the EIHL in 2005. In order to help the other teams compensate for the subsequent shortfall in fixtures and avoid letting down fans who had already bought tickets, the Knockout competition was introduced. The competition looks set to continue in future years.

The English Premier Ice Hockey League (EPIHL)
Overseen by the EIHA and is comprised of 12 teams. The EPIHL (commonly referred to as the EPL) is generally considered to be less prestigious than the EIHL, although it still attracts a loyal following. The teams currently involved in the EPIHL are:

• Bracknell Bees
• Chelmsford Chieftains
• Guildford Flames
• Milton Keynes Lightning
• Peterborough Phantoms
• Romford Raiders
• Sheffield Scimitars
• Slough Jets
• Swindon Wildcats
• Telford Tigers
• Whitelink Raiders

All of the teams have accessible, informative websites and sell tickets to their games online.

The English National Hockey League (ENIHL)
Commonly referred to as the ENL, the ENIHL is an amateur league based in England. It is split into northern and southern conferences. Many of these amateur teams have junior teams and are a good way of getting involved in competitive ice hockey. Most have good websites including contact information:

Northern Conference

• Billingham Bombers
• Blackburn Hawks
• Flintshire Freeze
• Newcastle ENL Vipers
• Nottingham Lions
• Sheffield Spartans
• Whitley Warriors

The Kingston Jets, based in Hull, do not have a website, but can be contacted at the following address:

The Kingston Jets
Hull Ice Arena,
Kingston Street,
Hull,
HU1 2DZ
Tel.: +44 (0)1482 325252

Southern Conference

• Basingstoke Buffalo
• Bracknell Hornets
• Cardiff Devils
• Haringey Devils
• Invicta Dynamos (based in Gillingham, Kent)
• Lee Valley Lions
• Milton Keynes Thunder
• Oxford Stars
• Peterborough Islanders
• Solent and Gosport Ice Hockey Club
• Solihull Barons
• Streatham Ice Hockey Club

The Scottish Ice Hockey League (SIHL)
The Scottish Ice Hockey website has information about the SIHL in addition to a very useful contacts page with information about participating teams in the league.

• Aberdeen Lynx
• Dumfries Solway Sharks
• Dundee Stars
• Dundee Tigers
• Edinburgh Capitals
• Elgin Tornadoes
• Fife Flyers
• North Ayr Bruins
• Paisley Pirates