2003 – 04 EIHL season The 2003 – 04 Elite Ice Hockey League season was the inaugrual season of the Elite League . The season ran from September 12 , 2003 until April 4 , 2004 . During the 2002 – 03 season , the financial collapse of the Manchester Storm and the Scottish Eagles , the resignation of the Bracknell Bees and the uncertainty surrounding the London Knights and their London Arena home left the Ice Hockey Superleague with little option but to fold . The three remaining Superleague clubs , the Belfast Giants , Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers were joined by three British National League clubs , the Basingstoke Bison , Cardiff Devils and Coventry Blaze and two new clubs , the London Racers and Manchester Phoenix in establishing the Elite Ice Hockey League . The clubs hoped to provide a more financially sustainable league than its predecessor with a greater number of British trained players taking part . The league was met with considerable opposition from the governing body , Ice Hockey UK who initially refused to affiliate itself with the new league , instead desiring that the remaining Superleague clubs integrate themselves into the British National League . This led to a bitter summer of uncertainty which only the intervention of the International Ice Hockey Federation ended . The IIHF ruled that the Elite League be granted a single season ' s affiliation with IHUK while discussions between IHUK , the EIHL and the BNL took place on the future of the sport in the United Kingdom . The season began on September 12 , 2003 with a game between the newly formed London Racers and the previous season ' s league champions , Sheffield Steelers . London began the season at Alexandra Palace but within a few weeks had relocated to the Lee Valley Ice Centre . The Racers went much of the season without winning , before finally claiming a 3 - 0 victory over Cardiff as the season drew to its close . Challenge Cup . During the early part of the season , the results from league games also counted towards a separate Challenge Cup table . After each team had played each other once at home and once away , the top four teams in the table qualified for the semi finals . Semi Finals . 1st ( Belfast ) vs 4th ( Nottingham ) 2nd ( Sheffield ) vs 3rd ( Cardiff ) Final . The final brought Nottingham and Sheffield head - to - head in a major final for the seventh time . The Steelers had won each of the last six finals in a run stretching back to 1995 and were clear favourites to win a seventh straight final against their bitter rivals after convincingly winning the Elite League title . After a tight 1 - 1 draw at the National Ice Centre , the two clubs met in the second leg at Sheffield Arena on March 17 . The Panthers stormed into an early 2 - 0 lead before the Steelers fought back to tie the game at 2 - 2 . Regulation time ended level and so the game went into overtime . After 53 seconds , Kim Ahlroos won the game for Nottingham , ending an eight year wait for the club to defeat their rivals in a showpiece event . First Leg Second Leg League . Each team played four home games and four away games against each of their opponents . Sheffield and Nottingham fought it out for the inaugrual Elite League title before the Steelers pulled away to become comfortable champions thanks to twenty consecutive wins including 7 - 3 , 5 - 0 , 3 - 0 and 7 - 4 victories over the Panthers . Nottingham finished runner - up while Coventry were the most successful former BNL side , finishing third . Belfast began the season strongly before a poor run of results in the second half of the season saw them slip to fourth place . Struggling London were always destined to finish last , doing so by thirty - eight points , while Basingstoke also missed out on a place in the playoffs . Playoffs . The top six teams qualified for the playoffs . Group A consisted of Sheffield , Belfast and Manchester while Group B consisted of Nottingham , Coventry and Cardiff . The Phoenix chose to stage one of its home games , against the Steelers at the 1 , 500 capacity IceSheffield rather than play the substantial costs involved in hiring the MEN Arena . Semi Finals . The finals weekend took place over the weekend of 3 April - 4 April at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham . Winner A vs Runner - Up B Winner B vs Runner - Up A Final . Winner A vs Winner B The final saw the two main protagonists of the season come head - to - head in a repeat of the title race and Challenge Cup final . The Steelers avenged their overtime loss in the Cup a few weeks earlier by beating the Panthers 2 - 1 before a capacity crowd at the NIC . Sheffield marched into a 2 - 0 lead before Nottingham pulled a goal back on a 5 on 3 powerplay . The Panthers never seriously threatened Sheffield ' s goal and in the end the Steelers were comfortable winners . Scoring leaders . The scoring leaders are taken from all league games .