2000 – 01 ISL season The 2000 – 01 Ice Hockey Superleague season was the fifth season of the Sekonda Ice Hockey Superleague ( ISL ) . Belfast Giants , a new team formed in Northern Ireland , were granted a franchise , although they did not take part in the Benson & Hedges Cup . The Newcastle franchise was sold to Harry Harkimo , co - owner of Jokerit who play in the Finnish SM - liiga , and their name was changed to the Newcastle Jesters ( Jokerit being Finnish for Jester ) . This season , the league awarded three points for a win , two points for an overtime win and one point for an overtime loss in all competitions except the Benson & Hedges Cup . Any game still tied after overtime was decided by a penalty shootout . The Sheffield Steelers won a Grand Slam of all available competitions . However , the win was marred by the club being found guilty by the league for breaking the £450 , 000 wage cap and going into liquidation at the end of the season . Benson & Hedges Cup . The 2000 Benson & Hedges Cup consisted of the teams from the ISL , minus the Belfast Giants , and the teams from the British National League ( BNL ) . The ISL teams were split into two groups of four teams ( groups A and B ) and the BNL teams were split into two groups , one of four teams ( group C ) and one of five teams ( group D ) . Each team played the other teams in the group once at home and away . The group winners from the BNL groups entered the knock - out stage in a challenge round with the fourth placed teams from the ISL group stage . The winners of the challenge rounds entered the quarter finals with the top three teams from each ISL group . All games after the group stages were home and away aggregate scores except for the challenge round and the final itself which were one - off games . The final was held at Sheffield Arena . Challenge round . Winner Group C ( Fife ) vs 4th place Group B ( Newcastle ) Winner Group D ( Guildford ) vs 4th place Group A ( Bracknell ) Finals . Quarter finals . 3rd place Group B ( Nottingham ) vs 2nd place Group A ( Manchester ) Winner challenge game 2 ( Bracknell ) vs Winner Group B ( Sheffield ) 3rd place Group A ( Cardiff ) vs 2nd place Group B ( London ) Winner challenge game 1 ( Newcastle ) vs Winner Group A ( Ayr ) Semi finals . Winner semi final 2 ( Sheffield ) vs Winner semi final 1 ( Nottingham ) Winner semi final 4 ( Newcastle ) vs Winner semi final 3 ( London ) Final . The final took place at Sheffield Arena between Sheffield Steelers and Newcastle Jesters . Challenge Cup . All nine teams in the league competed in the Challenge Cup . The first round was the first home and away meeting of each team in the league with the points counting towards both the Challenge Cup table and the league table . The top four teams progressed to the semi finals . The semi finals were home and away games with the winner on aggregate progressing to the one off final game . Sheffield Steelers won the competition for the third time in a row . Semi finals . 1st place ( Belfast ) vs 4th place ( Sheffield ) 3rd place ( Ayr ) vs 2nd place ( London ) Final . Winner semi final 1 vs Winner semi final 2 League . Each team played three home games and three away games against each of their opponents . The top eight teams in the league were entered into the playoffs . Playoffs . The top eight teams in the league took part in the playoffs . Group A consisted of Belfast , London , Nottingham and Sheffield while Group B consisted of Ayr , Bracknell , Cardiff and Manchester . The top two teams from each playoff group qualified for the finals weekend . The third place playoff was dropped for this season . Semi Finals . Winner Group A vs 2nd place Group B Winner Group B vs 2nd place Group A Final . Winner semi final 1 vs Winner semi final 2 Scoring leaders . The scoring leaders are taken from all league games .