English Premier Ice Hockey League

The English Premier Ice Hockey League (EPIHL) was an ice hockey league of 10 teams, all of which were based in England. Headquartered in Blackpool, the EPIHL was one of two professional ice hockey leagues in the United Kingdom (the other being the Elite Ice Hockey League). A total of 27 teams played in the league at one time or another. Swindon Wildcats were the only team to have consistently featured in the EPIHL from its inaugural season in 1997-98. In 2017, the league was disbanded, with its teams either joining the top-tier Elite Ice Hockey League or the second-tier National Ice Hockey League.
==History ==
The league was founded in 1997, under the banner of "national division", as part of the English National Ice Hockey League in order to serve former members of the British National League who couldn't afford to remain in the latter as a result of increased operating costs; but who were capable of a level of play above the import-free English leagues that made up the rest of the ENIHL. During the 1997-98 season the teams that constituted this division played dual schedules; a series of games solely amongst their own division, and another amongst all the teams that were playing under the ENIHL at that time.
Each year, the league crowned a regular season champion, a post-season playoffs champion, and a knockout Cup champion. Solihull Blaze won the league and play-off trophies of both formats during this inaugural season. At the start of the 1998-99 season the divisions, whilst still both under the ENIHL umbrella, performed in their own separate competitions; and the national division adopted the name "premier division", and later on became known as the "premier league". By the end of the season the league had established itself outside of the ENIHL as the "English Premier Ice Hockey League". In 2005 the BNL disbanded; leaving the EPIHL to take its place as the second tier of the national game.
In 2017, the league was dissolved. The Milton Keynes Lightning and Guildford Flames joined the Elite League, Manchester Phoenix folded, and the remaining seven teams became part of the National Ice Hockey League.
==Organizational structure==
The league was ruled and governed by the English Ice Hockey Association. The last chairman of the EPIHL was Ken Taggart.
===Executives===
*Chairman: Ken Taggart
*Chief Referee: Mohammad Ashraff
*Administrator: Mary Faunt
*Fixtures Secretary: Gary Dent
*Teams Owners Rep: Harry Howton
* Statistician: Malcolm Preen
* Registrations: Liz Moralee
==Teams 2016-17 season ==
Team 	City 	Arena 	Capacity	Founded	Joined	Tenure 	Head Coach 	Captain
Basingstoke Bison 	Basingstoke, Hampshire 	Planet Ice Silverdome Arena 	2,000 	1988 	2009 	2009–present 	Doug Sheppard (P/C) 	Joe Greener
Bracknell Bees 	Bracknell, Berkshire 	John Nike Leisuresport Complex	2,400 	1987 	2005 	2005–present 	Lukas Smital (P/C) 	Matt Foord
Hull Pirates 	Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire	Hull Arena 	3,750 	2015 	2015 	2015–present 	Dominc Osman (P/C) 	Nathan Salem
Peterborough Phantoms	Peterborough, Cambridgeshire 	Planet Ice Peterborough 	1,250 	2002 	2002 	2002–present 	Slava Koulikov (P/C)	James Ferrara
Sheffield Steeldogs 	Sheffield, South Yorkshire 	IceSheffield 	1,500 	2001 	2005 	2005–present 	Greg Wood (P/C) 	Ben Morgan
Swindon Wildcats 	Swindon, Wiltshire 	Link Centre 	2,800 	1986 	1997 	1997–present 	Aaron Nell (P/C) 	Jan Košťál
Telford Tigers 	Telford, Shropshire 	Telford Ice Rink 	600 	2001 	2010 	2002-2009,2010–present	Tom Watkins 	Jason Silverthorn
;Notes
# Although the Telford Tigers joined the league in 2005. They did not play in the 2009–10 season due to financial issues.
===Former teams ===
Team 	City 	Founded 	Joined 	Left
Billingham Eagles 	Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees 	1996 	1997 	1998
Blackburn Hawks 	Blackburn, Lancashire 	1990 	1998 	1999
Chelmsford Chieftains 	Chelmsford, Essex 	1987 	19982002	20002008
Solihull Blaze 	Solihull, West Midlands 	1965 	1997 	1999
Guildford Flames 	Guildford, Surrey 	1992 	2005 	2017
Haringey Greyhounds 	Harringay, Greater London 	1990 	2000 	2003
Hull Stingrays 	Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire	2003 	2005 	2006
Invicta Dynamos 	Gillingham, Kent 	1997 	1997 	2003
Kingston Jets 	Kingston-upon-Thames, London 	1996 	1997 	1998
London Raiders 	Romford, Greater London 	1987 	19982002	20002010
Manchester Phoenix 	Manchester 	2003 	2009 	2017
Milton Keynes Kings 	Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire 	1990 	1998 	1999
Milton Keynes Lightning	Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire 	2002 	2002 	2017
Nottingham Lions 	Nottingham, Nottinghamshire 	2000 	2000 	2003
Oxford Blades 	Oxford, Oxfordshire 	1998 	1998 	2000
Slough Jets 	Slough, Berkshire 	1986 	2002 	2014
Solihull Barons 	Solihull, West Midlands 	20002005	20002005	20022007
Solihull Kings 	Solihull, West Midlands 	2003 	2003 	2005
Sunderland Chiefs 	Sunderland, Tyne and Wear 	1977 	1997 	1998
Whitley Warriors 	Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear 	1955 	1997 	1998
Wightlink Raiders 	Ryde, Isle of Wight 	1991 	1997 	2009
==Champions==
Season 	League 	Play-offs 	EPL Cup
1997–98	Solihull Blaze 	Solihull Blaze 	—
1998–99	Solihull Blaze 	Solihull Blaze 	Milton Keynes Kings
1999–00	Chelmsford Chieftains 	Chelmsford Chieftains 	-
2000–01	Swindon Wildcats 	London Raiders 	-
2001–02	Invicta Dynamos 	Invicta Dynamos 	London Raiders
2002–03	Peterborough Phantoms 	Milton Keynes Lightning	Wightlink Raiders
2003–04	Milton Keynes Lightning	Milton Keynes Lightning	Peterborough Phantoms
2004–05	Milton Keynes Lightning	Milton Keynes Lightning	London Raiders
2005–06	Guildford Flames 	Milton Keynes Lightning	Bracknell Bees
2006–07	Bracknell Bees 	Bracknell Bees 	Guildford Flames
2007–08	Guildford Flames 	Slough Jets 	Bracknell Bees
2008–09	Peterborough Phantoms 	Peterborough Phantoms 	Peterborough Phantoms
2009–10	Milton Keynes Lightning	Slough Jets 	Guildford Flames
2010–11	Manchester Phoenix 	Guildford Flames 	Slough Jets
2011–12	Guildford Flames 	Slough Jets 	Guildford Flames
2012–13	Guildford Flames 	Manchester Phoenix 	Guildford Flames
2013–14	Manchester Phoenix 	Basingstoke Bison 	Basingstoke Bison
2014–15	Telford Tigers 	Peterborough Phantoms 	Telford Tigers
2015-16	Basingstoke Bison 	Guildford Flames 	Guildford Flames
2016-17	Telford Tigers 	Milton Keynes Lightning	Milton Keynes Lightning
===Team total championships===
Team 	League	Play-offs	EPL Cup	Total
Guildford Flames 	4 	2 	5 	11
Milton Keynes Lightning	3 	5 	1 	9
Peterborough Phantoms 	2 	2 	2 	6
Solihull Blaze 	2 	2 	0 	4
Bracknell Bees 	1 	1 	2 	4
Slough Jets 	0 	3 	1 	4
Manchester Phoenix 	2 	1 	0 	3
London Raiders 	0 	1 	2 	3
Basingstoke Bison 	1 	1 	1 	3
Chelmsford Chieftains 	1 	1 	0 	2
Invicta Dynamos 	1 	1 	0 	2
Telford Tigers 	2 	0 	1 	3
Swindon Wildcats 	1 	0 	0 	1
Milton Keynes Kings 	0 	0 	1 	1
Wightlink Raiders 	0 	0 	1 	1
==References==
==External links==
*EPIHL Official Website
*Unofficial EPIHL website & Forum
 
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Category:Defunct second tier ice hockey leagues in Europe
Category:Disestablished in 2017