2021–22 EIHL season

The 2021–22 EIHL season was the 18th season of the Elite Ice Hockey League. The regular season commenced on 25 September 2021, and finished on 17 April 2022, with the playoffs taking place over the following two weekends. The previous campaign in 2020–21 was suspended indefinitely in September 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom; a reduced Elite Series was held in April and May 2021, involving the Sheffield Steelers, the Nottingham Panthers, the Coventry Blaze and the Manchester Storm, to provide competitive ice time for players ahead of the 2021 IIHF World Championship.
The Belfast Giants won the regular season title for a record-equalling fifth time with two games to spare, following their 2–1 overtime win at their closest challengers, the Sheffield Steelers, on 10 April 2022. Having also won the Challenge Cup, the Belfast Giants had an opportunity to seal a Grand Slam in the playoff final, however they lost 6–3 to the Cardiff Devils – who won their third consecutive playoff title.
==Teams==
The same ten teams that competed in the last regular season in 2019–20 are competing in the 2021–22 season.
 	 	 	
Belfast Giants 	Belfast 	SSE Arena Belfast 	8,700
Cardiff Devils 	Cardiff 	Ice Arena Wales 	3,088
Coventry Blaze 	Coventry 	Coventry Skydome 	3,000
Dundee Stars 	Dundee 	Dundee Ice Arena 	2,400
Fife Flyers 	Kirkcaldy 	Fife Ice Arena 	3,525
Glasgow Clan 	Glasgow 	Braehead Arena 	4,000
Guildford Flames 	Guildford 	Guildford Spectrum 	2,001
Manchester Storm 	Altrincham	Altrincham Ice Dome 	2,351
Nottingham Panthers	Nottingham	Motorpoint Arena Nottingham	7,500
Sheffield Steelers 	Sheffield 	Utilita Arena Sheffield 	9,300
==Regular season==
===League standings===
Each team played 54 games, playing each of the other nine teams six times: three times on home ice, and three times away from home. Points were awarded for each game, where two points were awarded for all victories, regardless of whether it was in regulation time or after overtime or game-winning shots. One point was awarded for losing in overtime or game-winning shots, and zero points for losing in regulation time. At the end of the regular season, the team that finished with the most points was crowned the league champion, and qualified for the 2022–23 Champions Hockey League. The top eight teams qualified for the playoffs.
===Results===
===Statistics===
====Scoring leaders====
The following players led the league in points, at the conclusion of the regular season.
Player	Team 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	Belfast Giants 	52	35	45	80	+48	22
 	Belfast Giants 	53	33	45	78	+37	56
 	Dundee Stars 	52	30	35	65	+4 	44
 	Belfast Giants 	53	28	33	61	+27	25
 	Dundee Stars 	51	28	32	60	+8 	6
 	Manchester Storm 	54	25	35	60	−28	24
 	Glasgow Clan 	53	33	26	59	+8 	46
 	Cardiff Devils 	52	31	28	59	+7 	10
 	Sheffield Steelers	45	26	33	59	+24	44
 	Belfast Giants 	48	18	40	58	+33	14
====Leading goaltenders====
The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average, provided that they have played at least 40% of their team's minutes, at the conclusion of the regular season.
Player	Team 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	Belfast Giants 	41	2384:47	32	9 	67 	6	93.17%	1.69
 	Cardiff Devils 	41	2355:05	24	16	84 	5	93.67%	2.14
 	Sheffield Steelers	35	2107:06	24	11	79 	2	92.53%	2.25
 	Guildford Flames 	49	2910:39	23	26	140	3	90.95%	2.89
 	Coventry Blaze 	51	2950:29	21	29	147	4	91.12%	2.99
==Playoffs==
===Bracket===
In the two-legged quarter-finals, the highest-ranked team met the lowest-ranked team, the second-highest-ranked team met the second-lowest-ranked team and so forth. The winners of each tie was determined by aggregate scoring over the two games. In the semi-finals, the highest remaining seed was matched against the lowest remaining seed, with the other two teams facing off. The winners of the semi-finals progressed to the Final, with the losers playing in the third-place match.
===Quarter-finals===
The quarter-final schedule was announced after the conclusion of the final-day regular season matches.
====(1) Belfast Giants vs. (8) Coventry Blaze====
====(2) Sheffield Steelers vs. (7) Dundee Stars====
====(3) Cardiff Devils vs. (6) Glasgow Clan====
====(4) Nottingham Panthers vs. (5) Guildford Flames====
===Semi-finals===
The schedule for the Playoff Finals weekend was announced after the conclusion of the quarter-final matches.
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===Third-place match===
===Final===
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Elite Ice Hockey League seasons
Category:2021–22 in British ice hockey
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