British ice hockey league champions

The British ice hockey league champions are the winners of the highest ice hockey league in the United Kingdom, currently the Elite Ice Hockey League. Previously, the highest league has been the British National League (1954–60), the Premier Division (1983–96) and the Ice Hockey Superleague (1996–2003).
==History==
Prior to the formation of the British National League, England and Scotland each had their own competitions. The English League was founded in 1931 with the Scottish National League being formed a year later. The majority of English League clubs left to form the English National League in 1935, leading the disbandment of the English League at the end of the 1935–36 season. The Scottish National League and English National League both continued until 1954. In that year the decision was taken to amalgamate the two leagues into one. The new competition initially fielded 12 sides in its inaugural season, four from England and eight from Scotland. The Dunfermline Vikings withdrew from the league in early 1955 and at the end of the season six of the seven remaining Scottish sides withdrew, leaving the league with five members. This fell to four following the closure of Harringay Arena in 1958 but increased again to five in 1959 following the admission of Streatham. The league was disbanded following the 1959–60 season.
Following the closure of the British National League, no league competition took place in the United Kingdom for the next six years. Instead clubs, some of which did not have a home rink, participated in rink tournaments. In 1966 the Northern League was formed. This league was made up of teams from Scotland and North East England and was the country's only league for four years. The Southern League was established in 1970 and was divided into the English League North and Inter-City League in 1978. The British Hockey League was formed in 1982 with the Premier Division being launched a season later. There has been a British league continuously since then, although there have been three different organizations and the number of teams taking part has varied from twelve between 1993 and 1995 to five in 2002–03. The current Elite Ice Hockey League was established in 2003.
In the 32 seasons in which a British league competition has been organized, a total of 40 clubs have taken part (although some clubs, such as the Ice Hockey Superleague's Newcastle franchise, have existed under different names). Of these 16 have won the league championship. The most successful club is the Sheffield Steelers, who have won the championship on seven occasions followed by the now-defunct Durham Wasps who won the title five times. The Cardiff Devils and the Coventry Blaze have each been champions four time. Of the other teams currently playing in the Elite Ice Hockey League, the Belfast Giants have been champions three times while the Nottingham Panthers, the only club to have played in all 35 seasons, have won the title once. The Murrayfield Racers, a predecessor of the Edinburgh Capitals, won the championship on two occasions. The Durham Wasps, Murrayfield Racers, Cardiff Devils, Sheffield Steelers and Coventry Blaze are the only sides to have successfully defended a title.
==Champions==
===1954–60: British National League===
Season 	Winner (number of titles)	Runner-up 	Third 	Top points scorer 	Top points scorer
Season 	Winner (number of titles)	Runner-up 	Third 	Player 	Points
1954–55	Harringay Racers (1) 	Nottingham Panthers	Paisley Pirates 	Chick Zamick (Nottingham) 	112
1955–56	Nottingham Panthers (1) 	Wembley Lions 	Paisley Pirates 	Statistics not availableThe primary source for statistics in British ice hockey in the post war period was the Ice Hockey World Annual. This ceased publishing following its 1956 edition and therefore the top points scorer after that time is not presently known.	
1956–57	Wembley Lions (1) 	Harringay Racers 	Brighton Tigers 	Statistics not availableThe primary source for statistics in British ice hockey in the post war period was the Ice Hockey World Annual. This ceased publishing following its 1956 edition and therefore the top points scorer after that time is not presently known.	
1957–58	Brighton Tigers (1) 	Nottingham Panthers	Harringay Racers	Statistics not availableThe primary source for statistics in British ice hockey in the post war period was the Ice Hockey World Annual. This ceased publishing following its 1956 edition and therefore the top points scorer after that time is not presently known.	
1958–59	Paisley Pirates (1) 	Wembley Lions 	Brighton Tigers 	Statistics not availableThe primary source for statistics in British ice hockey in the post war period was the Ice Hockey World Annual. This ceased publishing following its 1956 edition and therefore the top points scorer after that time is not presently known.	
1959–60	Streatham (1) 	Nottingham Panthers	Brighton Tigers 	Statistics not availableThe primary source for statistics in British ice hockey in the post war period was the Ice Hockey World Annual. This ceased publishing following its 1956 edition and therefore the top points scorer after that time is not presently known.	
===1983–96: Premier Division===
Season 	Winner (number of titles)	Runner-up 	Third 	Top points scorer 	Top points scorer
Season 	Winner (number of titles)	Runner-up 	Third 	Player 	Points
1983–84	Dundee Rockets (1) 	Durham Wasps 	Streatham Redskins 	Roy Halpin (Dundee) 	175
1984–85	Durham Wasps (1) 	Fife Flyers 	Murrayfield Racers 	David Stoyanovich (Fife)	175
1985–86	Durham Wasps (2) 	Murrayfield Racers 	Ayr Bruins 	Tim Salmon (Ayr) 	254
1986–87	Murrayfield Racers (1) 	Dundee Rockets 	Nottingham Panthers 	Rick Fera (Murrayfield) 	242
1987–88	Murrayfield Racers (2) 	Whitley Warriors 	Fife Flyers 	Scott Morrison (Whitley)	224
1988–89	Durham Wasps (3) 	Murrayfield Racers 	Nottingham Panthers 	Rick Brebant (Durham) 	218
1989–90	Cardiff Devils (1) 	Murrayfield Racers 	Durham Wasps 	Steve Moria (Cardiff) 	175
1990–91	Durham Wasps (4) 	Cardiff Devils 	Peterborough Pirates	Rick Brebant (Durham) 	209
1991–92	Durham Wasps (5) 	Nottingham Panthers	Cardiff Devils 	Rick Brebant (Durham) 	160
1992–93	Cardiff Devils (2) 	Murrayfield Racers 	Nottingham Panthers 	Tony Hand (Murrayfield) 	185
1993–94	Cardiff Devils (3) 	Sheffield Steelers 	Fife Flyers 	Tony Hand (Murrayfield) 	222
1994–95	Sheffield Steelers (1) 	Cardiff Devils 	Nottingham Panthers 	Tony Hand (Murrayfield) 	207
1995–96	Sheffield Steelers (2) 	Cardiff Devils 	Durham Wasps 	Tony Hand (Sheffield) 	135
===1996–2003: Ice Hockey Superleague===
Season 	Winner (number of titles)	Runner-up 	Third 	Top points scorer 	Top points scorer
Season 	Winner (number of titles)	Runner-up 	Third 	Player 	Points
1996–97 	Cardiff Devils (4) 	Sheffield Steelers 	Ayr Scottish Eagles	Dale Junkin (Bracknell) 	60
1997–98 	Ayr Scottish Eagles (1) 	Manchester Storm 	Cardiff Devils 	Tony Hand (Sheffield) 	39
1998–99 	Manchester Storm (1) 	Cardiff Devils 	Nottingham Panthers	Paul Adey (Nottingham) 	56
1999–2000	Bracknell Bees (1) 	Sheffield Steelers 	Manchester Storm 	Ed Courtenay (Sheffield) 	70
2000–01 	Sheffield Steelers (3) 	Cardiff Devils 	Bracknell Bees 	Greg Bullock (Manchester)	60
2001–02 	Belfast Giants (1) 	Ayr Scottish Eagles	Sheffield Steelers 	Kevin Riehl (Belfast) 	56
2002–03 	Sheffield Steelers (4) 	Belfast Giants 	Nottingham Panthers	Lee Jinman (Nottingham) 	36
===2003–present: Elite Ice Hockey League===
Season 	Winner (number of titles) 	Runner-up 	Third 	Top points scorer 	Top points scorer
Season 	Winner (number of titles) 	Runner-up 	Third 	Player 	Points
2003–04	Sheffield Steelers (5) 	Nottingham Panthers 	Coventry Blaze 	Mark Dutiaume (Sheffield) 	88
2004–05	Coventry Blaze (1) 	Belfast Giants 	Cardiff Devils 	Dan Carlson (Coventry) 	61
2005–06	Belfast Giants (2) 	Newcastle Vipers 	Nottingham Panthers 	Theo Fleury (Belfast) 	81
2006–07	Coventry Blaze (2) 	Belfast Giants 	Cardiff Devils 	Dan Tessier (Sheffield) 	84
2007–08	Coventry Blaze (3) 	Sheffield Steelers 	Nottingham Panthers 	Adam Calder (Coventry) 	104
2008–09	Sheffield Steelers (6) 	Coventry Blaze 	Nottingham Panthers 	David-Alexandre Beauregard (Manchester)	107
2009–10	Coventry Blaze (4) 	Belfast Giants 	Nottingham Panthers 	 	
2010–11	Sheffield Steelers (7) 	Cardiff Devils 	Belfast Giants 	 	
2011–12	Belfast Giants (3) 	Sheffield Steelers 	Nottingham Panthers 	 	
2012–13	Nottingham Panthers (2) 	Belfast Giants 	Sheffield Steelers 	David Ling (Nottingham) 	95
2013–14	Belfast Giants (4) 	Sheffield Steelers 	Dundee Stars 	Ryan Ginand (Coventry) 	85
2014–15	Sheffield Steelers (8) 	Braehead Clan 	Cardiff Devils 	Mathieu Roy (Sheffield) 	79
2015–16	Sheffield Steelers (9) 	Cardiff Devils 	Braehead Clan 	Mathew Sisca (Manchester) 	75
2016–17	Cardiff Devils (5) 	Belfast Giants 	Sheffield Steelers 	Matt Beca (Braehead) 	75
2017–18	Cardiff Devils (6) 	Manchester Storm 	Sheffield Steelers 	Mike Hammond (Manchester) 	83
2018–19	Belfast Giants (5) 	Cardiff Devils 	Nottingham Panthers 	Darcy Murphy (Belfast) 	79
2019–20	Season abandoned due to coronavirus pandemic. No championship awarded. 	Season abandoned due to coronavirus pandemic. No championship awarded. 	Season abandoned due to coronavirus pandemic. No championship awarded. 	Sam Herr (Nottingham) 	59
2020-21	Season cancelled entirely due to coronavirus pandemic. No championship awarded.	Season cancelled entirely due to coronavirus pandemic. No championship awarded.	Season cancelled entirely due to coronavirus pandemic. No championship awarded.	N/A 	N/A
2021–22	Belfast Giants (6) 	Sheffield Steelers 	Cardiff Devils 	J.J. Piccinich (Belfast) 	80
2022–23	Belfast Giants (7) 	Guildford Flames 	Sheffield Steelers 	Scott Conway (Belfast) 	90
2023–24	Sheffield Steelers (10) 	Cardiff Devils 	Belfast Giants 	Mitchell Balmas (Sheffield) 	66
==Total titles won==
Teams in bold are current Elite Ice Hockey League members. Teams in italics are teams which play outside of the Elite Ice Hockey League. The remaining teams are defunct, although Dundee, Edinburgh (home of the Murrayfield Racers) and Manchester still have their own ice hockey teams.
Club 	Winners	Runners-up	Winning Years
Sheffield Steelers 	10 	7 	1994–95, 1995–96, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2023–24
Belfast Giants 	7 	6 	2001–02, 2005–06, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022-23
Cardiff Devils 	6 	9 	1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1996–97, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2023–24
Durham Wasps 	5 	2 	1984–85, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92
Coventry Blaze 	4 	1 	2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10
Nottingham Panthers	2 	5 	1955–56, 2012–13
Murrayfield Racers 	2 	4 	1986–87, 1987–88
Dundee Rockets 	2 	1 	1982-83, 1983–84
Wembley Lions 	1 	2 	1956–57
Harringay Racers 	1 	1 	1954–55
Ayr Scottish Eagles	1 	1 	1997–98
Manchester Storm 	1 	1 	1998–99
Brighton Tigers 	1 	0 	1957–58
Paisley Pirates 	1 	0 	1958–59
Streatham 	1 	0 	1959–60
Bracknell Bees 	1 	0 	1999–2000
==Total titles won by Home Nation==
Each of the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom have had at least one team who have been British champions. Teams from England have been league champions on 24 occasions, Scottish sides five times, while Welsh side Cardiff Devils and the Northern Ireland based Belfast Giants are the only sides from their parts of the United Kingdom to win the league.
Nation 	Number of titles	Clubs
England 	27 	Sheffield Steelers (10), Durham Wasps (5), Coventry Blaze (4), Nottingham Panthers (2), Bracknell Bees (1), Manchester Storm (1), Streatham (1), Brighton Tigers (1), Wembley Lions (1), Harringay Racers (1)
Northern Ireland	7 	Belfast Giants (7)
Wales 	6 	Cardiff Devils (6)
Scotland 	5 	Murrayfield Racers (2), Ayr Scottish Eagles (1), Dundee Rockets (1), Paisley Pirates (1)
==Notes and references==
Category:Lists