| 2023–24 EIHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | Elite Ice Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration |
|
| Number of matches | 330 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Regular season | |
| Challenge Cup | |
| Playoffs | |
The 2023–24 EIHL season is the 20th anniversary season of the Elite Ice Hockey League. The regular season commenced on 23 September 2023, and the final match day will be on 8 April 2024; the playoff quarter-finals will be held over the weekend of 14 April and Playoff final weekend will be held the following weekend.[1]
The season was marred by the death of Nottingham Panthers forward Adam Johnson during a Challenge Cup match between the Panthers and the Sheffield Steelers,[2] held on 28 October, at the Sheffield Arena.[3] Johnson had suffered a cut to his neck by the blade of a skate,[4] and received emergency treatment on the ice before being transferred to the Northern General Hospital, but died from his injuries.[3] The EIHL postponed all scheduled matches for the following day, 29 October,[5] and subsequent matches on 31 October and 1 November were also postponed.[6][7] Teams returned to action on 4 November, with the exception of Sheffield and Nottingham,[7] who returned to the ice a week and two weeks later.
Teams
The same ten teams that competed in 2022–23 competed in the 2023–24 season.
| Team | City/Town | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast Giants | Belfast | SSE Arena Belfast | 8,700 |
| Cardiff Devils |  Cardiff |
Vindico Arena | 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 plays 54 games, playing each of the other nine teams six times: three times on home ice, and three times away from home.[8] Points are awarded for each game, where two points are awarded for all victories, regardless of whether it was in regulation time or after overtime or game-winning shots. One point is 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 finishes with the most points is crowned the league champion, and qualify for the 2024–25 Champions Hockey League. The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheffield Steelers | 11 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 38 | 16 | +22 | 18 | Qualification to playoffs |
| 2 | Cardiff Devils | 12 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 45 | 23 | +22 | 18 | |
| 3 | Glasgow Clan | 14 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 44 | 59 | −15 | 16 | |
| 4 | Dundee Stars | 14 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 44 | 50 | −6 | 15 | |
| 5 | Manchester Storm | 14 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 32 | 38 | −6 | 15 | |
| 6 | Belfast Giants | 14 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 44 | 40 | +4 | 14 | |
| 7 | Fife Flyers | 14 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 37 | 50 | −13 | 14 | |
| 8 | Nottingham Panthers | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 30 | 22 | +8 | 12 | |
| 9 | Guildford Flames | 14 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 40 | 49 | −9 | 12 | |
| 10 | Coventry Blaze | 11 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 43 | −7 | 9 |
Rules for classification:
- In-season: 1) Points; 2) Fewest games played; end of season criteria as below.
- End of season: 1) Points; 2) Games won in regulation time; 3) Number of games won; 4) Head-to-head results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 5) Fewest regulation losses; 6) Away game results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 7) Goals scored; 8) Goal difference; 9) Fewest penalty minutes; 10) Drawing of lots.
Statistics
Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in points, at the conclusion of games played on 1 December 2023.[9] If two or more skaters are tied (i.e. same number of points, goals and played games), all of the tied skaters are shown.
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/– | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Valentini | Dundee Stars | 13 | 8 | 8 | 16 | +1 | 0 |
| Drydn Dow | Dundee Stars | 14 | 8 | 7 | 15 | +7 | 15 |
| Kyle Osterberg | Fife Flyers | 13 | 6 | 9 | 15 | +3 | 6 |
| Spencer Naas | Dundee Stars | 14 | 6 | 9 | 15 | +4 | 0 |
| Michael Pelech | Glasgow Clan | 14 | 6 | 9 | 15 | –4 | 8 |
| Danny Kristo | Coventry Blaze | 11 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 0 | 8 |
| Kobe Roth | Coventry Blaze | 11 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Lewis Hook | Guildford Flames | 13 | 5 | 9 | 14 | +1 | 0 |
| Johan Eriksson | Fife Flyers | 14 | 5 | 9 | 14 | +2 | 0 |
| Ian McNulty | Coventry Blaze | 11 | 3 | 11 | 14 | –2 | 4 |
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 games played on 1 December 2023.[10]
| Player | Team(s) | GP | TOI | W | L | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Greenfield | Sheffield Steelers | 11 | 663:30 | 9 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 93.82% | 1.45 |
| Ben Bowns | Cardiff Devils | 10 | 594:33 | 7 | 3 | 18 | 1 | 94.32% | 1.82 |
| Rok Stojanovič | Nottingham Panthers | 7 | 428:12 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 91.09% | 2.52 |
| Evan Weninger | Manchester Storm | 14 | 850:52 | 6 | 8 | 36 | 1 | 92.50% | 2.54 |
| Tyler Beskorowany | Belfast Giants | 14 | 832:00 | 7 | 7 | 37 | 0 | 89.21% | 2.67 |
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is split into two stages: an initial group stage where the league's ten teams are divided into three groups based on geographical distance – one group of four teams (Group A) and two groups of three teams (Groups B and C). The three group winners, along with the five best remaining teams on win percentage qualify for the knockout stage. The quarter-finals and semi-finals are held over two legs, with a one-off final.[11]
Group stage
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belfast Giants | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 11 | +16 | 12 | Qualification to knockout stage |
| 2 | Fife Flyers | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 18 | +1 | 6 | |
| 3 | Glasgow Clan | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 21 | −6 | 4 | |
| 4 | Dundee Stars | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 26 | −11 | 2 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Games won in regulation time; 3) Number of games won; 4) Head-to-head results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 5) Fewest regulation losses; 6) Away game results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 7) Goals scored; 8) Goal difference; 9) Fewest penalty minutes; 10) Drawing of lots.
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff Devils | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 22 | +14 | 12 | Qualification to knockout stage |
| 2 | Guildford Flames | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 26 | 31 | −5 | 8 | |
| 3 | Coventry Blaze | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 27 | −9 | 5 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Games won in regulation time; 3) Number of games won; 4) Head-to-head results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 5) Fewest regulation losses; 6) Away game results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 7) Goals scored; 8) Goal difference; 9) Fewest penalty minutes; 10) Drawing of lots.
Group C
Following the death of Adam Johnson, the Nottingham Panthers withdrew from the Challenge Cup on 8 November 2023.[12] The game between the Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham, which was being led 2–1 by Sheffield at the time of its abandonment, was not considered in the standings or for potential tie-breaking scenarios between Sheffield and the Belfast Giants.[13]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheffield Steelers | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 8 | +22 | 12 | Qualification to knockout stage |
| 2 | Manchester Storm | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 28 | −12 | 2 | |
| 3 | Nottingham Panthers | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 19 | −10 | 2 | Withdrew from the competition |
Rules for classification: End of season: 1) Points; 2) Games won in regulation time; 3) Number of games won; 4) Head-to-head results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 5) Fewest regulation losses; 6) Away game results, ranked by criteria 1 to 3; 7) Goals scored; 8) Goal difference; 9) Fewest penalty minutes; 10) Drawing of lots.
Knockout stage
Following the conclusion of the league phase of the Challenge Cup, the quarter-final matchups (except for Belfast–Coventry) were determined on 29 November 2023.[14] The Belfast–Coventry game dates were confirmed two days later.[15]
| Quarter-finals (December 2023) | Semi-finals (24, 31 January 2024) | Final (March 2024) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Sheffield Steelers | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Manchester Storm | |||||||||||||||||
| TBD | ||||||||||||||||||
| TBD | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Belfast Giants | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Coventry Blaze | |||||||||||||||||
| TBD | ||||||||||||||||||
| (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | ||||||||||||||||||
| TBD | ||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Cardiff Devils | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Glasgow Clan | |||||||||||||||||
| TBD | ||||||||||||||||||
| TBD | ||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Fife Flyers | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Guildford Flames | |||||||||||||||||
Statistics
Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in points, at the conclusion of games played on 29 November 2023.[16] If two or more skaters are tied (i.e. same number of points, goals and played games), all of the tied skaters are shown.
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/– | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marc-Olivier Vallerand | Sheffield Steelers | 7 | 5 | 7 | 12 | +7 | 2 |
| Mark Cooper | Belfast Giants | 6 | 4 | 7 | 11 | +4 | 2 |
| Patrick Watling | Sheffield Steelers | 7 | 2 | 9 | 11 | +8 | 0 |
| Marcus Crawford | Cardiff Devils | 8 | 1 | 10 | 11 | +10 | 10 |
| Trevor Cox | Cardiff Devils | 8 | 4 | 6 | 10 | +6 | 2 |
| Ryan Tait | Guildford Flames | 8 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| Mitchell Balmas | Sheffield Steelers | 7 | 2 | 7 | 9 | +4 | 4 |
| Cole Sanford | Cardiff Devils | 7 | 5 | 3 | 8 | +6 | 0 |
| Joey Martin | Cardiff Devils | 8 | 1 | 7 | 8 | +5 | 0 |
| Peter Crinella | Guildford Flames | 8 | 5 | 2 | 7 | +1 | 4 |
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 games played on 29 November 2023.[17]
| Player | Team(s) | GP | TOI | W | L | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Morrone | Sheffield Steelers | 5 | 273:47[lower-alpha 1] | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 93.33% | 1.75 |
| Tyler Beskorowany | Belfast Giants | 4 | 229:23 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 91.86% | 1.83 |
| Ben Bowns | Cardiff Devils | 5 | 282:52 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 92.96% | 2.12 |
| Taran Kozun | Coventry Blaze | 6 | 360:53 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 92.52% | 2.66 |
| Jake Kielly | Glasgow Clan | 5 | 269:45 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 91.61% | 2.67 |
Notes
References
- ↑ "Gamecentre". EIHL. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
- ↑ "Adam Johnson: Nottingham Panthers forward dies after neck cut in Challenge Cup match". BBC Sport. BBC. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- 1 2 "Adam Johnson: Nottingham Panthers player dies after 'freak accident' in ice hockey match against Sheffield Steelers". Sky Sports. Sky UK. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ↑ Morgan, Tom (29 October 2023). "Adam Johnson: Nottingham Panthers ice hockey player dies after throat cut by opponent's blade". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ↑ "EIHL Statement: Adam Johnson". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ↑ "Club Statement: Upcoming fixtures". Nottingham Panthers. Nottingham Panthers Limited. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- 1 2 "Adam Johnson: Elite League postpones midweek games after death of Nottingham Panthers forward". BBC Sport. BBC. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ↑ "Elite League Info". Nottingham Panthers. Nottingham Panthers Limited. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ↑ "Statistics: Players - Elite Ice Hockey League 2023/2024". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ↑ "Statistics: Goalies - Elite Ice Hockey League 2023/2024". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ↑ "2023/24 Challenge Cup Format". Elite Ice Hockey League. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ↑ "Eight-time winners Nottingham Panthers withdraw from Challenge Cup after Adam Johnson death". ITV News. ITV plc. 9 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ↑ "Tie-breaking in the Challenge Cup". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. 22 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ↑ "Challenge Cup Quarter-Finals set". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ↑ "Challenge Cup Quarter Final Dates Confirmed". Coventry Blaze. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ↑ "Statistics: Players - Challenge Cup 2023/2024". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ↑ "Statistics: Goalies - Challenge Cup 2023/2024". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ↑ The Nottingham Panthers [@PanthersIHC] (28 October 2023). "33:47 - The game is stopped for a bad injury. Steelers 2 Panthers 1" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 November 2023 – via Twitter.