2019–20 EIHL season
LeagueElite Ice Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Duration
  • Scheduled for:
  • 7 September 2019 – 29 March 2020 (regular season)
  • April 2020 (playoffs)
Regular season
LeagueNo winner
Conference
Playoffs

The 2019–20 EIHL season was the 17th season of the Elite Ice Hockey League. The regular season commenced on 7 September 2019 and was due to end on 29 March 2020, with the playoffs following in April 2020. The reigning league champions were the Belfast Giants, who won the title on the final day of the regular season, in 2018–19.[1]

On 13 March 2020, two weekends before the regular season was due to end, league officials cancelled all remaining matches due to be held; this was as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.[2][3]

Teams

Sheffield Steelers vs Guildford Flames, 4 January 2020

After having eleven teams for the 2018–19 season, the league reduced to ten for the 2019–20 season. This was due to the Milton Keynes Lightning – who had finished bottom of the league – returning to the National Ice Hockey League.[4] For the first time since 2011–12, the league did not feature Conference splits.

Team City/Town Arena Capacity
Belfast GiantsBelfastSSE Arena Belfast7,200
Cardiff DevilsWales CardiffIce Arena Wales3,088
Coventry BlazeEngland CoventryCoventry Skydome3,000
Dundee StarsScotland DundeeDundee Ice Arena2,400
Fife FlyersScotland KirkcaldyFife Ice Arena3,525
Glasgow ClanScotland GlasgowBraehead Arena4,000
Guildford FlamesEngland GuildfordGuildford Spectrum2,001
Manchester StormEngland AltrinchamAltrincham Ice Dome2,351
Nottingham PanthersEngland NottinghamNational Ice Centre7,500
Sheffield SteelersEngland SheffieldFlyDSA Arena8,500

League standings at time of cancellation

Each team was scheduled to play 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 are 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 would normally be crowned the league champion.

However, after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the season, it was agreed the season would finish without a league winner; Sheffield Steelers won the Challenge Cup; league leaders Cardiff Devils qualified for the 2020–21 Champions Hockey League.[5]

Pos Team Pld W OTW OTL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Cardiff Devils (Q) 46 28 3 2 13 162 138 +24 64 Qualification to playoffs
2 Sheffield Steelers (Q) 49 28 3 1 17 211 154 +57 63
3 Coventry Blaze (Q) 48 25 2 7 14 180 158 +22 61
4 Belfast Giants (Q) 48 26 2 4 16 149 125 +24 60
5 Nottingham Panthers (Q) 46 21 6 4 15 147 124 +23 58
6 Guildford Flames (Q) 47 19 6 3 19 146 146 0 53
7 Glasgow Clan 48 14 5 3 26 141 181 −40 41
8 Manchester Storm 49 12 6 5 26 119 151 −32 41
9 Dundee Stars 48 16 2 3 27 146 179 −33 39
10 Fife Flyers 49 14 1 4 30 124 169 −45 34
Updated to match(es) played on 8 March 2020. Source: Elite League
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.

(Q) Qualified to the phase indicated

Statistics

Scoring leaders

The following players led the league in points, at the conclusion of matches played on 8 March 2020.[6] 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
Sam Herr Nottingham Panthers 46 30 29 59 +16 42
Joey Haddad Cardiff Devils 46 29 28 57 +11 30
Brendan Connolly Sheffield Steelers 48 26 29 55 +16 86
Luke Ferrara Coventry Blaze 47 33 21 54 +4 18
Charles Corcoran Coventry Blaze 48 17 35 52 –11 16
Marc-Olivier Vallerand Sheffield Steelers 40 26 25 51 +12 47
Andrew Johnston Coventry Blaze 48 21 29 50 +9 54
Janne Laakkonen Coventry Blaze 43 9 40 49 +8 16
Anthony DeLuca Sheffield Steelers 42 26 21 47 +19 61
Gleason Fournier Cardiff Devils 46 13 34 47 +3 18

Leading goaltenders

The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average, at the conclusion of matches played on 8 March 2020, providing they had played 1080 minutes.[7]

Player Team GP TOI W L GA SO SV% GAA
Shane Owen Belfast Giants 43 2445:10 24 17 97 2 91.65% 2.38
Kevin Carr Nottingham Panthers 37 2233:25 22 15 90 4 91.78% 2.42
C. J. Motte Coventry Blaze 24 1465:20 15 9 61 3 92.68% 2.50
Matt Ginn Manchester Storm 49 2914:18 18 30 137 3 92.11% 2.82
Ben Bowns Cardiff Devils 46 2763:31 31 15 130 2 90.50% 2.82

References

  1. ↑ "Elite League: Cardiff Devils lose at Coventry Blaze to miss out on title". BBC Sport. BBC. 31 March 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  2. ↑ "EIHL cancels all matches for rest of season". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  3. ↑ "Coronavirus: Elite League ice hockey cancelled for the rest of 2019-20". BBC Sport. BBC. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  4. ↑ Gordon, James (16 March 2019). "MK Lightning to drop out of Elite League". British Ice Hockey. JDG Media Ltd. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  5. ↑ "No League Champions in 2019/20 - Devils to enter CHL". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  6. ↑ "Statistics: Players". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  7. ↑ "Statistics: Goalies". Elite Ice Hockey League. Pendulum Management. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
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