Definition
The 2019–20 EIHL season was the 18th regular season of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), the professional ice‑hockey league that operates in the United Kingdom. The season commenced in September 2019 and was curtailed in March 2020 because of the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Overview
The season featured ten clubs divided into two conferences: the Erhardt (Northern) and Gardiner (Southern) conferences. Each team was scheduled to play 56 regular‑season games—four games against every other club—followed by a postseason playoff to determine the league champion. The league’s regular‑season champion would have been awarded the Gardiner Trophy (the league’s premier trophy), while the playoff winner would claim the Champions Cup. The season also included participation in the annual Challenge Cup, a separate knockout competition that ran concurrently with the league schedule.
Midway through the season, the EIHL announced a temporary suspension of matches in response to the emerging coronavirus crisis. On 15 March 2020, the league formally terminated the 2019–20 campaign without awarding league or playoff titles, a decision made in consultation with the clubs, the UK government, and public‑health authorities.
Etymology/Origin
- EIHL: An acronym for Elite Ice Hockey League, the name adopted when the league was founded in 2003 to replace the former Ice Hockey Superleague.
- 2019–20: Denotes the typical North‑American/European ice‑hockey season format that spans two calendar years, beginning in the latter part of 2019 and concluding in early 2020.
Characteristics
- Teams: Belfast Giants, Cardiff Devils, Coventry Blaze, Dundee Stars, Fife Flyers, Glasgow Clan, Hull Pirates, Leicester Riders, Nottingham Panthers, Sheffield Steelers.
- Season structure:
- Regular season: 56 games per club, balanced home‑and‑away schedule.
- Challenge Cup: Group stage followed by two‑legged knockout rounds, culminating in a single‑game final.
- Playoffs: Top eight teams qualified for a single‑elimination tournament held in April 2020 (postponed and ultimately cancelled).
- Points system: Three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime/shootout win, one point for an overtime/shootout loss, and zero points for a regulation loss.
- COVID‑19 impact: The pandemic led to the suspension of all EIHL activities on 13 March 2020 and the subsequent cancellation of the remainder of the season on 15 March 2020. No league champion, playoff champion, or Challenge Cup winner was declared for this season.
- Statistical leaders: Prior to cancellation, the leading point scorer was Tomasz Malec (Cardiff Devils) with 79 points, while Ryan Tadrosse (Coventry Blaze) led the league in goals with 30. (Statistics are based on the games played before the season’s termination.)
Related Topics
- 2018–19 EIHL season
- 2020–21 EIHL season
- Elite Ice Hockey League (general overview)
- Impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic on sports leagues
- British ice hockey history and structure
- Challenge Cup (ice hockey)
- Gardiner Trophy and Champions Cup (EIHL trophies)