2018–19 EIHL season


The 2018–19 EIHL season was the 16th season of the Elite Ice Hockey League. The regular season commenced on 8 September 2018 and ended on 31 March 2019, with the playoffs following in April 2019. The two-time reigning league champions were the Cardiff Devils, who won both the regular season and playoff titles in 2017–18.
The Devils were unable to make it three regular season titles in succession, after a season-long battle for the top position with the Belfast Giants. The league title came down to the final day of the regular season; the Coventry Blaze's 3–1 victory over the Devils at the Coventry Skydome handed the league title to the non-playing Giants, on a regulation wins tie-break. It was the Giants' fourth regular season title, and first since 2013–14. The playoff final resulted in a matchup between the Devils and the Giants in Nottingham; the Devils achieved their second consecutive playoff title with a 2–1 victory on Gleason Fournier's game-winning goal, with 7:33 remaining.

Teams

After having twelve teams for the 2017–18 season, the league reduced to eleven for the 2018–19 season. This was due to the Edinburgh Capitals – who had finished bottom of the league with just five wins – losing the rights to use the Murrayfield Ice Rink to a consortium that was led by David Hand, the brother of former Capital Tony Hand. Hand's consortium revived the Murrayfield Racers name, with a similarly-named franchise having been active between 1952 and 1996, and attempted to join the league in place of the Edinburgh Capitals, but this request was denied. As a result, the Murrayfield Racers joined the Scottish National League. The Hull Pirates, from the National Ice Hockey League, also considered an application to the Elite League, but ultimately did not take up this option.
The league featured three conferences, just as it did in 2017–18. The Gardiner Conference remained fully Scottish but became a three-team division, with the demise of the Edinburgh Capitals; the Dundee Stars, the Fife Flyers and the renamed Glasgow Clan making up the trio. The two other conferences remained unchanged, with four teams in each. These were the Patton Conference, consisting of the Coventry Blaze, the Guildford Flames, the Manchester Storm and the Milton Keynes Lightning; and the Erhardt Conference, consisting of the four "Arena" teams: the Belfast Giants, the Cardiff Devils, the Nottingham Panthers and the Sheffield Steelers.
Belfast Giants BelfastErhardtSSE Arena Belfast7,200
Cardiff Devils CardiffErhardtIce Arena Wales3,088
Coventry Blaze CoventryPattonCoventry Skydome3,000
Dundee Stars DundeeGardinerDundee Ice Arena2,400
Fife Flyers KirkcaldyGardinerFife Ice Arena3,525
Glasgow Clan GlasgowGardinerBraehead Arena4,000
Guildford Flames GuildfordPattonGuildford Spectrum2,001
Manchester Storm AltrinchamPattonAltrincham Ice Dome2,000
Milton Keynes Lightning Milton KeynesPattonPlanet Ice Arena Milton Keynes2,800
Nottingham Panthers NottinghamErhardtNational Ice Centre7,500
Sheffield Steelers SheffieldErhardtSheffield Arena8,500

Standings

Overall

Each team played 60 games, playing each of the other ten 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 shootout. One point was awarded for losing in overtime or shootout, 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.
The league title came down to the final day of the regular season; the Coventry Blaze's 3–1 victory over the Cardiff Devils at the Coventry Skydome handed the league title to the non-playing Belfast Giants, on a regulation wins tie-break. It was the Giants' fourth regular season title, and first since 2013–14.

Erhardt Conference

Only intra-conference games counted towards the Erhardt Conference standings. Each team played the other three teams in the Conference six times, for a total of 18 matches. The Belfast Giants won the Conference for the third time, after the Cardiff Devils lost 5–4 against the Sheffield Steelers at Sheffield Arena on 16 March 2019.

Gardiner Conference

Only intra-conference games count towards the Gardiner Conference standings. Each team plays the other two teams in the Conference six times, for a total of 12 matches. The Glasgow Clan won the Conference for the fifth time, after a 5–1 win over the Dundee Stars at Braehead Arena on 12 February 2019.

Patton Conference

Only intra-conference games counted towards the Patton Conference standings. Each team played the other three teams in the Conference six times, for a total of 18 matches. The Guildford Flames won the Conference for the first time, after a 1–0 win over the Manchester Storm at the Guildford Spectrum on 17 February 2019.

Playoffs

Bracket

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) Cardiff Devils vs. (7) Sheffield Steelers

(3) Nottingham Panthers vs. (6) Fife Flyers

(4) Glasgow Clan 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

Grand Final

Regular season statistics

Scoring leaders

The following players led the league in points at the conclusion of the regular season.
PlayerTeam
Belfast Giants5839407920
Coventry Blaze60344377103
Cardiff Devils5921547526
Manchester Storm5318577516
Belfast Giants6028437130
Cardiff Devils6024477128
Belfast Giants6033366968
Glasgow Clan6026436918
Cardiff Devils6030386838
Coventry Blaze6027416832

Leading goaltenders

The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average at the conclusion of the regular season, while playing at least 1140 minutes.
PlayerTeam
Belfast Giants543221:5142111213.9212.25
Cardiff Devils603572:0043141388.9162.32
Guildford Flames342035:071516932.9062.74
Nottingham Panthers472784:2922221352.9082.91
Guildford Flames261541:131511764.9102.96

Playoff statistics

Scoring leaders

The following players led the league in points at the conclusion of the playoffs.
PlayerTeam
Cardiff Devils44482
Cardiff Devils44370
Nottingham Panthers44374
Belfast Giants44262
Cardiff Devils43368
Cardiff Devils42350
Belfast Giants41450
Nottingham Panthers41450
Nottingham Panthers43140
Sheffield Steelers22240

Leading goaltenders

The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average at the conclusion of the playoffs, provided they played 60 minutes.
PlayerTeam
Guildford Flames2119:181121.9651.01
Belfast Giants4238:123151.9421.26
Fife Flyers2119:250140.9352.01
Glasgow Clan2117:131160.9103.07
Cardiff Devils4240:0031130.8973.25