Irish Ice Hockey League
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 The first official Irish Ice Hockey League. | |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 |
| Ceased | 2010 |
| Countries | Ireland Northern Ireland |
| Official website | Irish Ice Hockey Association |
The Irish Ice Hockey League, which ran from 2007 to 2010, was the highest league tier of ice hockey in Ireland.[1] While amateur leagues had existed since the early 1980s, the league was founded in 2007/2008 by the Irish Ice Hockey Association (IIHA).[2][3] The league collapsed in 2010 following the closure of the Dundalk Ice Dome.[4]
History
[edit]Following on from the construction of Dundalk Ice Dome and the success of the Division 3 Ice Hockey World Championship held in Dundalk during April 2007, the IIHA announced the formation of an all new, all-Ireland Ice Hockey League. At that time, the five teams in the league played all of their regular season games at the Dundalk Ice Dome.[citation needed] The league's inaugural champions were the Dundalk Bulls who won the 2007–08 title by defeating the Dublin Rams 6-3.[5]
Prior to the Irish Ice Hockey League's formation, the only Ice Hockey team in Ireland playing competitive hockey was the Belfast Giants of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League. Other Irish hockey players, seeking to play the sport at a competitive level, had to travel abroad.[citation needed]
The league collapsed during the 2009-2010 season, with the closure of the Dundalk Ice Dome.[4] From 2010, some games were played at Dundonald International Ice Bowl.[citation needed] The league is now[when?] played under the Irish Ice Hockey Association at an amateur level.[citation needed]
List of teams
[edit]Former clubs, previously involved in the Irish Ice Hockey league, included:[citation needed]
Seasons
[edit]2007–08
[edit]The 2007–08 season' was the first season of the Irish Ice Hockey League. Five teams participated in the league, and the Dundalk Bulls won the championship.
Standings
| Club | GP | W | L | SOW | SOL | GF–GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dundalk Bulls | 15 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 192:34 | 42 |
| 2. | Dublin Rams | 16 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 99:96 | 34 |
| 3. | Flyers IHC | 16 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 80:146 | 23 |
| 4. | Belfast City Bruins | 14 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 65:107 | 12 |
| 5. | Latvian Hawks | 14 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 55:112 | 3 |
Playoffs
- Semifinals
- Dundalk Bulls 26 - Latvian Hawks 4
- Dublin Rams 4 - Flyers IHC 1
- Final: Dundalk Bulls 6 - Dublin Rams 3
Source:[5]
2008–09
[edit]The 2008–09 season was the second season of the Irish Ice Hockey League. Six teams participated in the league, and the Dundalk Bulls won the championship.
Regular season
| Club | GP | W | L | T | GF–GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dublin Rams | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 88:56 | 33 |
| 2. | Dundalk Bulls | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 113:16 | 32 |
| 3. | Latvian Hawks | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 101:37 | 30 |
| 4. | Belfast Giants | 13 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 55:119 | 20 |
| 5. | Dublin Wolves | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 40:100 | 16 |
| 6. | Flyers IHC | 12 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 28:97 | 1 |
Playoffs The league was cancelled mid-season, and the Dundalk Bulls were named champions.
Source:[6]
2009–10
[edit]The 2009–10 season was the third season of the Irish Ice Hockey League. Five teams participated, but season was abandoned partway through, and the Charlestown Chiefs were declared champions.
Regular season
| Club | GP | GF–GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Charlestown Chiefs | 6 | 67:14 | 15 |
| 2. | Dundalk Bulls | 6 | 54:23 | 14 |
| 3. | Flyers IHC | 4 | 14:25 | 3 |
| 4. | Dublin Rams | 4 | 10:39 | 3 |
| 5. | CastleReigh Spartans | 4 | 9-54 | 0 |
Source:[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Irish Ice Hockey Association". www.iiha.org. Retrieved 2015-09-13.[not specific enough to verify]
- ^ "Irish eye continued growth of domestic hockey". NHL.com. 9 July 2007. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
Recently, the Irish Ice Hockey Association announced the launch of the country's first all-island domestic hockey league [..] the Irish Ice Hockey League
- ^ "Ireland united in hockey". iihf.com. 28 February 2008. Archived from the original on 4 July 2010.
- ^ a b "IIHA | Irish Ice Hockey League 2007-2010". eirball.ie. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ^ a b 2008 season on SFRP's Hockey Archive
- ^ 2009 season on SFRP's Hockey Archive
- ^ 2010 season on SFRP's Hockey Archive
External links
[edit]- Irish Ice Hockey Association website
- Meltzer, Bill. "Ireland united in hockey". IIHF.com. Archived from the original on 4 July 2010. (archived 2010)
- Flyers IHC (archived 2007)
