British Hockey League
| British Hockey League | |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Founded | 1982 |
| No. of teams | 12 (Premier Division) |
| Country(ies) |  Great Britain
|
| Ceased | 1996 |
| Last champion(s) | Sheffield Steelers |
| TV partner(s) | BBC |
The British Hockey League was the top-flight ice hockey league in the United Kingdom from 1982 until 1996, when it was replaced by the Ice Hockey Superleague and the British National League. The league replaced three regional leagues: the Inter-City League in southern England, the English League North in northern England and the Northern League in Scotland.
The league was sponsored by Heineken until 1993 and during this period was best known as the Heineken League.
During the league's inaugural 1982-83 season, two lower-level leagues were set up, with Division 2 functioning as the second-level league and Division 3 serving as the third-tier loop. For 1983-84, the second-level competition became known as Division One, while Divisions 2 and 3 were staged as the third and fourth-tier competitions.
Division 2 operated as the third-tier league through the 1987-88 season. After which, the English League became the new third-level competition.
Premier Division
Teams
- Ayr Raiders (formerly Ayr Bruins) (82 - 92)
- Basingstoke Bison (formerly Basingstoke Beavers) (93 - 96)
- Billingham Bombers (formerly Cleveland Bombers) (82 - 87; 90 - 93)
- Bracknell Bees (91 - 95)
- Cardiff Devils (89 - 96)
- Dundee Rockets (later Dundee Tigers, then Tayside Tigers) (82 - 89)
- Durham Wasps (82 - 96)
- Fife Flyers (82 - 91; 92 - 96)
- Humberside Hawks (formerly Humberside Seahawks) (91 - 96)
- Milton Keynes Kings (94 - 96)
- Murrayfield Racers (later Edinburgh Racers) (82 - 95)
- Newcastle Warriors (95 - 96)
- Nottingham Panthers (82 - 96)
- Peterborough Pirates (formerly Norwich and Peterborough Pirates) (85 - 86; 87 - 95)
- Sheffield Steelers (93 - 96)
- Slough Jets (95 - 96)
- Solihull Barons (86 - 91)
- Southampton Vikings (84 - 85)
- Streatham Redskins (82 - 89)
- Teeside Bombers (93 - 94)
- Whitley Warriors (82 - 95)
Champions
- 1982-83 Dundee Rockets
- 1983-84 Dundee Rockets
- 1984-85 Durham Wasps
- 1985-86 Durham Wasps
- 1986-87 Murrayfield Racers
- 1987-88 Murrayfield Racers
- 1988-89 Durham Wasps
- 1989-90 Cardiff Devils
- 1990-91 Durham Wasps
- 1991-92 Durham Wasps
- 1992-93 Cardiff Devils
- 1993-94 Cardiff Devils
- 1994-95 Sheffield Steelers
- 1995-96 Sheffield Steelers
Division One
- 1983-84 Southampton Vikings
- 1984-85 Peterborough Pirates
- 1985-86 Solihull Barons, Division One Trophy: Lee Valley Lions
- 1986-87 Peterborough Pirates
- 1987-88 Telford Tigers
- 1988-89 Cardiff Devils
- 1989-90 Slough Jets
- 1990-91 Humberside Seahawks
- 1991-92 Slough Jets
- 1992-93 Basingstoke Beavers
- 1993-94 North - Milton Keynes Kings South - Slough Jets
- 1994-95 Slough Jets
- 1995-96 Manchester Storm
Division Two
- 1982-83 Solihull Barons
- 1983-84 South - Streatham Bruins North - Sheffield Sabres Scotland - Whitley Braves (won final)
- 1984-85 Oxford City Stars
- 1985-86 Medway Bears
- 1986-87 Aviemore Blackhawks
- 1987-88 Romford Raiders
Division Three
- 1982-83 North - Sunderland Chiefs South - Cambridge University (final not organized)
- 1983-84 Trafford Tigers
English League
Please see the separate article on the English League for details.
See also
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