British House Leagues

In Great Britain, House League competitions were often organized, featuring a small group of teams all based out of the same rink playing against one another.

Leagues

Alpine House League

The Alpine House League was held at the outdoor Wembley Alpine Ice Rink in 1939-40. Four teams participated: Panthers, Beavers, Dukes, Royals. It was won by the Panthers.

Belfast House League

Three incarnations of the Belfast House League were contested at Kings Hall Ice Rink from 1940-1942 (Balmoral Tigers, Harlandic Wolves, Short Brothers Raiders, Thornton Wasps); 1951-1954 (Harlandic Wolves, Balmoral Wasps, Racers, Shorts Redwings); and 1966-1969. The competition was for the Gaston Cup. The Racers won the regular season championship in 1966-67, 1967-68 and 1968-69. In 1966-67, the Redwings and Racers were set to meet in the cup final on April 13. In 1967-68, the Racers beat the Wasps 5-4, and the Wolves defeated Shorts Redwings in the semifinals, with the Racers triumphing over the Wolves in the Gaston Cup final on April 4. In 1968-69, the Redwings and Wasps met in the finals on April 26.

Hockey was re-launched in Belfast in April 1966, with several friendly matches:

• 4/13: Wasps - Racers 6:5
• 4/27: Wasps - Racers 4:4

League results:

1966-67

• 2/17: Racers - Wolves 5:1

1967-68

• 3/8: Wolves - Shorts Redwings 4:3

1968-69

• 2/11: Racers - Shorts Redwings - first game of season
• 3/5: Shorts Redwings - Wasps - third game of season; Redwings were searching for first win while Wasps were hoping to cut the Racers lead at the top of the table

Grimsby Town League

See the separate article on the Grimsby Town League for details.

North East League

See the separate article on the North East League for details.

Southampton House League

The Southampton House League operated briefly in the fall of 1931. Participating teams: Bassett, New Forest, Shirley, United Hospitals. The better local players formed a representative team (known simply as Southampton) that played in the English League Division 2 from 1931-1933.

Spalding Trophy

A five-team house league competition for the Spalding Trophy, spearheaded by Stan Bookbinder, was held at the Manchester Ice Palace for three years commencing in 1930. The trophy was won by the Eagles, Medicals, and Falcons. 

1929-30

Five teams competed - the Bats, Eagles, Hawks, Snipes, and Swifts. The Eagles won the league, and the Snipes finished second.

• 3/19: Eagles - Hawks 5:0 - it was noted the Eagles were 2-0 with a goal differential of 8:1 after game
• 4/16: Rest of League - Eagles 4:0

1930-31

• 11/19: Hawks - Eagles 2:1
• 11/?: Hawks - Bats
• 11/27: Bats - Eagles 2:1
• 12/3: Swifts - Snipes 4:3
• 12/10: Bats - Snipes

1931-32

• 12/9: Bats - Eagles 3:1
• 2/4: Snipes - Liverpool Falcons 3:1
• 2/10: Swifts - Hawks 2:0

"The local league fixtures are arousing the keenest interest and at present the Bats, the Swifts, and the Snipes are striving to find the leadership. The Falcons are ready to swoop on the title and Bridge's merry men won a grand game against the Hawks-minus their skipper Norman Schofield-by four goals to two."-Manchester Evening News, 1932-02-24

Sunday League

The Sunday League was a house league competition held at the Earls Court Ice Rink in 1936-37. The Marlboroughs, Kestrals, All-Blacks, St. Thomas Hospital, and Barclay Bank took part in the competition. It was succeeded by the London-Provincial League the following year.

Sussex House League

The Brighton Tigers did not play in the English National League in 1939-40, but the Sussex House League was organized at their rink instead. The teams were the Spitfires, Hurricanes, Demons, and Furies. The Sussex Tigers were formed as a representative team in March 1940. The league resumed in 1941.

Wembley Junior League

In 1936-37, the Wembley Cubs, Wembley Princes and Richmond Hawks Juniors were active. There was a junior league played at Wembley in 1937-38 and 1938-39. In 1937-38, the Wembley Princes, Wembley Cubs, Wembley Panthers, and Wembley Wolves participated. In 1938-39, the Wembley Cubs, Wolves and Panthers were among the competitors.

Sources

• Homes of British Ice Hockey, Martin C. Harris (2007).
• British Ice Hockey Records 1896-2023