2001–02 ISL season

Ice Hockey Superleague Ice hockey League Champions Belfast Giants Playoffs Champions Sheffield Steelers Challenge Cup Champions Ayr Scottish Eagles 2000–01 2002–03 The 2001–02 Ice Hockey Superleague season was the sixth season of the Ice Hockey Superleague (ISL). Although the league started the season as the Sekonda Ice Hockey Superleague, Sekonda withdrew their sponsorship of the league in December 2001 and the league reverted to being known simply as the Ice Hockey Superleague. Benson & Hedges also withdrew their sponsorship of the Autumn Cup Stuart Hughes BBC Sport Online https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/1257049.stm Superleague needs a higher profile 2001-04-02 2007-12-14 and the competition ceased to take place. Cardiff Devils were stripped of their franchise after the club went into voluntary liquidation. BBC Sport Online https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/wales/1320814.stm Cardiff loses Superleague status 2001-05-09 2007-12-14 Following the Newcastle franchise being taken over by the Eye Group, the Newcastle Jesters players were not paid and the club was eventually stripped of their franchise in October 2001 without having played a game. Stuart Hughes BBC Sport Online https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/1618133.stm Jesters thrown out of Superleague 2001-10-24 2007-12-14 There was trouble in Sheffield when the Cooke, Jenkinson and Smith consortium who bailed out the Steelers at the end of the previous season were denied the franchise in favour of the league's preferred bidder, Norton Lea. Stuart Hughes BBC Sport Online https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/1420911.stm Sheffield steels itself for worst 2001-07-03 2007-12-14 After the Sheffield Arena refused to award ice time to Norton Lea, preferring to deal with the Cooke, Jenkinson and Smith consortium, the Cooke, Jenkinson and Smith consortium applied for the Sheffield Steelers to play in the second tier British National League. However, this application was refused Stuart Hughes BBC Sport Online https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/1483918.stm Steelers denied BNL entry 2001-08-10 2007-12-14 and the club eventually continued in the ISL under the ownership of Norton Lea. Stuart Hughes BBC Sport Online https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/1517682.stm Steelers boss calls for fresh start 2001-08-30 2007-12-14 As a replacement for the fixtures lost from the Newcastle Jesters games, the ISL arranged a new Ryder Cup style tournament between the ISL teams and teams from the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) to be called the Ahearne Trophy to be played in February 2002. Simon Crosse Top clubs challenge Germany The Daily Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2001/11/29/soiceh30.xml 29 November 2001 2007-12-14 July 2021 medicmedic The Belfast Giants claimed the league championship in only their second season of operations. The playoffs championship was won by the Sheffield Steelers while the Challenge Cup was won by the Ayr Scottish Eagles. After awarding three points for a win, two points for an overtime win and one point for an overtime loss the previous season, the league discontinued overtime and reverted to awarding two points for a win and one point for a draw. Challenge Cup All seven teams in the league competed in the Challenge Cup. The first round was the first home and away meeting of each team in the league with the points counting towards both the Challenge Cup table and the league table. The top four teams progressed to the semi-finals. The semi finals were home and away games with the winner on aggregate progressing to the one off final game. First round Challenge Cup GP W T L GF GA Pts Belfast Giants 12 10 0 2 49 29 20 Nottingham Panthers 12 6 4 2 44 35 16 Ayr Scottish Eagles 12 5 3 4 34 33 13 Bracknell Bees 12 5 2 5 40 41 12 Manchester Storm 12 3 2 7 24 37 8 London Knights 12 2 4 6 29 34 8 Sheffield Steelers 12 3 1 8 35 46 7 Semi-finals 1st place (Belfast) vs 4th place (Bracknell) Belfast Giants 5–1 Bracknell Bees Bracknell Bees 5–4 Belfast Giants (Belfast win 9–6 on aggregate) 3rd place (Ayr) vs 2nd place (Nottingham) Ayr Scottish Eagles 3–0 Nottingham Panthers Nottingham Panthers 4–4 Ayr Scottish Eagles (Ayr win 7–4 on aggregate) Final Winner semi final 1 vs Winner semi final 2 Belfast Giants 0–5 Ayr Scottish Eagles Ahearne Trophy Ahearne Trophy GP W T L GF GA Pts DEL 14 6 4 4 44 42 16 ISL 14 4 4 6 42 44 12 League Each team played four home games and four away games against each of their opponents. All seven teams in the league were entered into the playoffs. Superleague GP W T L GF GA Pts Belfast Giants 48 31 8 9 177 119 70 Ayr Scottish Eagles 48 20 9 19 136 130 49 Sheffield Steelers 48 18 12 18 138 144 48 Nottingham Panthers 48 19 9 20 140 141 47 Bracknell Bees 48 15 13 20 140 158 43 London Knights 48 14 13 21 130 145 41 Manchester Storm 48 13 12 23 117 141 38 Playoffs All seven teams in the league took part in the playoffs. After an initial round where each team played all the other teams once the top four teams qualified for the finals weekend. Round one Playoffs GP W T L GF GA Pts Ayr Scottish Eagles 6 5 1 0 22 13 11 Sheffield Steelers 6 4 1 1 15 8 9 London Knights 6 4 0 2 17 15 8 Manchester Storm 6 2 1 3 24 21 5 Belfast Giants 6 2 1 3 21 19 5 Nottingham Panthers 6 1 2 3 13 20 4 Bracknell Bees 6 0 0 6 10 26 0 Semi-finals 1st place vs 4th place Ayr Scottish Eagles 1-2 Manchester Storm 2nd place vs 3rd place Sheffield Steelers 3–2 London Knights Final Winner semi final 1 vs Winner semi final 2 Manchester Storm 3–4 Sheffield Steelers (after overtime and penalty shootout) Scoring leaders The scoring leaders are taken from all league games. Most points: 59 Kevin Riehl (Belfast Giants) Most goals: 24 Chris Lipsett (Sheffield Steelers) Most assists: 37 Kevin Riehl (Belfast Giants) Most PIMs: 222 Barry Nieckar (Nottingham Panthers) Awards Coach of the Year Trophy – Dave Whistle, Belfast Giants Player of the Year Trophy – Kevin Riehl, Belfast Giants Ice Hockey Annual Trophy – Jonathan Weaver, Ayr Scottish Eagles All Star teams First team Position Second Team Mike Bales, Belfast Giants G Joaquin Gage, Ayr Scottish Eagles Johan Silfwerplatz, Ayr Scottish Eagles D Alan Schuler, Ayr Scottish Eagles Rob Stewart, Belfast Giants D Maurizio Mansi, London Knights Kevin Riehl, Belfast Giants F P. C. Drouin, Nottingham Panthers Sean Berens, Belfast Giants F Ed Courtenay, Ayr Scottish Eagles Jason Ruff, Belfast Giants F Scott Allison, Sheffield Steelers References Ice Hockey Journalists UK The Internet Hockey Database Malcolm Preen's Ice Hockey Results and Tables Footnotes Category:Ice Hockey Superleague seasons 1 United