The Planet Ice National Ice Hockey League (PINIHL) is excited to unveil the structure and fixture format for the 2024/25 season.

With a focus on maintaining the thrilling competition that fans have come to love, the upcoming season will feature familiar elements with a few exciting changes to enhance the experience for both players and spectators.

Season structure and key dates

The 2024/25 PINIHL National Division season will see 11 teams compete in a broadly unchanged format from previous years. Teams will face each other three times at home and three times away. As before, each team will drop three home and three away fixtures, resulting in a total of 54 games for the regular season.

The table of the number of times each team plays can be found at the bottom of this page.

• Pre-season: Kicking off the excitement, pre-season games are scheduled for the weekends of August 30-September 1 and September 6-8. These games will offer a sneak peek into the teams’ preparations and strategies for the main season.
• Season opening weekend: The official season will commence on the weekend of September 14-15, 2024, promising high-octane action from the start.
• Regular season finale: The regular season will conclude on the weekend of March 22-23, 2025, setting the stage for the play-offs.
• Play-offs: Mirroring last year’s format, the play-offs will be contested over three weekends: March 29-30, April 5-6, and April 12-13, 2025.
• Coventry weekend: The pinnacle of the season, the Coventry weekend, is set for April 19-20, 2025, where the top teams will battle for the ultimate glory.

Cup competition

This season, the cup competition will see a streamlined format, making it even more intense and engaging.

The qualifying stage will consist of 10 games instead of the previous 20. Each team will play every other team once, resulting in five home and five away games. The semi-finals and finals of the cup competition (both over two legs, home and away) will aim to be completed by the end of December, subject to fixture availability. 

Ticket sales and announcements

Pre-season games will be announced very soon, followed by the release of full fixtures. Tickets will go on sale later in the summer, ensuring fans have ample opportunity to secure their spots for the must-see match-ups.

We encourage all fans to stay connected with their favourite teams through social media and their official websites throughout the summer for the latest updates and announcements.

Stay tuned for an exhilarating season of NIHL hockey as we build on our legacy and continue to bring the best of ice hockey action to fans across the country.

Good luck to Leeds Knights, who will look to defend their league title, Peterborough Phantoms who will aim to repeat their play-off win, and Milton Keynes Lightning who will want to keep their hands on the cup!

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