At the end of March, Sheffield Steelkings hosted the Northwest European Para Ice Hockey League (NEPIHL).

The NEPIHL is an annual para ice hockey tournament which aims to promote the sport throughout Europe, and help the teams involved to grow and develop.

The tournament has been run annually since 2021, and this is the first time it has been held in the UK.

Five teams from across Europe joined this year’s hosts, Sheffield Steelkings, in competing for the coveted NEPIHL trophy.

The competition started with the teams being split into two groups for a round-robin: Group A featured the Steelkings (UK), Les Bisons Neuilly-sur-Marne (France) and Amsterdam Tigers (Netherlands), while Group B hosted SISU (Finland), Antwerp Phantoms (Belgium) and Dordrecht Lime Kings (Netherlands).

The Steelkings started the competition strongly, winning both of their group stage games without conceding a single goal.

Coming top of their group meant that they had to face Antwerp, the runners up of Group B, in the semi-finals.

The Phantoms put up a strong fight, but the Steelkings managed to extend their winning streak to three games and finished the first day of the tournament without conceding a single goal.

In the opposite semi-final, SISU beat Les Bisons to secure their place on the final alongside the Steelkings.

The second day of the tournament began with Amsterdam taking on Dordrecht, to see who would get the bragging rights in the Netherlands. Both teams put in good performances, and the game finished 7-4 in favour of the Tigers.

Next up was the bronze medal match. In a repeat of the 2024 fixture, it was the Phantoms facing Les Bisons.

Last year, Les Bisons lost out to the Phantoms on their own rink so were sure to be seeking revenge, and sure enough they got it, beating the Phantoms 4-1 and claiming the bronze medals for themselves.

Finally, it was time for the grand finale. The reigning champions, SISU, faced off against the hosts and two-time gold medal winners Sheffield.

The Steelkings fought bravely, but ultimately the speed and power of the Finnish team was too much for them, leaving them having to settle for silver as SISU lifted the trophy for a second year in a row. The final game ended 8-1.

Written by Bill Hardy

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