NIHL 1 South Playoff Details explained

We are just over a week away from the beginning of the NIHL 1 South Post-Season Playoffs!

This weekend will be the conclusion of league play and will decide the final 2 league positions to see who will play who in the Playoff Quarter Finals.

Everyone’s position is locked in except 1st and 2nd with only a few points between the Slough Jets and Streatham Redhawks to see who will face the Cardiff Fire and who will face the Swindon Wildcats 2.

Playoff Format

The Playoffs will take place in multiple stages across several weeks.

The first stage is the Playoff Quarter Finals. This will take place at the end of the month over Saturday 29th March and Sunday 30th March. Similar to years prior, this will see the two teams face each other in 2 fixtures, one home and one away.
These games feature aggregate scoring with goals carrying over from the first night into the second.
The top 8 teams in the league will be competing in the Quarter Finals Stage of the Playoffs.

The Solent Devils sit in the 4th league position so will be facing the 5th place Invicta Dynamos in the Playoff Quarter Finals.

The aggregate winners of the Quarter Finals stage, advance to the Playoff Semi-Finals which will follow in the same format as the previous round.
Unlike years prior where the Semi-Finals were single legged fixtures on day one of the Finals weekend, the new format now means teams will have to come out on top after a home and away fixture with thier opponents, prior to advancing to the Playoff Finals weekend.
Only 4 teams will be competing in the Semi Finals stage.

Playoff Semi Finals will take place across Saturday 5th April and Sunday 6th April

Should the Solent Devils qualify, they will face the winner of the (1st place) VS Cardiff Fire series.

The Playoff Finals

To be crowned Division champion (NIHL 1 South Champion) a team must beat their opponent in a single game on the Saturday of the finals weekend.
This stage features just 2 teams to become the last team standing in a one game contest.
This stage will take place at Bauer Arena Ice, Sheffield as part of EIH’s NIHL Steel City Showdown!

The Britton Division (NIHL 1 South) Playoff Finals will take place in Sheffield on Saturday 12th April at 19:45.

This used to be the furthest a team could go in a Playoff season, however now the winner of the Division can then go on to win the National title, new for this season.
This game sees the Playoff Finals winner from the North take on the winner of the South for the Playoff title. This game will take place on Sunday 13th April.

More Details

The Solent Devils will face the Invicta Dynamos next weekend in the Playoff Quarter Finals!

The Devils will begin on the Road making the Trip to Planet Ice Gillingham on Saturday 29th March

Tickets are now available for the Away leg for those looking to make the journey.

Tickets can be purchased from the Dynamos via the link below

https://iceaccount.co.uk/invicta-dynamos/event/?event_id=7764

Information regarding the Home leg (Sunday 30th March) tickets will be announced over the coming days via Devils Social media pages. Be sure to follow to make sure you don’t miss out!

Playoff Semi Finals ticket details, should the Devils qualify, will be revealed closer to the dates, once match-ups have been confirmed.

Tickets for the Steel City Showdown (Britton Division Playoff Finals + National Champion Game) are available. Please note that if you purchase a ticket that your ticket covers all games across the weekend. There is also no guarantee that the Solent Devils will qualify to make an appearance in Sheffield for these games as it is result dependent.

Tickets for the Sheffield Steel City Showdown are available using the link below

https://eih.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/nihl_steelcity_showdown_2025

Devils D-Core *Locks* In

Tonight the Solent Devils are very excited to announce the return of Fan Favourite Shut-Down Defenceman Ben Lock!

The 30 year old will be joining the team for his ninth season after taking some time away from the sport, announcing his retirement in 2022-23.

This season, Lock’s role on the team will be to fill in as injury cover.
When the team’s D-Core is missing key players, Lock can step in and help out the team.

Lock has been a staple of the Devils D-Core in the past with his defensive mind putting his body on the line to shut down chances. After the Devils 2022-2023 Playoff run, alongside other Devils legends, Lock decided to hang his skates to focus on other aspects of his life.

Now Lock looks to return to the sport with familiar ground with the Devils!

When asked about his return to the Solent Devils, Lock had this to say,

I am very excited to be back and to help the club during an important time of the season.
The Devils is, and will always be, very special to me and hopefully I can support Muzza and the team till the end of the year.

Head Coach Alex Murray had this to say regarding his latest signing,

I’m really pleased to bring back a fan favourite like Locky during a period where we have a busy schedule!
Locky has been back in training for the past few weeks and will be available for selection from next weekend based on our needs.

Commenting on Ben Lock’s expected impact, Murray added,

He will add experience and size to our defensive line up and will be a valuable asset to utilise down the stretch.

Ben Lock will be wearing his iconic #71 for the Solent Devils for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.

Ben currently does not have an Own and Loan sponsor.
If you are interested in sponsoring Lock, please email Kerry at devilssupporters@outlook.com

The Solent Devils are back at home to Planet Ice Gosport tonight (Saturday 1st February) as they welcome the Streatham Redhawks

Some tickets are still available for tonights game, book online now to avoid missing out!

https://iceaccount.co.uk/solent-devils/event-tickets/?event_id=7703&stage=1&fbclid=IwY2xjawIK8X1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVN-BNAfsAEKo1JD9xvG7Skupo9gKbWbgtptvaQUsvDIU1wak7RfIc9_RA_aem_nLXc1qY3GhZ98HwwJwAh1A

Tonight, the Solent Devils are pleased to finally reveal our first Theme Night of 2025!

This will be our 3rd Theme night of the season, following on from the success and reception from our Halloween and Christmas Theme Nights.

This time around, we will be trying something a little different.

We invite you all to join us on Saturday the 25th of January when we face-off against the Swindon Wildcats 2 at the Gosport Saloon (Planet Ice Gosport.)

On this night we will be celebrating all things Country with Country music playing throughout the night.

On top of this we encourage those who will be joining us to dress up in country and Cowboy attire (while still trying your best to staying warm.)

Our off ice staff will be theme appropriately dressed and our players after the game will join them along with any fans in the country celebrations.

Live Music

Finally, the Solent Devils are delighted to announce that we have the pleasure of being joined by UK country singer, Alan Finlan!

Following his performance at the Long Road Festival in August of last year and ahead of his shows in February, Alan will be joining us on the ice for the singing of our National Anthem!

Score depending, we may just have another surprise in store also…

Final Details

This theme night will not feature any exclusive jersey or competitions like our other theme nights. This theme night is about using what you already own to come together and celebrate while enjoying the sport we all love.

Tickets are now available for our upcoming Country & Western theme night!
You can secure you spot using the link:

https://iceaccount.co.uk/solent-devils/event-tickets/?event_id=7702&stage=1

Remember to bring your Cowboy Hats and Belt Buckles Devils fans, we will see you all Saturday, Yee Haw!

JACK IS BACK!

Tonight the Solent Devils are happy to announce the return of British Forward Jack Peacock!

The 22 year old will be joining the team for his fourth season after beginning the season with the Oxford City Stars.

Peacock’s 2024/25 began with him signing with another NIHL 1 South team, the Oxford City Stars where he played at a point per game pace picking up 7 goals and 10 assists in 17 games.

Now Jack looks to return to familiar ground with his former team down in the Solent.

Peacock’s 2023/24 season saw him split his time in the Solent Devils system picking up 25 points in 13 games for the Solent Junior Devils and picking up 27 points in 25 games with the Solent Devils. Both instances playing at over a point a game.

Jack will not only be joining his pervious teammates from Solent Devils squads prior but will also be reuniting with Cameron Buckle, Travis Penny and Thomas Banner whom he played with at the Basingstoke Buffalo.

When asked about his return to the south coast, Jack had this to say,

I’m really exited to be returning to the Devils for the remainder of the season!
Already I can clearly see that this a great group of guys and I cannot wait to get going again.
See you all Saturday Devils fans!

Head Coach Alex Murray had this to say regarding his latest signing,

I’m really pleased to be able to add a player of Jack’s calibre at this point in the season.
With current injuries and availability to some of our top 9, it was crucial we added some experience and someone who can help offensively to add some fire power.

Reflecting on his return, Murray added,

Losing Jack to Oxford was frustrating, so I’m pleased he is now back and looking to help Solent achieve our goals.

Jack Peacock will be wearing #52 for the Solent Devils for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.

Jack currently does not have an Own and Loan sponsor. If you are interested in sponsoring Peacock, please email Kerry at devilssupporters@outlook.com

Catch Jack and the rest of the Solent Devils as they are back at home to Planet Ice Gosport tommorow night (Saturday 14th December) for their final home game of 2024 as they welcome the Streatham Redhawks in their Christmas Theme Night match-up!

Some tickets are still available for tommorow nights game, book online now to avoid missing out!

https://iceaccount.co.uk/solent-devils/event-tickets/?event_id=7636&stage=1&fbclid=IwY2xjawHH02lleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHXAj26-yvlUT9osEVq0nYCxFJ_XOPGj-51-WiW-DHvTFYuCMICVQvk3SUw_aem_qgzFiuIZRD6LYbHaLAHFig

NIHL 1 South Playoff Announcement

The Solent Devils would like to share with its fans the brand new information released by England Ice Hockey regarding our leagues brand new playoff format and location!

England Ice Hockey shared the following:

England Ice Hockey and the National Ice Hockey League are delighted to announce the joint playoff weekend for Division 1 & 2 North & South will be called the Steel City Showdown and will take place at Bauer Arena Ice Sheffield on April 12-13 2025.

League officials had already confirmed that the four regional divisions would come together for a single Finals Weekend, now the venue is confirmed and fans can start looking forward to a true festival of NIHL hockey.

The weekend will have four regional finals on the Saturday – Division 1 North & South, Division 2 North & South. Then for the first time EIH/NIHL will crown national playoff champions as the respective winners go head to head on the Sunday afternoon.

Divisional playoff quarter finals and semi finals are now played over two legs till each division has its final two teams remaining – those teams will head to the Steel City Showdown.

Ticket details and purchase details will be released very shortly.

NIHL general manager Haydn Hunter said: “We’ll have the top two sides from each of our four divisions plus fans from all over the country, every game has a trophy up for grabs and we’ll have our first ever national playoff champions for Division 1 and Division 2.”

EIH director for the NIHL Martin Peters added: “The clubs supported the idea of a joint finals at the respective summer meetings and have really bought in to the idea. For me it’s exciting to have teams and fans from all over the country coming to a central location and enjoy a true showpiece event for the NIHL divisions.”

The league have also announced that the national playoff trophies will be named for former EIHA/EIH chairman Ken Taggart who passed away earlier this year. Division 1 teams will play for the Ken Taggart Memorial Trophy, while Division 2 teams will contest the Taggart Bowl.

Follow EIH website and socials for news on ticket prices and release dates as we count down to the inaugural Steel City Showdown.

What does this mean for the Solent Devils?

The NIHL 1 South Playoffs will take place similarly to years prior but will now feature a NHL style North vs South finale.

The Playoffs will take place in multiple stages.

The first stage will take place over the Playoff Quarter Finals which similar to years prior will see the two teams face eachother in 2 fixtures, one home and one away. 8 teams will be competing in the Quarter Finals Stage of the Playoffs.

The winner of this two game series will then go onto compete in the Playoff Semi Finals which will now take place across two fixtures, one home and one away. Unlike years prior where it was a single game with the finals following the day after, this is now 2 games with the finals the following week. 4 teams will be competing in the Semi Finals stage.

To be crowned Division champion (NIHL 1 South Champion) a team must beat their opponent in a single game on the Saturday of the finals weekend. This stage features just 2 teams to become the last team standing. This stage will take place at Bauer Arena Ice Sheffield.

This used to be the furthest a team could go in a Playoff season however now, the winner of the Division can then go on to win the National title. This game sees the Playoff Finals winner from the North take on the winner of the South for the league title. This game will take place on the Sunday of the Playoff Finals Weekend.

Key Dates

Playoff Quarter Finals across Saturday 29th March and Sunday 30th March 2025

Playoff Semi Finals across Saturday 5th April and Sunday 6th April 2025

Playoff Finals (Divisional and National) across Saturday 12th April and Sunday 13th April 2025

Information regarding Playoff Finals ticket prices and ticket sale dates will be revealed closer to the dates above. Information regarding Playoff Quarter and Semi Finals will be reavealed closer to the dates, once match-ups have been set.

Coleman Makes His Return

Tonight the Solent Devils are pleased to announce the return on British Forward Liam Coleman!

The 25 year old will be joining the team for his third season.

Coleman’s 2024/25 began with him signing closer to home with the newly formed NIHL 1 South Swindon Wildcats 2 where he picked up a goal and an assist in 3 games played.

Now Liam looks to return to his former team down in the Solent.

Coleman’s 2023/24 season saw him finish second in points for the Solent Devils picking up 20 goals and 16 assists for 36 points in just 23 games. This made him over a point per game and almost a goal per game.

Liam will not only be joining his pervious teammates from Solent Devils squads prior but will also be reuniting with Cameron Buckle, Travis Penny and Thomas Banner whom he played with in 2018-19 with the Basingstoke Buffalo.

We asked Coleman how it felt to sign for Solent again, Liam said,

I’m absolutely buzzing to be back at Solent, I can’t wait to hit the ice with the boys and in front of the amazing fans.

When asked what made him want to return to Solent, Coleman added,

My main reason for joining Solent was to be back around familiar faces week in week out and to enjoy my hockey and play the way I know I can.

Liam concluded by stating what he personally aims to achieve for the remainder of this season,

Hopefully this season as a team we can pull off another playoff upset and this time kick on and get it over the line, whilst personally contributing along the way in whatever way I can.

Head Coach Alex Murray had this to say regarding the return of Liam Coleman,

I am delighted to be able to bring Liam back to the Devils after a short stint away.
Reviewing the start to the season, I felt we have been a little short upfront of fire power as well as already facing the challenges of player availability and injuries, which will potentially only increase as the season goes on.

Murray said the following regarding how else Coleman impacts the Solent line-up,

Liam, as we all know, is a proven goalscorer at this level and is someone who is very familiar with our systems, set up and ethos. Bringing Liam back into the fold will give an early season boost to our ever evolving new team.

Murray concluded by discussing how he sees Liam fit with the new members of the team.

I’m know the team will welcome Liam back with open arms and we are excited to see him back in our line up!

Liam will be wearing #34 for the Solent Devils and his jersey will be owned and loaned by “Carrie and Joe”.

The Solent Devils are at home to Planet Ice Gosport this Saturday for their final home game of September as they welcome the Chelmsford Chieftains for a 2024 Playoff Cup Final rematch!

Tickets are available at the door, or are on sale now, book online to avoid missing out!

https://iceaccount.co.uk/solent-devils/event-tickets/?event_id=7637&stage=1