For four teams the season is about to come to a dramatic conclusion as play-off finals loom.
Planet Ice Coventry will play host to finals weekend starting on the 30th of April with the conclusion the following day.
Telford Tigers, Milton Keynes Lightning, Sheffield Steeldogs and Peterborough Phantoms will contest for the title.
The Ties
The two semi-finals will be played on the 30th and will determine who plays in the grand final on the 1st of May.
Peterborough Phantoms v Milton Keynes Lightning – 30th April
Telford Tigers v Sheffield Steeldogs – 30th April
The Tigers topped their group losing just one game and finished with 10 points.
The Tigers celebrate post-match (PHOTO: Steve Brodie)
They will face a Steeldogs team off the back of two losses to Peterborough.
Sheffield started their play-offs campaign strong but couldn’t beat the Phantoms in back-to-back games.
Telford were also league champions so are strong favourites for this series.
In the other semi-final we have a strong and in-form Peterborough side, fresh off a decent play-offs group.
Peterborough will face Milton Keynes Lightning (PHOTO: Peterborough Phantoms)
They topped their pool and handed Sheffield two losses to round the groups off.
They’ll fancy themselves against a Lightning side who have lost two of their last three games.
This tie will be a lot closer than the other and there’s potential for it to go either way.
The Venue
Matthew Poultney the General Manager at Planet Ice Coventry spoke about the weekend, saying: “I am extremely excited to be hosting the NIHL Final Four here at the Skydome Arena in Coventry for an exciting weekend full of hockey.
“It will be great to see fans from around the UK come together for a play-off event after so long with Covid affecting the past couple of years.”
There will be other things on offer he says: “We will be offering a wide variety of quality food and beverage options at the event, including our Papa Johns Pizza outlet, to ensure there is something for everyone that will be joining us for the weekend.
“Be sure to stay around after the games where our Crosby’s bar will stay open with entertainment and great drinks deals available for all fans to enjoy.”
Solway Seal Second Title
The Solway Sharks have nabbed another title for themselves after winning the Division One North Play-offs.
The side from Scotland have impressed all year long and capped off a strong season with their second trophy.
Solway Sharks in action (PHOTO: Helen Hobbins)
They add to their Division One title a play-offs title following a 5-2 win over Whitley Warriors.
The Warriors cruised past Solihull Barons 4-1 the day before and Solway outscored Billingham Stars six to two to book their spots in the final.
It wasn’t to be for Whitley who have been unable to beat the Sharks across this season.
Martin Grubb’s men have provided their fans with some fantastic results across this term.
Streatham Snatch Play-offs win
Streatham have been imperious all season in Division One South but put the cherry on top with their play-off finals win.
An impressive 6-0 shutout of Raiders saw them face Chelmsford Chieftains in the final.
The Chieftains scraped past Bristol Pitbulls in a 4-3 win to book their place.
It was Streatham who proved the better side, skating out 4-2 winners to claim another title.
NIHL 1 Championship
Both Solway and Streatham are back in action on the 1st of May in Coventry as they face each other.
This a chance for more silverware for the sides as they contest the Championship title.
They play in a one-off game to see who the better side in Division One is.
It will be tough for both teams, who’ve had similarly impressive performances across the course of this season.
With all this being said, Solway Sharks and Streatham are the two winners so far from the NIHL.
The EIHL’s Play-offs begin on the 30th as well, for more on that check our Twitter @BritIceHockey.
