Congratulations to the three competition winners from season 2025/26, with the Leeds Knights’ Play-off success last weekend cementing their place in the record books alongside Swindon Wildcats as League Champions and Sheffield Steeldogs as Cup winners.
As both teams and fans alike look forward to the summer break, the Planet Ice National Hockey League are pleased to confirm the competition format and key dates for Season 2026/27:
The regular season will start on the weekend of 19th September 2026, with the same eleven clubs as Season 2025/26 competing for the coveted League title and the top eight qualifying for the post-season play-off competition. Each team will play 54 fixtures across 27 competition weeks, with the League phase completing on the weekend of 20th March 2027.
During the opening months of the season, five home and five away games for each team will be “double-headers” that contribute toward the NIHL National Cup qualification table. The top four teams will progress to home-and-away semi-finals, with the top seed by qualification selecting their opponent. The winners will then meet in a two-legged final to crown the NIHL National Cup champions early in 2027.
When the regular season concludes in March, the top eight teams will be divided into two groups of four, with 1st, 4th, 5th and 8th forming Group A and the rest in Group B. Three intense weekends of play-off hockey will culminate in the top two from each group facing-off at the Planet Ice SkyDome arena on the weekend of 17th April 2027 for the 21st Final Four showcase event.
Can the Wildcats defend their League title? Who can succeed the Steeldogs as Cup champions? Which team has the edge to lift the Play-off trophy as the Knights did this year?
Season 2026/27 promises to be the most exciting yet!
Key dates (by weekend for the NIHL 26/27 season):
– Pre-season start: 5th September 2026
– Regular season start: 19th September 2026
– Regular season ends: 20th March 2027
– Play-off groups start: 27th March 2027
– Play-off groups end: 10th April 2027
– Final Four at the Planet Ice Coventry SkyDome arena: 17th April 2027
