Irish Ice Hockey

This is the Eirball Index Page to the All-Time Results & Standings of Irish Ice Hockey Leagues. Ice Hockey has been played in Ireland since 1940 when the first Leagues were played in Belfast during WW2, mostly by Canadian Soldiers stationed there during the War but also by Irish Ice Hockey players. Leagues have come and gone since with the most recent being the Cross-Border Cup from 2016-17 to the present.

Header Image (1): Contributor: Kat72 Closeup of one hockey stick and puck laying on textured ice in black and white Item ID: 576241228 [Internet] Available from: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/closeup-one-hockey-stick-puck-laying-576241228 [Accessed 22 March 2022]

Featured Image Credit

Featured Picture Credit: Vincent JIANG / Shutterstock (2018) Montreal, Canada – March 18 2018：Junior hokey team parading in the Saint Patrick`s Day in Montreal downtown [Accessed 4 May 2021]

Irish Ice Hockey Leagues

Ice Hockey has been played in Ireland since 1940 when it was first introduced by Canadian soldiers serving in Northern Ireland during World War II. This page provides a link to the Final Standings and Results of various Leagues in Ireland since then. The greatest Irish Ice Hockey League of all time was the Irish Ice Hockey League of 2007 to 2010, when the Dundalk Ice Dome was open, and the league featured teams which could compete in Europe.

Underage Ice Hockey

Irish Ice Hockey Teams

From the first teams in the Balmoral Ice Rink in the 1940s and 1950s to the present day.

Irish Ice Hockey Officials

The most senior Ice Hockey Official ever to come from Ireland was Terry Kelly, born in Toronto to Irish immigrant parents, but brought up in Belfast from the age of three. Kelly had a storied career in Administration, which included spells as a Director in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Celtic Ice Hockey Leagues

As well as the Elite Ice Hockey League (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland – Pro Level 4 (A) in the National Hockey League (North America) system), there are also Celtic or Scottish Leagues which Irish teams have participated in since the 1980s, forming a bridge between the Pro Levels (EIHL) and the purely recreational or amateur Irish Leagues.

In the 1980s and 1990s teams from Castlereagh, based at Dundonald Ice Bowl entered Scottish or Northern English / Scottish Leagues, and then from 2008 to 2010 teams from both Dundonald and Dundalk Ice Bowls entered the Celtic League, which was more evenly distributed between Irish and Scottish sides.

Elite Ice Hockey Leagues

As well as playing in the Elite Ice Hockey League (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), the Belfast Giants can compete in the Champions Hockey League (European Champions League)

International Ice Hockey Federation

Ireland joined the IIHF in the 1990s, competing in the World Championships from 2004 to 2013; and the Development Cup from 2017 to Present

European Ice Hockey

As well as playing in the Elite Ice Hockey League (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), the Belfast Giants can compete in the Champions Hockey League (European Champions League)

KHL Kontinental Hockey League (Eurasia)

North American Hockey Leagues

The Major Ice Hockey League systems around the World are the National Hockey League system (North America) which includes the American Hockey League, and has affiliates in the Elite Ice Hockey League and Australian Ice Hockey League (Commonwealth of Nations); Canadian Hockey League (Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League); Champions Hockey League (European Union Area); Kontinental Hockey League (Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States Area).

Irish Ice Hockey Players, Coaches and Officials in NHL System

NHL North America

The National Hockey League was founded in Canada in 1917, and now hasteams throughout Canada & USA. The World Hockey Association was a Major League rival to the NHL in the 1970s and merged with the NHL in 1979.

AHL American Hockey League

The American Hockey League system is aligned with the National Hockey League (NHL) and features AAA League the American Hockey League; AA League the ECHL; and A Leagues the Southern Professional Hockey League and the Federal League.

College & State Ice Hockey

Ice Hockey is the Official State Sport of Minnesota.

Inline Hockey Ireland

Header Image (1): Contributor: Kat72 Closeup of one hockey stick and puck laying on textured ice in black and white Item ID: 576241228 [Internet] Available from: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/closeup-one-hockey-stick-puck-laying-576241228 [Accessed 22 March 2022]

Featured Picture Credit: Vincent JIANG / Shutterstock (2018) Montreal, Canada – March 18 2018：Junior hokey team parading in the Saint Patrick`s Day in Montreal downtown [Accessed 4 May

Inline Hockey Ireland Leagues

The first Inline Hockey Leagues in Ireland appeared in the late 1990s, with Leagues in the Dublin, Cork and Belfast areas. The Dublin and Cork Leagues were merged into one Republic of Ireland League by 2005, and the Northern Ireland Leagues branched out to Bangor, Portadown and elsewhere.

In 2015-16 the first Inline Hockey Ireland All-Ireland League was started – the Hibernia League – featuring two Leagues – Elite and League 1. There is now also a League 2 and a Ladies League. There are two dedicated Inline Rinks in Ireland – the Longford Rink, and the Rink, Portadown, where all matches take place.

Ladies Inline Hockey

Republic of Ireland Inline Hockey Leagues

Northern Ireland Inline Hockey Leagues

International Inline Hockey

Bandy

Bandy is one of Russia’s National Sports, where it is known as Hockey with a Ball as opposed to Hockey with a Puck (Ice Hockey). It is played on Ice with a ball rather than a puck.

Versions of the sport include Innebandy (also known as Floorball in Europe or Ball Hockey in North America) where runners are used on a hard floor rather than blades or roller skates.

Irish Roller Hockey

Roller Hockey is the National sport of Portugal. Played on skates with four wheels – one at each corner (quads) rather than Inline – and with a ball rather than puck. It has an over 100-year history in Ireland, and is sometimes also known as Rink Hockey.

County Roller Hockey

Portugal Roller Hockey

Roller Hockey is the National Sport of Portugal, and the Portuguse Roller Hockey League is the Major League of Roller Hockey in the World.

World Ball Hockey

Versions of Hockey are played in Europe and elsewhere with a ball rather than a puck. Bandy is a Russian and Scandinavian version of Ice Hockey played with a ball. Bandy is one of the National Sports of Russia. Similarly Roller Hockey is a version of Inline Hockey played with a ball and quad roller skates rather than a puck and inline skates. Roller Hockey is one of the National Sports of Portugal. Ball Hockey is very similar to Innebandy and Floorball, with the three sports played on a hard surface such as a community centre hall or inline/roller rink and a ball an runners rather than skates. Innebandy is the Russian version, Floorball the European version, and Ball Hockey the North American version of the sport.

Ball Hockey

Ball Hockey is a version of Ice Hockey played on ice with a ball rather than a puck, and with runners rather than skates.

Floorball

Floorball is a version of Ice Hockey played on a hard floor with a ball rather than a puck, and without skates. It has been included in the Special Olympics World winter Games since the early 21st Century. Below you will find the results & tables of various competitions.

Unihoc

Unihoc is a version of Ice Hockey played in Community Centres with trainers or runners rather than skates.

Canadian Ringette

Also included here on eirball.hockey are the sports Native to Canada which aren’t Major League sports, such as Ringette (a version of Ice Hockey where no contact is allowed, that is played with a straight stick and ring rather than curved stick and puck)

World Curling Federation

Irish Curling Association

Skiing

There is a small amount of Winter Sports in Ireland. Apart from the Ice Hockey & Inline Hockey Leagues and Curling there is also an artificial Ski Slope at Kilternan in Dublin, and Irish Teams have entered Ice Skating and Bobsleigh competitions abroad.