The senior men’s regional competition overseen by the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) confirmed the format for the North-region Cup competition ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.
Under this structure, the North Cup (for the northern clubs) was arranged to operate alongside the regular league fixtures. In Division 1 North (Moralee Conference) the clubs were set to play each other on a home and away basis twice – i.e., two home games and two away games per opponent in the league. The membership of Division 1 North was listed as ten clubs including the likes of Billingham Stars, Blackburn Hawks, Hull Pirates, Nottingham Lions, Sheffield Steeldogs, Solihull Barons, Solway Sharks, Sutton Sting, Telford Tigers and Whitley Warriors.
Meanwhile in Division 2 North (Laidler Conference) a similar 2H vs 2A format was adopted for league play for the nine participating clubs.
Regarding the Cup – the North Cup competition was integrated with league fixtures in that the first home and away game between two clubs in the league schedule also counted towards the Cup standings. That is, each pair of clubs would have their initial two meetings (one home, one away) designated as Cup-matches in the standings, thus the Cup did not require separate standalone fixtures in every case.
Following the group phase (all clubs in the group phase), the top ranked sides qualified for the knockout rounds. Semi-finals and a two-leg final were planned, typically with “1st vs 4th” and “2nd vs 3rd” in the semis, and winners meeting over two legs to decide the Cup winner.
Overall, clubs accepted the format at the 2018 meeting of the regional league management (LMC) of the English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA), with the aim of providing a consistent competition structure across North 1 and North 2 that balanced league and cup play, reduced duplication of fixtures and simplified scheduling.
In essence: teams played a full home-and-away schedule in their league; the first meeting of each pairing counted for the Cup; then the top clubs progressed to knockout rounds; and a two-leg final decided the Cup winner. The format allowed league and Cup commitments to be aligned, making it efficient for clubs and fixtures officials.