For this season, I had taken on another stats related and content related endeavour to rank each EIHL game week to track form and create opportunities for further fanbase discussion.
Of course, this is run through the EIHL Face-Off Podcast as an additional feature to the weekly show, where listeners will get first access to the run down, before anything is posted.
So far, it has literally been a week on week basis, so for those that keep up with it and are able to see through the many social media algorithms, you may have seen some big movements here and there and even some trends forming.
What I have been doing in the background is tracking them for an all time figure, as well as monthly overall, so we get to see stage by stage how form is truly reflected in a non-biased, multi-faceted scoring system to determine the overall points per week per team, which gets structured into a top down table, scored highest to lowest.
There are 9 scoring factors in the process, which was designed to be a simple as possible, focusing mainly on results in the win/loss, then margins for further analysis to find breakdowns, then weighted factors such as wins vs opponents (based on last seasons standings).
I had pondered including wins at home, vs wins on the road, but felt that the system already favoured the winning team more than enough. Essentially, if a team loses, it will be dependant on how much, which may either see a zero score or a negative (unlucky, Fife).
This system was determined to be as easy to use as it is to run across the season, to make sure it would avoid mistakes, forgetful moments and can be built upon.
What I might add in future seasons is wins at 5v5/60, xGF/60, points %, PP or SHG scenarios and streaks for win/loss. However, this system is simple to use and has so far reflected weekly performances quite well.
Teams that win in OT or shootout still get rewarded, but regulation wins for example get weighted higher due to the scoring system.
So, lets get into this first break down of the rankings, including overall to date, month by month and the previous game week outcomes;
1. Power Rankings Overall
As you can tell, the way the overall table to date shapes up is very similar to many pre-season standings predictions. To some, this might be a realistic look at the end of season table.
To others, it might frustrate how the overall form looks like, but if fans are honest, this is genuinely how it looks. However, fret not, for the most part, positions are not absolute as it will evolve over time and I elected to excluded the points, which will be explained further on.
Even with Flames and their recent dip in results along with injuries, still picked off some teams, Clan have hit some highs, but often fell short, Stars can only beat one team in one capacity and most of those are separated by a linear point (17 to 21).
What the standings does not show is how close they are grouped together in terms of accrued points. It could be my manner of victory of defeat (regulations vs OT/SO) or even goals scored or conceded that can sway similar results one way or the other.
It is truly down to the results. Reflecting the overall output of a team.
As you can see in the graph above after the first two months of the season have been played, there are 2 distinct groups, then Fife Flyers. Amongst them are discernible factors to draw from, which might even feed into wider views and variables that are either within their control or not.
Such as budgets, arena size (which raises a repeated question mark over Clan), respective depth of teams in terms of quality (which can be related back to the aforementioned variables) within their rosters and generally hitting form consistently.
Much can be argued of why, even to the point of how the ranking system is used in terms of making it happen, however, this is only a visual reflection of how each team has performed on a game by game basis each week.
Don’t like your teams’ position? Tough. Ask that of your club, the results speak for themselves.
2. Power Rankings: September
September had some hot starts and some low ebbs as the season got underway through the challenge cup campaign. Dundee upset current holders Belfast Giants and continued to do so, whilst the likes of Guildford Flames just couldn’t find any momentum whatsoever.
Panthers started very cold, with some unexpected defeats for their roster strength and goalie tandem, but found form along the way, as Devils maintained a very vibrant start overall.
As expected at the early stages, the majority of the league found their teams in an up and down cycle, as results became hit and miss to round off the first month of EIHL competition, which is typical of any league. Fixing weaknesses, adjusting, its never a done deal or set in stone scenario, but results are still results.
Here is the trend per week as the season started for the top 4 teams that so far dominate the standings overall;
September as a whole was solid month for Devils, with big wins over Panthers and Steelers respectively and they built a near-unassailable lead in the cup.
This was thwarted very quickly, which saw a huge hit to their overall form status, as expected and later expanded upon. It also didn’t help they played the same two teams for 3 weekends within as many weeks.
They eventually arm wrestled themselves just above Panthers, despite some home stand results effectively knocking them out of the cup.
Steelers were the definition of a yo-yo team in terms of good week, bad week. But since an early wobble, they have become the most consistent team to date.
Even Storm topped a game week and held up for another, the marginal differences in the system adopted accounted for slightly different positions. As mentioned, the manner of the win or loss can determine the position, even by a single point.
They have been the most erratic to date, but have shown signs of growing as a team. As opposed to another topped for a non-playoff position at the end of regular season.
The month also saw a promising start for the newly taken over Fife Flyers, picking up a lot of promise and notching wins, taking teams to OT, holding themselves well, very early on.
They reached a high of 4th overall, which had many thinking perhaps there was a little hope and magic they had enough in their squad to really make a go of it this season, instead of repeating last years dismal outing.
Then October hit and things that started to really take shape.
3. October Trends provide an early end of season league standings projection
The way the points have totalled up, which sees a weekly addition/subtraction based on each team’s game-week performance calculations, has left the table overall after the first 2 months of EIHL in a shape that may well and truly reflect the overall outlook come the end of the campaign.
The most notable feedback and indicators from it was the separation across certain teams and groups of teams within the league.
As expressed above, there have been distinct groups of teams formed from their results to date. It also speaks of the fact that whilst there is overall good competition in the league, there is a distinction between them.
For instance, the average winner per week aggregates about 17.4 total points, (currently) the highest recorded so far has been 24 (achieved twice only by Panthers).
Even with those big returns, they have also dipped to one of the lowest scores so far, albeit below average (-7.9) of the teams that finished last to date.
Of the most 1st place positions recorded, Devils currently holds this (3) but they also dropped to the bottom of the standings during a game-week this season. Of their rankings placed at first, they did so below the current average.
Which further means the manner of the wins or losses is evidently crucial for who can ‘rank up’ as the best with form.
It also may reflect the true quality of their roster, compared to others, however it might be too early to tell, so the benefit of doubt will be maintained.
Case in point is the benefit of having quality goal scorers on your team, Steelers are top of the league overall, with Devils in 5th in terms of GFA, a separation of 1.17, however, Steelers are not far off 4 goals per game scored, where as Devils are sub 3.
That is a season defining difference, as you need to have that trait and outcome very early not only for momentum, but for workable and rewardable habits.
Last season Devils finished 6th overall, which is wild considering they were ahead of the league by a fair distance until around January time. Despite how low that was, they were off the pace (Steelers) by 0.72.
Although Belfast won the league with a 3.85 GFA, any case is still way off. Already Steelers are very close to last seasons’ overall (-0.14), where as the Devils for instance are miles off the other way, -0.59, to their own.
Devils however have the staunchest defence early on, at an impressive 1.57 GAA, which reflects how they have both scored slightly different, despite being at the top for stretches, not to mention overall, with a difference between 1st and 3rd as 11 points.
So a good week for one, a mediocre for another and that will swing.
In the middle of this is another group of teams that have taken wins off each other, scalped some big teams and have been humbled by others in the process.
Early season chaos is always fun.
Dundee started the hottest, but in the same week of outscoring the Giants and Clan 13:6, they were then shutout by Flyers of all teams. Then a high scoring OTL diminished a greater chance of higher points within the rankings system.
Most of their games featured 5 goals scored, which for one team is a bonus, the other way, it harms the overall score for the week.
Stars could have had a better outcome to date, had they won in regulation more.
Blaze however, have been struggling. They have been shutout 3 times so far this season and it has hurt their overall return week on week. They are one week capable of battling through high scoring games, then would struggle to score more than once.
So even if a win or loss is by a single goal, the return is scant compared to a 5-1 or 5-0 win, for example.
Blaze, like Fife are the only teams in league regular season to yet hit an average of just 2 goals per game. So, it is no wonder they are caught up in a big battle for the mid to lower table.
Clan however, have been a misnomer from the start. They can turn over teams pretty significantly but then fail to play consistently.
It seems almost like a broken record, but out of all of the teams ranked 5th to 9th so far, they have the biggest chance to afford and develop well ahead of their contemporaries.
To make things absolute, Storm are outscoring them, which reflects in game-week results overall. Clan have however, started quite low, then slow started to rise, finishing last week in 2nd overall for game-week 8.
4. This Weeks’ Power Rankings
Only 5 teams have topped each game-week power rankings so far, Devils (3), Panthers (2), Blaze (1) and Storm (1) and most recently, after 8 weeks, Sheffield (1).
Sheffield were good for their max point week across 3 games and Devils, Giants both dropped game, but Devils lost a lot more closer. Which has an impact.
The points gap between 3rd and 7th was very similar to the overall points per team so far in terms of spread, with regulation wins claiming an advanced position overall (otherwise direct win vs opponent if the same teams had the same points, then head to head winner would be ranked ahead).
Flyers once again having a negative score for their 4th week in a row, the only consistent team so far, but it goes to show where there is a lack of depth, lack of scoring opportunities, which means reduced chances and rates to win games or claim extra points.
Maybe with some additions they could be more competitive, but for now, they are so far off the rest, it might bring about an unwanted and ugly debate on their future in the EIHL.
5. Current Form and Projected Rankings (as of 31.10.25)
The current form suggests a trend that doesn’t exactly buck the linear, however, anything can happen in hockey.
Each team will have its current form outlined then we will see how they rank ahead of game-week 9, based on their outcomes from the last 3 weeks.
It is interesting to see which teams last 5GP are reflecting their form early on, but it is the very start of the league campaign, so there won’t be as much variance yet.
1. Sheffield Steelers
League Record; 6 – 1 – 1, 13pts
L5GP; 5 – 0 – 0
Rank Last Week; 1st
2. Nottingham Panthers
League Record; 5 – 1 – 2, 12pts
L5GP; 3 – 1 – 1
Rank Last Week; 3rd
3. Cardiff Devils
League Record; 5 – 1 – 1, 11pts
L5GP; 3 – 1 – 1
Rank Last Week; 4th
4. Manchester Storm
League Record; 5 – 2 – 0, 10pts
L5GP; 4 – 0 – 1
Rank Last Week; 7th
5. Belfast Giants
League Record; 4 – 2 – 0, 8pts
L5GP; 3 – 2 – 0
Rank Last Week; 5th
6. Glasgow Clan
League Record; 4 – 3 – 0, 8pts
L5GP; 3 – 2 – 0
Rank Last Week; 2nd
7. Guildford Flames
League Record; 3 – 4 – 0, 6pts
L5GP; 2 – 3 – 0
Rank Last Week; 9th
8. Coventry Blaze
League Record; 2 – 4 – 0, 4pts
L5GP; 2 – 3 – 0
Rank Last Week; 8th
9. Dundee Stars
League Record; 1 – 4 – 1, 3pts
L5GP; 1 – 3 – 1
Rank Last Week; 6th
10. Fife Flyers
League Record; 0 – 7 – 1, 1pt
L5GP; 0 – 4 – 1
Rank Last Week; 10th
Here is the overall projection of how the teams will shape up based on the aggregate of their last 3 weeks on the rankings, including the predicted overall scores per position on the side.
This is how a typical game-week could look, which should hopefully outline negative scores and subtractions for example.
As it looks, all teams are set to go below average for their respective pace and current averages to date, as each game-week are showing tighter games played.
Flyers, despite being above the ‘worst’ average, are trending to cut away at it, but not to much effect that would see them elevate beyond the bottom, again.
This wouldn’t be set in stone, as it is an averaged projection based on past results to date, which means it is more than open to change or swings. If Fife manage 2 wins this week, they would be looking at a minimum 4th overall before other variables could add to it.
It won’t be new score plus existing, each game week is totalled along for an overall table, leaving each game-week as a stand alone score. Who knows, Steelers could lose all of their games and hit the bottom of the table with a score similar to Fifes’ projected and current averages.
That would be subtracted from their current score, thus establishing a good or bad week could swing the early proceedings heavily one way or another.
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