- List of Nottingham Panthers seasons
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This is a list of seasons completed by the Nottingham Panthers ice hockey team currently of the British Elite League. This list documents the season-by-season records of the Nottingham Panthers from their inaugural season in 1946–47 to 1959–60 and from their reformation in 1980–81 to the present day. The Panthers were due to begin play in the 1939–40 season but the outbreak of World War II delayed this for seven years. The club played their first competitive game on November 22, 1946, defeating Wembley Monarchs 3-2 at the Ice Stadium.
They played in the English National League for their first eight seasons before becoming part of the amalgamated British National League in 1954. Following the collapse of the British National League in 1960 the Panthers were disbanded. The club were reformed in 1980 when the Sheffield Lancers relocated to Nottingham. Since that time the Panthers have played in the English League South, English National League, British Hockey League, Ice Hockey Superleague and the current Elite Ice Hockey League. A charter member of the Premier League in 1983 at the reintroduction of a national league, Nottingham have held continuous membership of the highest league since then and are the only team to have done so. They are also the only founder member of the Premier League who continue to play in the highest league and have been since 1996.
In their 44 completed seasons, the Panthers have been regular season champions 3 times, in 1950–51, 1953–54 and 1955–56. The team have won the national playoff championship twice, in 1988–89 and 2006–07, and appeared in 8 other playoff finals. They have 26 post season appearances, including 25 consecutively between 1985–86 and the present. Nottingham have won the Autumn Cup 6 times, in 1955–56, 1986–87, 1991–92, 1994–95, 1996–97 and 1998–99 and 3 Challenge Cups in 2003–04, 2007–08 and 2009–10. In total the Panthers have appeared in 22 major finals, winning 10 of them. They have an overall regular season record of 816 wins, 650 defeats, 127 ties and 39 overtime defeats.
Autumn Cup Winners Regular Season Champions Playoff Champions Challenge Cup Winners Finished bottom of standings Season League Autumn Cup[1] Regular season[1] Post season Challenge Cup Finish GP W L T GF GA Pts Finish GP W L T OTL GF GA Pts 1946–47 English League Did not enter 7th 36 7 25 4 - 134 223 18 Did not qualify 1947–48 English League 5th 10 5 5 0 43 46 10 6th 36 13 20 3 - 162 184 29 1948–49 English League 5th 14 7 7 0 69 58 14 4th 28 12 11 5 - 122 126 29 1949–50 English League 3rd 36 19 15 2 162 167 40 6th 24 10 13 1 - 126 151 21 1950–51 English League 4th 30 12 11 7 148 134 31 1st 30 18 9 3 - 156 105 37 1951–52 English League 2nd 30 17 12 1 153 139 35 6th 30 9 20 1 - 122 169 19 1952–53 English League 4th 30 13 15 2 151 174 28 3rd 30 15 12 3 - 144 144 33 1953–54 English League 5th 24 9 14 1 104 115 19 1st 24 15 5 4 - 136 106 34 1954–55 British League 5th 22 9 9 4 111 95 22 2nd 40 25 10 5 - 224 152 55 1955–56 British League 1st 24 16 6 2 124 93 34 1st 32 17 14 1 - 185 166 35 1956–57 British League 5th 24 6 13 5 113 124 17 5th 32 10 18 4 - 131 173 24 1957–58 British League 3rd 24 11 12 1 103 107 23 2nd 32 16 13 3 - 158 158 35 1958–59 British League[2] 5th 24 6 15 3 90 123 15 4th 30 9 16 5 - 124 146 23 1959–60 British League 3rd 24 9 11 4 90 123 22 2nd 32 16 14 2 - 127 132 34 Won in Semi Final, 7-6 (Streatham)[3]
Lost in Final, 5-6 (Brighton)1960–80 The Panthers were disbanded in 1960 and were not reformed until 1980 1980–81 English League South[4] 4th 14 5 6 3 - 75 75 17 Did not qualify[5] 1981–82 English League 2nd 14 9 5 0 - 85 82 18 Did not qualify English League South[6] 2nd 16 12 4 0 - 155 61 24 1982–83 British League B[7] 4th 28 14 10 4 - 228 206 29 Did not qualify[8] 1983–84 Premier League Finished second in qualifying group[9] 8th 32 9 21 2 - 183 277 20 Did not qualify[10] 1984–85 Premier League Finished third in qualifying group 8th 36 12 22 2 - 151 233 26 Did not qualify 1985–86 Premier League Finished first in qualifying group
Lost in English Final, 8-16 (Durham)6th 36 15 17 4 - 181 226 34 Finished third in qualifying group 1986–87 Premier League Finished first qualifying group
Won in English Final, 15-9 (Whitley)
Won Autumn Cup, 5-4 (Fife)3rd 36 23 12 1 - 317 215 47 Finished third in qualifying group 1987–88 Premier League Finished second in qualifying group 6th 36 13 21 2 - 243 298 28 Finished third in qualifying group 1988–89 Premier League Finished third in qualifying group 3rd 36 22 9 5 - 305 193 49 Finished second in qualifying group
Won in Semi Final, 8-6 (Whitley)
Won British Championship, 6-3 (Ayr)1989–90 Premier League Finished fourth in qualifying group 6th 32 12 18 2 - 183 185 26 Finished second in qualifying group
Lost in Semi Final, 4-5 (Murrayfield)1990–91 Premier League Finished second in qualifying group[11] 6th 36 16 16 4 - 200 202 36 Finished fourth in qualifying group 1991–92 Premier League Finished first in qualifying group
Won in Semi Final, 13-10 (Cardiff)
Won Autumn Cup, 7-5 (Humberside)2nd 36 21 12 3 - 238 192 45 Finished first in qualifying group
Won in Semi Final, 7-3 (Peterborough)
Lost in Final, 6-7 (Durham)1992–93 Premier League Finished second in qualifying group
Won in Quarter Final, 18-14 (Basingstoke)
Lost in Semi Final, 7-15 (Cardiff)3rd 36 19 15 2 - 256 236 40 Finished first in qualifying group
Lost in Semi Final, 4-5 (Humberside)1993–94 Premier League Finished first in qualifying group
Won in Quarter Final, 6-5 (Basingstoke)
Lost in Semi Final, 9-11 (Cardiff)4th 44 26 16 2 - 288 224 54 Finished second in qualifying group
Lost in Semi Final, 0-8 (Sheffield)1994–95 Premier League Finished first in qualifying group
Won in Quarter Final, 25-10 (Slough)
Won in Semi Final, 25-11 (Murrayfield)
Won Autumn Cup, 7-2 (Cardiff)3rd 44 32 8 4 - 372 213 68 Finished second in qualifying group
Lost in Semi Final, 7-11 (Murrayfield)1995–96 Premier League Finished second in qualifying group
Won in Quarter Final, 11-9 (Basingstoke)
Won in Semi Final, 16-8 (Humberside)
Lost in Final, 2-5 (Sheffield)4th 36 19 12 5 - 214 174 43 Finished second in qualifying group
Won in Semi Final, 3-1 (Durham)
Lost in Final, 3-4 (Sheffield)1996–97 Super League Finished second in qualifying group
Won in Quarter Final, 5-4 (Cardiff)
Won in Semi Final, 6-3 (Sheffield)
Won Autumn Cup, 5-3 (Ayr)4th 42 21 18 1 2 160 147 45 Finished first in qualifying group
Won in Semi Final, 6-5 (Ayr)
Lost in Final, 1-3 (Sheffield)1997–98 Super League Finished second in qualifying group
Lost in Quarter Finals, 5-8 (Ayr)4th 28 14 11 3 0 95 99 31 Finished third in qualifying group Finished fourth in qualifying group[12]
Lost in Semi Final, 8-16 (Ayr)1998–99 Super League Finished third in qualifying group[13]
Won in Second Round, 19-0 (Slough)
Won in Quarter Final, 7-1 (Newcastle)
Won in Semi Final, 5-4 (Manchester)
Won Autumn Cup, 2-1 (Ayr)3rd 42 25 14 1 2 140 134 53 Finished first in qualifying group
Won in Semi Final, 4-2 (Bracknell)
Lost in Final, 1-2 (Cardiff)Finished second in qualifying group[14]
Won in Semi Final, 6-5 (Cardiff)
Lost in Final, 0-4 (Sheffield)1999–00 Super League Finished fourth in qualifying group
Won in Second Round, 5-3 (Peterborough)
Lost in Quarter Final, 2-13 (Cardiff)6th 42 18 20 3 1 140 165 40 Finished fourth in qualifying group Finished fourth in qualifying group
Won in Semi Final, 7-4 (London)
Lost in Final, 1-2 (Sheffield)2000–01 Super League[15] Finished third in qualifying group
Won in Quarter Final, 7-4 (Manchester)
Lost in Semi Final, 5-7 (Sheffield)8th 48 18 23 - 7 126 167 53 Finished fourth in qualifying group Finished fifth in qualifying group 2001–02 Super League 4th 48 19 20 9 - 140 141 47 Finished sixth in qualifying group Finished second in qualifying group
Lost in Semi Final, 4-7 (Ayr)2002–03 Super League 3rd 32 15 13 4 0 92 92 34 Finished third in qualifying group
Lost in Semi Final, 3-4 (London)Finished first in qualifying group[16]
Won in Semi Final, 3-2 (Belfast)
Lost in Final, 2-3 (Sheffield)2003–04 Elite League 2nd 56 34 14 6 2 209 158 76 Finished first in qualifying group
Won in Semi Final, 6-1 (Manchester)
Lost in Final, 1-2 (Sheffield)Finished fourth in qualifying group
Won in Semi Final, 11-5 (Belfast)
Won Challenge Cup, 4-3 (Sheffield)[17]2004–05 Elite League 4th 50 25 14 5 6 136 101 61 Finished second in qualifying group
Won in Semi Final, 3-1 (Cardiff)
Lost in Final, 1-2 (Coventry)Finished second in qualifying group
Lost in Semi Final, 4-5 (Coventry)2005–06 Elite League 3rd 42 23 11 6 2 111 88 54 Finished third in qualifying group Finished first in qualifying group
Lost in Semi Final, 7-8 (Coventry)2006–07 Elite League 5th 54 29 17 - 8 182 149 66 Won in Quarter Final, 6-5 (Sheffield)[18]
Won in Semi Final, 2-1 (Belfast)
Won British Championship, 2-1 (Cardiff)Lost in Quarter Final, 4-5 (Sheffield) 2007–08 Elite League 3rd 54 33 18 - 3 173 133 69 Lost in Quarter Final, 6-7 (Cardiff) Finished first in qualifying group
Won in Semi Final, 10-5 (Newcastle)
Won Challenge Cup, 9-7 (Sheffield)2008–09 Elite League 3rd 54 37 13 - 4 225 153 72 Won in Quarter Final, 9-5 (Manchester)
Won in Semi Final, 6-2 (Coventry)
Lost in Final, 0-2 (Sheffield)Finished third in qualifying group. 2009–10 Elite League 3rd 56 34 20 - 2 215 177 70 Won in Quarter Final, 9-5 (Cardiff)
Lost in Semi Final, 1-2 (Belfast)Finished first in qualifying group
Won in Semi Final, 7-3 (Sheffield)
Won Challenge Cup, 8-7 (Cardiff)Regular season totals -- 1632 816 650 127 39 7869 7331 1801 3 Regular season titles Footnotes
- ^ a b Code explanation; GP—Games played, W—Wins, L—Losses, T—Tied games, OTL—Overtime losses, GF—Goals for, GA—Goals against, Pts—Points
- ^ Edinburgh Royals took part in the Autumn Cup competition. They did not take part in the League.
- ^ In season 1959-60, the top four teams in the five team British League competed in the play offs. Both the semi finals and final were two-legged ties with the team scoring the most goals at the end of the second match being the winner of the tie.
- ^ No away fixtures were played between the Panthers and Cambridge University Ice Hockey Club and Oxford University Ice Hockey Club. One home fixture against each was played for double points. The Panthers played the remainder of their opponents once at home and once away.
- ^ Only the winner of the English League South advanced to the national Icy Smith Cup (the name given to the British Championship at the time). There they would meet the winner of the English League North in the semi final, the winner of that tie going on to play the winner of the Northern League play offs in the final.
- ^ Again the Panthers did not play an away game against either of the two University sides. Rather than play games for double points, Panthers played an additional fixture against Streatham Redskins and Southampton Vikings.
- ^ In 1982–83, the new British League was divided into three sections of five. Teams in Section B played all the teams in the league twice, while teams in Section A and C did not face each other instead playing teams in their own section four times as well as the two games against Section B teams. This meant that the teams in Section A and C played 26 games and the teams in Section B played 28.
- ^ In the 1982-83 play offs, the winning team in Section C played the runner up of Section B for the right to play the winner of Section B in the English final. The top two teams in Section A played for a place in the national final. The final was between the winner of the Section A (Scottish) final and the English final.
- ^ The Autumn Cup qualifying stages were a round robin stage made up of two English groups and one Scottish. The winner of the Scottish group moved into the final while the winners of the two English groups played an English final to determine the second finalist.
- ^ Between 1984 and 2006, the teams qualifying for the play offs played a preliminary round robin group stage. Teams were divided in to two groups with the top two in each advancing to the semi finals (in 2002 and 2003 a single qualifying group was used with the top four advancing to the semi finals). The semi finals and final were one off games played at a predetermined venue, the exception being in 1998 when the semi finals were played as a best-of-three series. Between 1984 and 1990 and again in 2004 and 2005, the top six teams qualified for the play offs. Between 1991 and 2001 and again in 2006, the top eight teams qualified. In 2002 and 2003 when the membership of the league was 7 and 5 respectively, all teams qualified for the play offs.
- ^ In 1990-91, the English and Scottish sections used in the preliminary stages of the Autumn Cup were dropped in favour of four groups. The winner of each group advanced to a two-legged semi final, the winners moving on to the final. In 1992-93, the competition was extended with the top two from each group moving in to a quarter final round.
- ^ All eight teams competed in a single round robin group stage, playing one home game and one away game against each other. The top four advanced to two-legged semi finals with the winners facing each other in a one off final.
- ^ In 1998-99 and 1999-00, teams from the Super League were divided in to two groups of eight. Their final placing within the group determined their second round opponent from the British National League (who had their own group stage).
- ^ Between 1998-99 and 2000-01 and again in 2003-04, certain designated league fixtures doubled up as Challenge Cup qualifiers. Results counted towards a team's league standing and their standing within a separate Challenge Cup table. The top four teams moved into a two-legged semi final, with the winners facing each other in a one-off final.
- ^ During the 2000-01 season, three points were awarded for a regulation time win, two for an overtime or penalty shots win, 1 for an overtime or penalty shots defeat and none for a regulation time defeat.
- ^ The seven teams taking part in the league at the beginning of the season (Ayr and Manchester would later withdraw) and the Coventry Blaze of the British National League were divided in to two groups of four. The winners and runners-up in each group played in one-off semi finals with the winners facing each other in a one-off final. The Panthers were due to play Ayr in their semi final but due to their demise they were replaced by Belfast.
- ^ All finals since 2003-04 have been played over two legs.
- ^ In 2006-07, the top eight teams qualified for the play offs which were played on a knockout basis. The quarter finals were played over two legs with a team's quarter final opponent determined on their league standing (1st vs 8th, 2nd vs 7th, 3rd vs 6th and 4th vs 5th). The semi final and final remained as one off games played over a single weekend.
References
- Chambers, Michael A. (in English). Nottingham Panthers Statistical Guidebook 1946–47 and 1999–00. United Kingdom: Michael A. Chambers. ISBN 0-9539398-0-4.
- An ongoing history of the Nottingham Panthers by Peter Walch
- The Internet Hockey Database
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