The 2024/25 Elite League title race is set up for a final day finish with the Belfast Giants and Sheffield Steelers remaining in contention with one game to go.
The Nottingham Panthers, despite coming back to pick up a point in Belfast on Saturday, are now eliminated from the title race.
Belfast lead the way on 78 points with Sheffield one point back.
Belfast travel to face Nottingham while Sheffield visit Coventry – both games face-off 5:30pm.
Here is your guide for the path to how the 2024/25 Elite League Champion will be decided in either Nottingham or Coventry;
Belfast Giants
As It Stands
1st Place / 53 Games Played / 78 Points
Remaining Game
Sunday 6th April – 5:30pm
vs Nottingham Panthers at Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham.
How can they win the title?
The Belfast Giants are one win away from the Elite League title. They currently lead by one point and so, defeating Nottingham on Sunday would guarantee the Steelers could not match a Giants points total of 80.
A Belfast defeat opens the door for the Steelers to win the title. If the Giants lose and the Steelers win – then Sheffield will finish first.
Sheffield Steelers
As It Stands
2nd Place / 53 Games Played / 77 Points
Remaining Game
Sunday 6th April – 5:30pm
vs Coventry Blaze at SkyDome, Coventry
How can they win the title?
Sheffield, trailing by a point, need to better the Giants points tally on Sunday.
Steelers hold a better record in regulation wins, the first tiebreaker, by 33 to 31. So, if both Steelers and Giants were tied on points after Sundays’ games then Sheffield would win the title by virtue of having won more games in regulation than Belfast.
Simply put, the Steelers need to win and hope the Giants lose in Nottingham. If that happens, then the Steelers will be back-to-back champions.
Tie Breaking Criteria
As a reminder – here is the Elite League’s tie breaking criteria, used when teams are equal on points at the end of the season. If needed, the following will be used to determine the final league ranking on Sunday;
i. Total number of points.
ii. Total number of games won in regulation time.
iii. Total number of all games won (regulation, overtime and penalties).
iv. The results of games played between the relevant teams by applying points won, games won in regulation time, all games won (regulation time/overtime/penalties), in that order of priority.
v. Fewest regulation losses.
vi. Using away games: – points won, games won in regulation time, all games won (regulation time/overtime/penalties), in that order of priority.
vii. Goals scored.
viii. Goal Difference
ix. Fewest Penalty Minutes (Fair Play)
x. In the unlikely event of teams still being equal, teams will be ranked by the drawing of lots. Any prize monies determined by the position in a league or group by this means will be shared equally by the tying teams.
xi. Where a group of two or more teams is tied, then whenever a team can be eliminated due to the above order of priority, it shall be, by applying each of the above stages in order of such priority.
