EIHL table with each club's best roster

Having just seen a football version of this on YouTube, I wanted to try this with Elite League teams. I've picked each club's roster from their best season, including those no longer in the league, and predicted what the table would look like if all of them played against each other over the course of a season. I mainly based my choices on points tallies, but I've considered other factors too. To clarify, this is based on all seventeen EIHL era clubs since the league began in 2003/04. 

17. Milton Keynes Lightning - 2017/18

I'm surprised I ended up coming to the conclusion Milton Keynes would be the worst team on this list. On paper, this roster should've done a LOT better. Stacked in offensive talent with the likes of Denny Kearney, Guillaume Doucet and Francis Verreault-Paul for a start, a top half finish should've been in sight. 

With no home losses until November, it was looking possible, but the wheels flew off in the second part of the season rather drastically. They'd finish 11th with only 42 points. 

16. London Racers - 2004/05

Having finished bottom in two of their three seasons, one of which they went bankrupt midway through, all I have to work with for the London Racers is the 2004/05 roster, which finished second last. Like with the Lightning, their late season form hurt them massively. 

Having finished on 50 points, key players included Cardiff legend and top scorer Steve Moria and NHL lockout signing Eric Cairns. Jason Hewitt and Mark Thomas were also part of this roster, who would go on to have successful careers in Sheffield. 

15. Edinburgh Capitals - 2009/10

I was originally going to use the 2012/13 Caps that prevailed in a tight playoff race, beating the top three along the way, but the side from three seasons before managed to beat their point total without the luxury of the conference system. They would finish on 52 points. 

They managed to pick up at least a point in five meetings with eventual champions Coventry, including a thrilling 8-7 victory. They had two of the leagues three leading scorers in Simon Lambert and Owen Fussey, as well as promising Brits Mark Garside and Ben O'Connor. 

14. Basingstoke Bison - 2006/07

A 7th place finish in 2006/07 was as good as it got for the Bison. Like the Caps, they also got 52 points. I've put them above the Scottish side in this table because they accumulated this in less games with one extra regulation win, plus the fact they went one stage further in the Challenge Cup. 

Without a Panthers bias, Kevin Bergin (top scorer) and netminder Curtis Cruikshank were catalysts. Other notable players included Brad Cruikshank and Mark DeSantis. 

13. Hull Stingrays - 2014/15

This is one of my favourite EIHL underdog stories. Hull went into the season having lost many key players, most notably their top two scorers Jeremy Tendler and Guillaume Doucet, as well as GB goaltender Ben Bowns. With many new faces and a new head coach who all lacked experience, there was a lot of uncertainty over the Stingrays. 

Omar Pacha would guide them to a 7th place finish on 49 points thanks to players such as Carl Lauzon, Eric Galbraith and David Brown between the pipes. What followed was one of the great playoff upsets, coming from behind to beat a Braehead side who had narrowly missed out (bottled) the league title. They'd narrowly lose out to Sheffield in the semi final in what would be their final ever competitive game. 

12. Fife Flyers - 2017/18 

The first side on this list to win a trophy (even if it was the conference), the 2017/18 Flyers had a consistent offence with the likes of Carlo Finucci and Chase Schaber surpassing 60 points. Jim Jorgenson and Andy IIles were stellar at the back too, helping to make it a well rounded roster that would knock out second placed Manchester in the playoffs.

Their conference win came in dramatic fashion as they managed to cancel out Dundee's supposed last minute winner and prevail in overtime. The strong mentality that was evident with their first EIHL trophy on the line makes them undoubtedly the best Flyers side since returning to the top flight. 

11. Manchester Phoenix - 2008/09

The Phoenix final season in the EIHL saw them finish 6th on 58 points alongside playing the finals of the Challenge Cup and British Knockout Cup in which they'd fall to the Belfast Giants each time. 

Player personel included the league's leading goalscorer, David Alexandre-Beauregard, the great Tony Hand and Stephen Murphy between the pipes. Despite dropping out of the league soon after, many of their roster would continue playing in the EIHL, showing their quality at this level. 

10. Dundee Stars - 2013/14

Undoubtedly the best Stars roster was the one who managed to finish 3rd in 2013/14, winning the Gardiner Conference too. They managed to beat every single team in the league at least once and were the first Scottish side to finish in the top three. 

This was largely down to the excellent Dan Bakala in goal who won the league's player of the season award. Other key players included top scorer Nicco Sacchetti and Rory Rawlyk. 

9. Guildford Flames - 2018/19 

With 67 points, the 2018/19 Flames side was in touching distance of 3rd, but ultimately finished 5th. They would qualify for their first top flight final and finals weekend, losing to eventual league champions Belfast in both by a 2-1 scoreline. Dundee's advantage with the conference system in 2013/14 is why I've put the Flames one place higher than them in these standings. 

Kruise Reddick's 66 points meant he led the Sussex side in scoring by some distance. Ian Watters and Calle Ackered also played significant parts. 

8. Manchester Storm - 2017/18

With new ownership and Ryan Finnerty taking the coaching reigns, it was a new era at the Storm shelter. It started with a bang, as Manchester were crowned Patton conference champions and finished as league runners up behind Cardiff by 10 points. Ironically, it's the only time they didn't make the Challenge Cup knockout stages but that shouldn't undermine their best ever league finish by some distance. 

They had the league's leading point scorer in Mike Hammond, as well as toughness in the form of Dane Byers and Jay Rosehill. 

7. Braehead Clan - 2014/15

The second Ryan Finnerty led side in this table would finish 2nd, just a point behind champions Sheffield. Despite letting the title slip from their grasp with a week to go in the regular season, this was still the best Glasgow side by a mile as they secured another Gardiner conference title. 

Key players included Neil Trim as well as all star second team members Leigh Salters and Kyle Jones. 

6. Newcastle Vipers - 2005/06 

We're now into the six teams who have won major trophies, and the first of them is the Newcastle side of 2005/06. They finished second behind the Belfast Giants, but would redeem themselves in the playoffs, knocking out the Giants and becoming only the second ever team to beat Sheffield in a final, winning 2-1 and being crowned champions. 

All star first team netminder Trevor Koenig backstopped them, and the versatile Jonathan Weaver led the offence. Other notable names include David Longstaff, who scored the winning goal in the final. 

5. Belfast Giants - 2018/19 

The most recent league champions come fourth, having reached an impressive 92 points. Cardiff did the exact same in one of the most intense title races, in which the regulation win tie breaker determined the Giants as champions, following the Devils shock loss in Coventry on the final day. The Giants would win a second straight Challenge Cup and make the playoff final, losing out to the Devils, meaning they were one win away from being the first team to win four trophies in a single season. Add their penalty shootout loss in the Continental Cup final and it could've been five! 

This roster oozed quality from top to bottom. They had the two best forwards in the league with Patrick Dwyer's fantastic points per game average and Darcy Murphy finishing as top scorer. In nets was Tyler Beskowarany, who in my opinion is the best netminder I've seen at this level. 

It's tempting to rank Belfast higher as a result their points total but they did play in the longest ever league campaign which consisted of 60 games whilst other seasons have had between 50 and 56. Their actual record, and overall EIHL record is 95 in 2011/12, but the league was their only trophy that season and I think the 18/19 sides performances across all competitions outdoes that. 

4. Cardiff Devils - 2016/17

Despite it being their second highest league winning points total (their overall record was 92, but they lost out on the title and played a lot more games), Cardiff were in touching distance of that total of 85 despite playing 4 less games in 2016/17, finishing on 81 points. Like the Giants two years later, the playoff final would cost them a Grand Slam, coming even closer considering all they needed was one overtime goal. 

Stacked with EIHL stalwarts such as Andrew Hotham, Ben Bowns and of course, Joey Martin, this Cardiff side that continues to be successful will go down as one of the all time greats! 

3. Coventry Blaze - 2004/05 

Rather controversially, I've opted not to put the only two sides to win all three major trophies at the top of the tree, but hopefully when I explain the second placed team, it will make sense. 

Coventry were simply outstanding though in 2004/05, regularly winning games by convincing margins, one of which was a 6-1 thumping of Cardiff in Challenge Cup final first leg. They'd win the league by 6 points and go on to add the playoffs completing a three trophy sweep. 

With EIHL greats all over the ice such as Jody Lehman, Dan Carlson and Neil Martin to name a few, this team was a true British hockey powerhouse. 

2. Sheffield Steelers - 2003/04

I've put Sheffield above Coventry because their 92 record points total and the best win rate in EIHL history (1.64 points per game) outdoes the one extra trophy that Coventry won in my opinion. Like Cardiff, they were just one goal off a Grand Slam, losing the Challenge Cup final, and should that goal be a difference between how good they were across the whole season? 

This Sheffield team was overloaded with quality such as the league's leading point scorer Mark Dutiaume, Mike Person and Gerad Adams, who cruised to the first league title of the EIHL era and won the playoffs. 

1. Nottingham Panthers - 2012/13

Call me bias if you like but truth be told, I was going to put Sheffield's landslide league win at the top when I started this article for the reasons I explained. What made me change my mind is that the Panthers had a tougher schedule with the conference system and played less games yet their points per game average was only 0.01 less than Sheffield's. By securing the league title and winning the other two major trophies, beating their nearest title threats Belfast and Sheffield in the both finals, this has to be considered the best ever EIHL roster. 

This roster had it all in every aspect, not least in the form of players like Jordan Fox, Craig Kowalski and of course the incredible David Ling.