British National League (1996–2005)

See also British National League (1954–1960) for the earlier ice hockey league.
British National League (1996–2005)
Sport Ice hockey
Founded 1996
No. of teams 12 (peak)
Country(ies)  United Kingdom
Ceased 2005
Last champion(s) Bracknell Bees
Sponsor(s) Findus (2000–03)

The British National League (BNL) is a defunct second-level professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Although no formal promotion and relegation existed during its period of existence, it was considered to have a standard below that of the Ice Hockey Superleague (later replaced by the Elite Ice Hockey League) and above that of the English National Hockey League and the Scottish National League.

The league was founded in 1996 to replace the first division of the British Hockey League and for its first season only was split into the Northern Premier League and the Premier League. From 2000 until 2003, it was sponsored by Findus. It was disbanded at the end of the 2004/05 season, when the Edinburgh Capitals and Newcastle Vipers both left the league to join the rival Elite League.

Teams

Regular season champions

96/97 North - Fife Flyers
96/97 South - Swindon IceLords
97/98 Guildford Flames
98/99 Slough Jets
99/00 Fife Flyers
00/01 Guildford Flames
01/02 Dundee Stars
02/03 Coventry Blaze
03/04 Fife Flyers
04/05 Bracknell Bees