On 25 March 2009, Basingstoke Bison announced their decision to depart from the Elite Ice Hockey League to join the second tier English Premier League, citing considerable financial losses as their reason for withdrawing.
[1] In the build up to the 2008–09 season finale, rumours circulated over the possible exclusion from the league of the Edinburgh Capitals, Manchester Phoenix and Newcastle Vipers, and the EIHL operating with six teams.
[4] The resulting change in the format will see teams play a 56-game schedule, facing each of their opponents 8 times (4 home, 4 away) during the course of the regular season.
[5] Team positions determine seeding for Play Offs GP=Games Played W=Win, OTW=Over Time Wins, OTW=Over Time Loses, L=Loses, Pts=Points, After two legged quarter finals the end of season playoffs were held at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham from 3 to 4 April.
Quarter-finals Sheffield Steelers 5-1 Hull Stingrays Belfast Giants 2-3 Cardiff Devils (After Penalty Shoot out) Edinburgh Capitals 0-1 Newcastle Vipers Coventry Blaze 6-0 Nottingham Panthers Semi-finals Sheffield Steelers 4-1 Cardiff Devils Newcastle Vipers 2-3 Coventry Blaze Final Sheffield Steelers 3-2 Coventry Blaze