Founded in 1997 the English Premier Ice Hockey League (EPIHL/EPL) represents the second tier of Ice Hockey in England. It is governed by The English Ice Hockey Association(EIHA), chaired by Ken Taggart.

The league currently operates independently with 10 teams competing for the league title. The teams which occupy the top 8 places at the end of the season go on to play qualifiers which determine the 4 teams who battle for the playoff trophy in Coventry. The English Premier Ice Hockey League cup runs alongside this and operates a format where teams play each other once in the group stage before a knockout competition to determine the eventual Winner.

The longest serving members of the league are Swindon Wildcats (1997), followed by Romford Raiders (1998). Milton Keynes Lightning, Peterborough Phantoms and Slough Jets all joined the league in 2002 and Bracknell Bees, Guildford Flames and Sheffield Scimitars followed suit in 2005. The latest additions to the league are ex-EIHL teams Basingstoke Bison (2009) and Manchester Phoenix (2009)

The league is refereed in accordance with the official International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) rule book although there are some extra rules in place with the goal of promoting and developing British hockey in mind. Each team may only dress 4 non-EIHA trained, EU passport holding “imports” per game and only 3 of these may be on the ice at any one time. Every other player on the team must be EIHA trained, although coaches can recruit their squads without worrying about adherence to a wage cap.