Neil Abel

Neil Abel (born December 22, 1960 in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland) is a British professional ice hockey player who has played in the United Kingdom since 1980. He currently plays for and is head coach for the Sheffield Scimitars in the English Premier Ice Hockey League (EPIHL).

Playing career
Abel began his senior ice hockey career when he was twenty years old with the Fife Flyers in 1980 in the Northern League and the Scottish National League (SNL). Apart from a handful of games he played for the Nottingham Panthers during the 1981–82 season, Abel remained with the Flyers for twelve seasons as they moved into the British Hockey League (BHL) in 1983. During this time he helped the Flyers to the finals of the Autumn Cup in 1984 and 1986 and to win the playoffs in 1985.

Abel joined the Sheffield Steelers for the 1992–93 season when they were at in Division 1 of the BHL. During his four seasons with the Steelers, which was broken only by him playing one game each for the Solihull Barons and the Basingstoke Beavers during the 1994–97promotion to the Premier Division of the BHL at the end of the 1992–93 season. He also helped the team to the final of the playoffs in 1993–94 and to win the league championship and playoffs in 1994–95. In his final season with the Steelers, 1995–96, he helped them to win a grand slam of all available trophies: the Benson & Hedges Cup, the league championship and the playoffs.

Between the 1996–97 and 2002–03 seasons, at various times Abel played for the Solihull Blaze, Blackburn Hawks, Lancashire Hawks, Basingstoke Bison, Milton Keynes Kings, Edinburgh Capitals, Hull Thunder and Newcastle Vipers in various leagues such as the English National Ice Hockey League (ENIHL), EPIHL, the British National League (BNL) and the Ice Hockey Superleague (ISL).

Abel eventually settled with the Sheffield Scimitars when he joined them in the 2002–03 season when they were playing in the ENIHL. Apart from a guest appearance for the Sheffield Steelers in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) during the 2004–05 season and two games for the Steelers playing in the 2005–06 Challenge Cup, Abel has remained with the Scimitars since. He has helped them to win the Northern Division of the ENIHL in 2002–03 and 2004–05, the playoffs in 2003–04 and 2004–05 as well as the English National Cup in 2003–04 and 2004–05. After the Scimitars had joined the EPIHL in 2005–06, Abel became the team's player-coach in the 2006–07. The Scimitars awarded Abel with a tesimonial game on 1 February 2007 for his long service to the British game. He also finished of the season by being named the Ice Hockey Journalists UK's Coach of the Year.

Awards and honours

 * He was an awarded a testimonial game on 1 February 2007 by the Scimitars.
 * Won the Coach of the Year Trophy for 2006–07.