Breahead and who did it

[knowitall]

Imo Braehead will win the league because they have the easier teams to play!
If giants panthers steelers and even us devils played fife edinburgh dundee the majority of the time the league will be won already.

But whos idea was it to have the 2 confrences and imo its unfair and pointless.
The league was better when everyone played each other 3 times home and 3 times away.

I personally think its separated from the poor and not so good teams to the so called rich and better teams??

Anyone agree??

 

[danhall76]

I like that we play a better standard of opposition most weeks but it is ridiculous that the league title is the objective and yet some teams will play Hull and Edinburgh more than Belfast and Nottingham.

 

[Amazepux]

Its the way it is to save the league..its done in NHL NBA NFL...If it was not like this then I doubt the Caps and Stars could exist. Flyers and Clan fans easily outnumber Stars and Caps at their rinks. It wouldnt make financial sense for them to play us less Yiu need to attract 4k + fans each week to compete consistently with big 3..your attendances are less than ours currently.

 

[qazz]

Just to clarify the NHL NBA and NFL do not conference as the EIHL. They place teams in the conferences based upon location and time zones. They also have a real playoff which would allow your argument of weaker teams being in the top of the league due to weak conferences to play them even up in a playoff series. Also if this league actually had a salary cap that was mandated and followed there would be more parity.

 

[Baz-lar]

Being pedantic - the NFL takes history and other things into account not just geography - Dallas is not very close to the East coast so the NFC East would not include my Cowboys with NY Giants, Washington and Phillie if it was purely location!! And the fact a franchise can up sticks and move means nothing is set in stone!

If salary cap was to be adhered to and we introduced a draft system then we would be in a perfect place....alas we are not so we have to just make do.

Agree the current format favours the Clan (although all teams can beat each other on any given day) but rather that way than dropping to 8 teams due to financial impact the travelling would have on some.

Yes the structure favours Braehead but hey if we win all our games from now on we will win the league no matter what...!!

 

[DevilDom]

The conference system may make it more difficult for a team in our conference to win the overall league title but I definitely think its the right thing for the league to be (a) competitive and (b) sustainable. It could however do with a tweak and 2 more teams to make it a little fairer.

I would like to see the Giants moved into the Northern conference (where geographically they belong) and Hull moved to our conference. If the league could get 2 more teams (possibly London and another) this would make it even better.

If Devils can't win it I think it would be great if a team like Braehead could do it. At least it would remove the monotony of one of the big 3 winning everything.

 

[drainage]

The conference system may make it more difficult for a team in our conference to win the overall league title but I definitely think its the right thing for the league to be (a) competitive and (b) sustainable. It could however do with a tweak and 2 more teams to make it a little fairer.

I would like to see the Giants moved into the Northern conference (where geographically they belong) and Hull moved to our conference. If the league could get 2 more teams (possibly London and another) this would make it even better.

If Devils can't win it I think it would be great if a team like Braehead could do it. At least it would remove the monotony of one of the big 3 winning everything.

Or change the points awarded ? Make the non conference games (eg Devils vs Clan) worth more ?

Not against conference just think that one is packed with "harder" teams then the other, yes Clan are good but if they had our schedule would they be where they are now ?

 

[jodysstillagirlsname]

The conference system may make it more difficult for a team in our conference to win the overall league title but I definitely think its the right thing for the league to be (a) competitive and (b) sustainable. It could however do with a tweak and 2 more teams to make it a little fairer.

I would like to see the Giants moved into the Northern conference (where geographically they belong) and Hull moved to our conference. If the league could get 2 more teams (possibly London and another) this would make it even better.

If Devils can't win it I think it would be great if a team like Braehead could do it. At least it would remove the monotony of one of the big 3 winning everything.

Or change the points awarded ? Make the non conference games (eg Devils vs Clan) worth more ?

Not against conference just think that one is packed with "harder" teams then the other, yes Clan are good but if they had our schedule would they be where they are now ?

How would this even it out Helen, the big teams will be getting more points for beating the weaker other conference teams therefore making a bigger gap between the conferences.

Although the conferences seem to have made it more even it has made it more difficult for anyone in the Erhadt other than the big three to win the league

 

[jayemm]

The conference system may make it more difficult for a team in our conference to win the overall league title but I definitely think its the right thing for the league to be (a) competitive and (b) sustainable. It could however do with a tweak and 2 more teams to make it a little fairer.

I would like to see the Giants moved into the Northern conference (where geographically they belong) and Hull moved to our conference. If the league could get 2 more teams (possibly London and another) this would make it even better.

If Devils can't win it I think it would be great if a team like Braehead could do it. At least it would remove the monotony of one of the big 3 winning everything.

Swapping Belfast with Hull make geographic sense (although Belfast being so good would gain a major advantage of a shark in the minnow pond.)

Would it be possible for some games to be Conference Only for points, so not all games would count towards League standings? Something needs to level the ice a little as it does make our task harder (but maybe more exciting on Match Nights).

 

[youngbob]

The conference system may make it more difficult for a team in our conference to win the overall league title but I definitely think its the right thing for the league to be (a) competitive and (b) sustainable. It could however do with a tweak and 2 more teams to make it a little fairer.

I would like to see the Giants moved into the Northern conference (where geographically they belong) and Hull moved to our conference. If the league could get 2 more teams (possibly London and another) this would make it even better.

If Devils can't win it I think it would be great if a team like Braehead could do it. At least it would remove the monotony of one of the big 3 winning everything.

Agree on first and last paragraphs, not so sure about second.

That takes it back to the finance issue - the 4 Scottish teams would be travelling to Belfast twice as often, which could be a killer cost-wise for Fife and Edinburgh.

The Gardiner would become 'will it be Belfast or Braehead this year?'

And Hull would be the whipping boys if they changed to Erhardt league. (no disrespect)

 

[DevilDom]

The conference system may make it more difficult for a team in our conference to win the overall league title but I definitely think its the right thing for the league to be (a) competitive and (b) sustainable. It could however do with a tweak and 2 more teams to make it a little fairer.

I would like to see the Giants moved into the Northern conference (where geographically they belong) and Hull moved to our conference. If the league could get 2 more teams (possibly London and another) this would make it even better.

If Devils can't win it I think it would be great if a team like Braehead could do it. At least it would remove the monotony of one of the big 3 winning everything.

Agree on first and last paragraphs, not so sure about second.

That takes it back to the finance issue - the 4 Scottish teams would be travelling to Belfast twice as often, which could be a killer cost-wise for Fife and Edinburgh.

The Gardiner would become 'will it be Belfast or Braehead this year?'

And Hull would be the whipping boys if they changed to Erhardt league. (no disrespect)

Very good points. It is indeed a difficult balance to strike.

Would more traveling fans from Belfast (given the ease of access to the West of Scotland by Ferry) offset some of the additional travel costs (if indeed they are that much more) though?

Fife have got stronger each year they have been in the EIHL and may have something to say about the Belfast or Braehead point, however I think having Belfast or Braehead as the options for winning the Gardiner (bar a recruitment miracle like Dundee pulled off last year) is better than just Braehead (who should win it every year at the moment).

Until there are further teams or Caps, Stingrays and Stars commit to stronger rosters there is always going to be an imbalance and the only real solution is IMO further league expansion.

 

[drainage]

The conference system may make it more difficult for a team in our conference to win the overall league title but I definitely think its the right thing for the league to be (a) competitive and (b) sustainable. It could however do with a tweak and 2 more teams to make it a little fairer.

I would like to see the Giants moved into the Northern conference (where geographically they belong) and Hull moved to our conference. If the league could get 2 more teams (possibly London and another) this would make it even better.

If Devils can't win it I think it would be great if a team like Braehead could do it. At least it would remove the monotony of one of the big 3 winning everything.

Or change the points awarded ? Make the non conference games (eg Devils vs Clan) worth more ?

Not against conference just think that one is packed with "harder" teams then the other, yes Clan are good but if they had our schedule would they be where they are now ?

How would this even it out Helen, the big teams will be getting more points for beating the weaker other conference teams therefore making a bigger gap between the conferences.

Although the conferences seem to have made it more even it has made it more difficult for anyone in the Erhadt other than the big three to win the league

I guess so .....didn't say it was well thought out!

But right now one strong team or reasonably strong team in the North can win the league with far more ease than any other team ......... That's what I disagree with

Maybe Dom is right they simply need restructuring but something needs to change in my view

As well as regulation wins count before overall wins!

 

[davel]

Simple solution leave conference formats as they are. Trophies to winners of each conference. The final league positions used solely to seed playoffs with no trophy. Maybe to simplistic!!!

 

[Wannabe2]

And then a final game between the two conference winners, winner takes all.

 

[Amazepux]

I would take the Giants into our conference no probs..i dont agree that Belfast or Braehead would win easily each year though..we beat them 6-1 in the Odyssey..we're 2wins each with the Clan..if anything we have struggled to put away the otherminnows. We just beat panthers 5-1 at NIC a couple of weeks back. It also suits Devils financially. Its the PO winners rhat are the the biggest trophies IMO

 

[Ocko]

Agree Davel and, although I never though I'd say it - Amazepux too. If you have a conference system such as ours the play offs have to be the big prize. They just have to move away from the Play Off Final Weekend. You can't have the main prize and the entire season decided on a one off game. It'll never happen though, it's too big a money maker for the coffers. I don't buy the ice time issue. Regardless of concerts, other events etc I don't believe for once second that the Panthers and Giants cannot get ice time 3 out of 7 nights a week at worst, Sheffield have ice Sheffield as a worst case scenario. The rest of the teams would have no problems with a play off series.

 

[John]

Could a simple fix to the unfair advantage be randomising all the teams into the two conferences at the beginning of the season.

 

[James]

That potentially removes all benefits of the conference in the first place (less travel)
I thought the issue with a playoff series was less to do with ice time and more to do with the logistics of some teams having a longer season, more wages, rent etc

 

[jimmy snels]

Financially wouldn't nottingham pottentially be better off in a play off senario? They could sell out 10 times opposed to 1?

 

[Nott Simpson]

The mini play off pools of the Heineken era were tremendous hockey, the intensity was unbelievable.

It would be easy to organize with the existing Conference system with one pool made up of 1st,8th, 4th & 5th - with 2nd, 7th, 3rd & 6th in other pool.

The existing rules would ensure that the 2 Conference winners would be in different groups.

Semi-finals on home and away plus a best of three final.

I know its 33 extra games in total compared with the 11 games in the present system but if the challenge cup was made a knockout from the start there would be a reduction in games