Challenge cup format

[Kevin roog]

Just having a quick glance at the standings and everyone has qualified apart from storm and blaze so far, with us still having 2 pointless home games still to play, I think they got to change it for next season, maybe instead of friendlies play 6 group games to start season

 

[Kevlar68]

The format is useless BUT its not about that, its the income it brings with extra home games.
Many have said its a pointless competition, if you win it you don't get any European spot, it's just a domestic trophy
You need friendlies without any competitive edge for fitness, game play and bonding. If you just go straight in to competitive games you can come out with injuries as players are nowhere near up to speed and don't know how each other plays.
Pointless competition YES, worth it for the home game revenue YES.

 

[Kevin roog]

Don’t think we played that many friendlies before we played CHL this season

 

[Kevlar68]

Don't forget it wasn't a normal start to a season. We only knew we could use the arena 4 weeks before first CHL game so bit short notice to arrange friendlies and most of the team were together so had practice sessions, think there were 2 maybe 3 late arriving in to Cardiff.

 

[Kevin roog]

Yes I understand that but my point is more why are we playing Guildford and Coventry home and away and then doing it again, if clubs wil go under without these extra couple of games , play the old knockout cup and have it straight knockout

 

[Kevlar68]

I may be getting a bit confused here.
If its just a home and away knockout cup if that's what you mean then each team will only have one home game revenue.
With this ridiculous group competition as it is they gain 4 home game revenues.
Revenue from 4 home games is allot of money to lose. I think every team would welcome the revenue even if the competition is a farce.

 

[Kevin roog]

I take your point about that , just thinking about replacing these group games with meaningful games, I went last night , wished it as a league game as opposed to a dead rubber

 

[kristian]

I don't think it was a dead rubber. Blaze have to win to get to 1/4 finals and have another home game so more spent in area. Maybe ticket sales also( or does they season ticket include the 1/4 final like ours).

 

[Kevlar68]

I think they meant dead rubber for Devils as already qualified.

 

[Wannabe2]

Has there ever been a dead rubber between Blaze and Devils, this game was 100 times more physical than the Saturday debacle.

 

[rocketbob]

I am sure that there will be quite a few fans that would like to see Coventry to be the team knocked out if that is still a possibility when our game faces off. I for one won't forget them playing the Belfast goal song when they stopped us winning the league on the last day of the season.

 

[Kevin roog]

I did mean next Saturday and the Guildford game the week later, and re last night , the Coventry fans hardly showed up , I think it might have been more of hem if itwas a league game,

 

[BostonBart22]

I did mean next Saturday and the Guildford game the week later, and re last night , the Coventry fans hardly showed up , I think it might have been more of hem if itwas a league game,

Think there were 1800 plus according to eihl website

 

[Kevin roog]

1800, not many in a 3000 capacity in your biggest game or rivalry of the season, and we had more to n the away end at Nottingham 2 weeks ago, I bet there was only 20 of us there last night

 

[moggy#9]

The format is useless BUT its not about that, its the income it brings with extra home games.
Many have said its a pointless competition, if you win it you don't get any European spot, it's just a domestic trophy
You need friendlies without any competitive edge for fitness, game play and bonding. If you just go straight in to competitive games you can come out with injuries as players are nowhere near up to speed and don't know how each other plays.
Pointless competition YES, worth it for the home game revenue YES.

Er, I seen to remember that the winners get a spot in the continental cup. My issue with the challenge cup is the sheer number of games to eliminate one team. There must be more meaningful ways to get the gate reciepts up.

 

[Wannabe2]

Would it not have been 2 though if Glasgow would have participated.

 

[Kevlar68]

Er, I seen to remember that the winners get a spot in the continental cup. My issue with the challenge cup is the sheer number of games to eliminate one team. There must be more meaningful ways to get the gate reciepts up.

I thought it was CHL for league winners, Continental Cup for playoff winners and no European qualification for Challenge Cup.

Yeah i think 2 went out if 10 teams were in the competition.

 

[moggy#9]

I thought it was CHL for league winners, Continental Cup for playoff winners and no European qualification for Challenge Cup.

Yeah i think 2 went out if 10 teams were in the competition.

My apologies, it's the continental cup winners of the playoff winners can't participate, for instance because they're in the CHL. https://www.eliteleague.co.uk/european-qualification
Mind you to be honest, to have anything hinge on our current format of play offs seems a nonsense.

 

[Pembo]

Format does seem bloated but probably worth it for revenue, fine tuning of lines, in times when larger rosters allowed can give younger or 4th line players more ice time without the higher stakes of league play. Will be interesting to see how much of a struggle it is for the clan to hit ground running and perform going straight into league play. One thing that may be interesting would be to allow a regionally linked top NIHL team into the groups to add a bit more variation, although I suspect there may be too much of a jump in quality for them.

 

[moggy#9]

Format does seem bloated but probably worth it for revenue, fine tuning of lines, in times when larger rosters allowed can give younger or 4th line players more ice time without the higher stakes of league play. Will be interesting to see how much of a struggle it is for the clan to hit ground running and perform going straight into league play. One thing that may be interesting would be to allow a regionally linked top NIHL team into the groups to add a bit more variation, although I suspect there may be too much of a jump in quality for them.

Given that the best players in the nihl are on the fringes of elite league teams, the results will embarrassing. If we want to add variety the only way to do it would be to invite teams from say France, Denmark or Austria - though I don't think any of those would have massive interest.