What do most people think will happen.
1. One Conference
2. Two Conferences
3. Three Conferences.
Myself throwing a spanner in the works, I am going for One Conference of 9 teams, with Flyers, Stars and Caps dropping out. Tomorrow-apparently is D day.
Wasn't it rumoured that the cost of travel was the bug-bear with the Scottish teams? I can see it staying at 2 conferences with the 4 'arena' teams split geographically (2 in one, 2 in the other) to accommodate 2 new teams joining.
The questions remain about the Scottish teams and what they intend. Edinburgh have often said its EIHL or nothing for them and I think that the probable collapse of the EPL/PIHL weakens the hands of the other Scottish teams as unless they drop to SNL they have nowhere to go either. Hull want back in if they can get their funding to do so, I guess Telford would be the other interested party as they have nowhere to go having a NIHL team already. Their rink is probably too small for Elite really though. A 14 team league would be great though. One league, 2 games home and away.
Cant see it being 1 league. Black said at the Elite fan forum that Nottingham couldnt get ice time for the extra games at this short notice. Two conferences for me. Sheffild and Cardiff in one. Nottingham Belfast in the other
Cant see it being 1 league. Black said at the Elite fan forum that Nottingham couldnt get ice time for the extra games at this short notice. Two conferences for me. Sheffield and Cardiff in one. Nottingham Belfast in the other
The questions remain about the Scottish teams and what they intend. Edinburgh have often said its EIHL or nothing for them and I think that the probable collapse of the EPL/PIHL weakens the hands of the other Scottish teams as unless they drop to SNL they have nowhere to go either. Hull want back in if they can get their funding to do so, I guess Telford would be the other interested party as they have nowhere to go having a NIHL team already. Their rink is probably too small for Elite really though. A 14 team league would be great though. One league, 2 games home and away.
Geographically it should be Fife, Dundee, Braehead, Edinburgh, Belfast and Manchester, but that's a little one sided I suppose. Anyway maybe tomorrow will tell.
From what Black said in the fans forum, the days of playing 4h/4a inter conference and 2h/2a out of conference, are long gone. I think he said 2 x 6 had been agreed with 3h/3a and 2h/2a - until 3 of the Scots teams changed their mind. If there are 2 'big' teams in each conference, it should be a bit fairer than past years for the league standings. Not as fair as one 12 team league and doing away with the conferences altogether though!
The more we hear about 'jockeying for position' and sabre rattling, the more a proper league scenario appeals. Whether it's 9 teams or 13 in there, let's ditch the conferences and revert to a one league set up, with a deserved league champion at the end of it all and the top 8 qualifying for the play offs. If your business model can't sustain that, then you shouldn't be in the Elite league in the first place.