League Import Increase and other changes

[LUFC]

www.eliteleague.co.uk/eiihl-press-release-p177636

So we're having 11 Imports

League Split into two regional Conferences. Playing 4 home and 4 away within the conference and 2 home and away vs other conference teams.

Challenge cup changes include a quarter final round.

Some interesting changes there, not sure i like the conference split, but i do like the import and challenge cup changes.

[panthersdave]

Sounds like some good ideas and the reasoning behind them. The change to the import level is bound to cause some debate.

Overall though this could be good progress made by the league

[LUFC]

I do think one thing this Conference splitt could do, is put in place the possibility of a southern conference. So the likes of Guildford, Bracknell, Baisingstoke, Slough and MK could form a 5 team conference within the league, still have those close rivalries and be a part of the Elite League. Manchester could then slot into one of the other conferences and we could have a unified competitive top league.

As much as it could be the opening of a door into that sort of direction, it is alot of wishful thinking on my behalf.

[kezypanther]

Well I for one am happy ... But it doesn't say what the conferences will be ? I presume it will be what is everyone expects.

[panthersdave]

May 28, 2012 20:22:02 GMT kezypanther said:

Well I for one am happy ... But it doesn't say what the conferences will be ? I presume it will be what is everyone expects.

Having thought about this, will it make it easier for Belfast to win the league?

[LUFC]

i would bet money on Sheffield, Nottingham, Cardiff, Coventry and Hull in one

Belfast, Dundee, Fife, Braehead and Edinburgh in the other.

Perhaps interchanging Belfast and Hull.

[Shaggy]

May 28, 2012 20:25:51 GMT LUFC said:

i would bet money on Sheffield, Nottingham, Cardiff, Coventry and Hull in one

Belfast, Dundee, Fife, Braehead and Edinburgh in the other.

It would be a total farce if that was the case...

Perhaps interchanging Belfast and Hull.

The only way to make it even close to being fair.

Let's face it - no dogma, no bull - some teams are stronger than others... for various reasons. In time that may change (and hopefully will!). Right now Dundee, Edinburgh, Fife and Hull are the weakest teams in the league... Braehead being a bit above them. It has to be those 5 teams together, with Belfast, Cardiff, Coventry, Nottingham and Sheffield in the other. Elsewise... Belfast have one hell of an easier time than the other 'title contender' teams. No offence meant to those 'weaker' teams... that's sadly just the way it is for now. Like I said... hopefully that will change.

[christoff]

Sounds promising but they will have to be very careful with who goes into what conference and with them talking about local rivalries it could be a geographical split.

Hope its not done like the challenge cup geographical groups or belfast will have such an easy run while we play Sheffield, Cardiff, Hull and Cov 8 times each.

Although if we swap Belfast for Hull it would be fairer with the 'lower table' teams playing each other more while we slog it out for the league title. The Clan would seem come off best if this is how they do it.

The Sheffield roster is going to look crazy now with so many decent Brits and 11 imports, will shuffling the lines for players ice time become a problem for rookie coach finnerty i wonder? I hope so! But probably not.

[Bagheera]

Overall i like the league idea. However it has to be the 4 Scottish teams & Hull not Belfast otherwise Belfast will walk the overall championship every year. This may also give Braehead an advantage with a league challenge as they will probably dominate that confrence with having the weaker teams and so many games against them. Also depends how the rest of the playoffs are seeded because if you have 4 from each confrence make it you will see a team like Dundee/Fife in with one of the big 5 from the strong confrence missing out (actually see them putting the next 6 teams through on overall points after the confrence winners) which could even be Panthers in such a competitive confrence. As i have typed this i think ive decided Braehead will have a huge advantage as the "better" 5 teams will probably just takr points off each other whilst they dominate their confrence.

The main benefit is getting more competitive games rather than caps and fife 3 times a season.

[dill1015]

They surely couldn't have the conferences the same as the current challange cup groups. No offence to the lower teams but that would just be giving the league to belfast every year.

as long as they dont double up games that's an imprvement to the challange cup, make it more of a challange. And should hopefully stop teams just rolling over because they knw they're out of it.

These changes i feel are an immediate blow to the steelers who have clearly spent considerably on thier brit pack this year. Will it lower the overall quality of their remaining imports or will they go with just 10.
There is now NO reason for panthers not to have at least 4 import d-men, personally i'd like us to go with 5 up front and 5 at the back (cant see it happening though).

[Shaggy]

May 28, 2012 20:42:02 GMT dill1015 said:

There is now NO reason for panthers not to have at least 4 import d-men, personally i'd like us to go with 5 up front and 5 at the back (cant see it happening though).

5 import D-men is a touch much, I think... but as you say - 4 import D is now pretty much a given, I'd have thought.

[dill1015]

May 28, 2012 20:43:55 GMT Shaggy said:

May 28, 2012 20:42:02 GMT dill1015 said:

There is now NO reason for panthers not to have at least 4 import d-men, personally i'd like us to go with 5 up front and 5 at the back (cant see it happening though).

5 import D-men is a touch much, I think... but as you say - 4 import D is now pretty much a given, I'd have thought.

I dont know, with 5 it would give us 3 straight pairs of d-men with norton there to fill any gaps. Besides defence wins championships. As i said though it'll never happen.

[kezypanther]

I Can't see giants agreeing to joining the Scottish conference anyway as their attendances would suffer ...
I'm glad the import limit has raised though meaning having that extra Dman and then the same amount of forwards as last year. Going to be an interesting season.

[Dan]

It really shows the level of our league when you consider that Winnipeg travel nearly 1900 miles for a divisional game but Edinburgh consider nearly 200 to Sheffield to be too much.

Long, long way to go and i'm not sure we're even going in the right direction.

[joesteeler]

If it's Belfast and Scotts then Belfast are forever Champions.

For me this makes the league #2 trophy to play for next season with Play offs becoming priority.

[Dips]

You can forget us winning the league this year and for anytime in the future while the league employ this crazy conference set up. Simply give it to Braehead/Belfast (depends which team gets placed in the Northern Conference) before the season starts and save us all having to stump up money for a worthless league season.

[seedy]

What Giroux said....

Seems a pointless change, there are much bigger issues need addressing than some regional conferences.

Import limit reasoning is fair enough, though arguably, those going on to bigger and better things are the exception rather than the rule.

[kezypanther]

I agree that it is going to be much more difficult as one team will have an easier ride in the opposite conference. Why don't we just have conference champions rather than the team with the highest points ?

[Bruins33]

I think it should be;
West'ish - Belfast, Braehead, Dundee, Cardiff and Coventry.
East'ish - Nottingham, Sheffield, Hull, Edinburgh and Fife.

[ggggranville]

I cant see Hull wanting to traipse over the border every other week. Travelling costs would escalate. Then there is regular 'pay days' when Steelers and Panthers are at their arena. I think theres going to be alot of in house arguments over this.

[Wolves 66]

May 28, 2012 21:08:11 GMT joesteeler said:

For me this makes the league #2 trophy to play for next season with Play offs becoming priority.

Completely agree with this

[pantherdman]

Utter horse do do.
Totally de values the league, last season ticket for me. garbage.

How can they change the goal posts at this late stage? some teams have almost complete rosters signed, how can a coach plan.

Money saving over product yet again. stupid, stupid league

[Wolves 66]

May 28, 2012 21:12:43 GMT Bruins33 said:

I think it should be;
East'ish - Belfast, Braehead, Dundee, Cardiff and Coventry.
West'ish - Nottingham, Sheffield, Hull, Edinburgh and Fife.

I've never been all that good at Geography but I think you may have got your East and West the wrong way round!

[Dips]

May 28, 2012 21:18:09 GMT pantherdman said:

Utter horse do do.
Totally de values the league, last season ticket for me. garbage.

How can they change the goal posts at this late stage? some teams have almost complete rosters signed, how can a coach plan.

Money saving over product yet again. stupid, stupid league

Totally agree. This smacks of being a solely monetary decision but I suggest it will backfire drastically. Who is going to pay good money to watch the Panthers, Steelers and other southern clubs knowing they haven't a chance of winning the league. Realistically the teams in the south will play an entire league season for seedlings at the end of season play offs where two bad games mean you are out. The more I think of this idea the more angry I am getting at the total short sighted approach the league has taken. If they did it because certain clubs can't afford to the travel costs they should have said goodbye to them. I'd rather have a six team league where the winners of that league could truly call themselves league champions.

[Bruins33]

May 28, 2012 21:18:26 GMT Wolves 66 said:

May 28, 2012 21:12:43 GMT Bruins33 said:

I think it should be;
East'ish - Belfast, Braehead, Dundee, Cardiff and Coventry.
West'ish - Nottingham, Sheffield, Hull, Edinburgh and Fife.

I've never been all that good at Geography but I think you may have got your East and West the wrong way round!

haha good point, you get the general idea though!