Shaggy
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Post by Shaggy on Mar 16, 2019 14:56:28 GMT
The MK Lightning website is down ("Under Construction", it says - oh, what unfortunate timing!)... but according to their Twitter feed, they plan to join the revamped NIHL next season. 10 team league, anyone? Twitter link
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Shaggy
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Am I a cynical idealist or an idealistic cynic?
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Post by Shaggy on Mar 16, 2019 14:58:19 GMT
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Shaggy
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Am I a cynical idealist or an idealistic cynic?
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Post by Shaggy on Mar 16, 2019 15:01:11 GMT
And I've just noticed that the EIHA announcement includes Leeds in the new top division of the NIHL... so it looks like we can kiss goodbye to the hope that some people had that they'd join the EIHL.
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Post by NickThePanther44 on Mar 16, 2019 15:04:54 GMT
Well, I was well and truly wrong. No shock there! 😆
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The Flying Shirt
Paul Adey
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Post by The Flying Shirt on Mar 16, 2019 15:11:52 GMT
I don't think it's going to stop there either
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Yotes
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Post by Yotes on Mar 16, 2019 15:23:12 GMT
A great shame. Doesn't look from that like Hull are coming back either, so the contraction continues. Let's hope it holds at 10.
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Post by wgray on Mar 16, 2019 15:28:37 GMT
Surely it would be better to have a 20 team top tier league?
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Higgy
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Post by Higgy on Mar 16, 2019 15:33:50 GMT
And I've just noticed that the EIHA announcement includes Leeds in the new top division of the NIHL... so it looks like we can kiss goodbye to the hope that some people had that they'd join the EIHL. Or maybe this Leeds teams will test the water in terms of hockey interest in the city before committing to the Elite league in a few years time. Hopefully as soon as the new Hull rink gets signed off I would think the Pirates will step back up.
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The Flying Shirt
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Post by The Flying Shirt on Mar 16, 2019 16:22:42 GMT
Employing and housing 14 imports plus paying OTT for Brits (unless you use kids against part-tine and pay to play? No brainer.
I can't see any teams coming up unless it's VERY heavily subsidized and I think it's more likely to be an 8 team league in the not too distant future.
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Shaggy
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Post by Shaggy on Mar 16, 2019 16:31:27 GMT
I don't think it's going to stop there either I can't see any teams coming up unless it's VERY heavily subsidized and I think it's more likely to be an 8 team league in the not too distant future. So who do you think will also drop out, and why?
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Jord v4
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Post by Jord v4 on Mar 16, 2019 16:38:56 GMT
Better run league is it?
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Yotes
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Post by Yotes on Mar 16, 2019 16:54:02 GMT
Surely it would be better to have a 20 team top tier league? At which of the two levels? How do you bring a 14 import league and a 2 import league together?
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Post by DonClaneone on Mar 16, 2019 17:00:02 GMT
Would the addition of foreign teams help? Perhaps a Danish team for the Scottish teams and a French team for the teams that MK were in with. Tilburg Trappers were linked with a move to the league as a replacement for Edinburgh. They're in the German 3rd Tier and have done brilliant but they've been prevented from gaining promotion to DEL2. They played Braehead Clan in pre season ahead of the 2012-2013 season chasingthepuck.com/2019/01/03/tilburg-trappers-ready-for-the-12th-elite-league-spot/
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Post by PantherB on Mar 16, 2019 17:05:48 GMT
I think we'll either play next season with 10 or 8 teams as I'd assume it'll be Dundee and possibly Fife or Manchester who consider dropping down. I hope nobody else does though.
I think we're getting to the point now where the import limit is going to have to drop in order for the EIHL to remain a sustainable and decent league.
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Higgy
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Post by Higgy on Mar 16, 2019 17:23:58 GMT
I think we'll either play next season with 10 or 8 teams as I'd assume it'll be Dundee and possibly Fife or Manchester who consider dropping down. I hope nobody else does though. I think we're getting to the point now where the import limit is going to have to drop in order for the EIHL to remain a sustainable and decent league. If Dundee were to drop where would they go? The SNL is an even worse standard than the NIHL.
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The Flying Shirt
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Post by The Flying Shirt on Mar 16, 2019 17:24:00 GMT
I don't think it's going to stop there either I can't see any teams coming up unless it's VERY heavily subsidized and I think it's more likely to be an 8 team league in the not too distant future. So who do you think will also drop out, and why? Two of the Scottish teams (one we play tomorrow) and it's all about money. Take away free tickets right across the league and the numbers are way down. Teams that used to be big fish in little bowls for instance.
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The Flying Shirt
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Post by The Flying Shirt on Mar 16, 2019 17:24:59 GMT
I think we'll either play next season with 10 or 8 teams as I'd assume it'll be Dundee and possibly Fife or Manchester who consider dropping down. I hope nobody else does though. I think we're getting to the point now where the import limit is going to have to drop in order for the EIHL to remain a sustainable and decent league. Import limit drops as so do the crowds or the EPL would have worked.
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The Flying Shirt
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Post by The Flying Shirt on Mar 16, 2019 17:27:15 GMT
Very poor levels of sponsorship and very little TV. It's a minority sport punching above its weight.
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The Flying Shirt
Paul Adey
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Post by The Flying Shirt on Mar 16, 2019 17:29:36 GMT
And I've just noticed that the EIHA announcement includes Leeds in the new top division of the NIHL... so it looks like we can kiss goodbye to the hope that some people had that they'd join the EIHL. Or maybe this Leeds teams will test the water in terms of hockey interest in the city before committing to the Elite league in a few years time. Hopefully as soon as the new Hull rink gets signed off I would think the Pirates will step back up. After years of help and handouts playing in front of the same amount of people watching public skating why would Hull ever try to come back up? Big fish in little pond again at the moment.
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Post by wgray on Mar 16, 2019 17:30:13 GMT
Surely it would be better to have a 20 team top tier league? At which of the two levels? How do you bring a 14 import league and a 2 import league together? Where does it say the National league is going to be a 2 import league, don’t NIHL teams have more than 2 currently? Personally I’d make it 9 imports per team, that way you maintain a good standard of hockey. Enforce every team to recruit 6 o23 and 4 u23 Brits. British players then wouldn’t have as much bargaining power and they will be more affordable. You can continue to run 4 lines. GB will reap the benefits massively as there will be more players playing at a higher level. It really is a mess the state of the British Ice Hockey. Ultimately ourselves, Sheffield, Cardiff, Glasgow and Belfast will have to lower our ambitions and the level of hockey will get worse. This is a major warning to the EIHL, they need to be doing their all to keep as many teams in the league as possible otherwise interest will drop and more teams will fall away. Decisions need to be made and discussions need to be had.
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The Flying Shirt
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Post by The Flying Shirt on Mar 16, 2019 17:30:52 GMT
Surely it would be better to have a 20 team top tier league? Where are you going to get the bums on seats from? At least one arena team is already running at a huge loss already.
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Yotes
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Post by Yotes on Mar 16, 2019 17:34:59 GMT
At which of the two levels? How do you bring a 14 import league and a 2 import league together? Where does it say the National league is going to be a 2 import league, don’t NIHL teams have more than 2 currently? Personally I’d make it 9 imports per team, that way you maintain a good standard of hockey. Enforce every team to recruit 6 o23 and 4 u23 Brits. British players then wouldn’t have as much bargaining power and they will be more affordable. You can continue to run 4 lines. GB will reap the benefits massively as there will be more players playing at a higher level. It really is a mess the state of the British Ice Hockey. Ultimately ourselves, Sheffield, Cardiff, Glasgow and Belfast will have to lower our ambitions and the level of hockey will get worse. This is a major warning to the EIHL, they need to be doing their all to keep as many teams in the league as possible otherwise interest will drop and more teams will fall away. Decisions need to be made and discussions need to be had. The current rules for NIHL is 2 I believe, with 1 on the ice at any time. Admittedly that doesn't necessarily carry over to this new setup, but I'll be surprised if it's as high as 9.
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Post by humbucker on Mar 16, 2019 17:36:59 GMT
NIHL are limited to two imports and both cannot ice on the same line. Imports cost not just in wages but fringe benefits and nine would be totally unsustainable. as was said look at the demise of the EPL.
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Jord v4
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Post by Jord v4 on Mar 16, 2019 17:48:34 GMT
Very poor levels of sponsorship and very little TV. It's a minority sport punching above its weight. So what's MK's incentive then?
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Post by wgray on Mar 16, 2019 17:50:32 GMT
Surely it would be better to have a 20 team top tier league? Where are you going to get the bums on seats from? At least one arena team is already running at a huge loss already. Imo having more teams would bring something a bit different and this might develop interest and draw people in? There are other ways to do it but both will never happen. You could revert back to a league where fighting happens regularly, but the NHL stranglehold has seen an end to this type of hockey and import players have followed suit. It would be interesting to see if a majority British player league would be different. The other way is to spend more on your squad and raise the level of hockey that is being played, but nobody can afford that apart from 3 teams. I’m assuming it’s Belfast you’re on about when you say one arena team is running at a loss, so we quite obviously can’t go down the route of spending more money on squads. For me we need to restructure the EIHL squad rules, make it affordable but don’t detriment the level of hockey too much, bring more British players in, do something new and try and make it entertaining again. Discussions need to be had.
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