Standard of EIHL hockey

[notts1999]

Must say the standard of hockey in this league is miles ahead of what it was even just 4 years ago.

Teams are looking strong, gone from a league for enforcers who did nothing in their career coming to the league to getting genuine decent skilled hockey players.

6 or 7 years ago you’d expect an EIHL team to get 7-0/8-0 in CHL games but not they run teams close, 6 or 7 years ago an EIHL team wouldn’t be anywhere near competiting in the continental cup.

Now we’d expect an EIhL team to win the continental cup

What are peoples opinions on the quality difference within the past 5 years?

[Jord v4]

The overall skill level has gone up undoubtedly but I'd argue the removal of the enforcers is a general theme for the sport all over the World. It was inevitable these types of players would become less in demand. There's still a role for an enforcer of course but gone are the 'halcyonic days' that possibly some of us got in to the sport initially for.

Take Alex Panner for example, absolute nutcase & the loosest of cannons. He would never get on a roster now.

[wannabe2]

The standard has certainly gone upwards and so it should, as most sports have. The game is faster, more skilful but not necessarily more entertaining, the Knuckle Draggers had to go but no one goes to sleep or leaves when a fight breaks out, a huge mid ice hit is still a thing of beauty. Pre orchestrated fighting had to go, but dropping the gloves looking after a team mate is still pretty neat. To me the game of hockey has always been awesome, and long may it get better

[iginla]

Has it gone up though,I don’t think there’s been much change in the last six or seven years.
The Panthers team of 12/13 and the Giants of 13/14 etc would still be right up the top along with recent Devils teams and the Steelers and even Coventry long before that.
The only thing that’s improved is the smaller teams are better because import levels have increased,but looking at what’s been signed this year it’s still plenty of average Joe’s along with a sprinkling of better quality studs.
With the league dropping roster sizes this year though the standard may be about to drop.

[Deleted]

That's what I think.. I'm not sure the standard had gone up much.. teams are still signing imports on one last decent wage before they retire . The panthers team of 12/13 has still been the best seen ..since the Coventry team of 04/05. Some solid looking sides only because the competition at the time was meh.. first few weeks fans going wax lyrical of their teams.. get to November and it settles into meh territory