The failing Elite League model

[TheStub]

Personally I think that the Paul Mac BNL season was one of the best seasons ever. Thoroughly enjoyed my hockey that year & didn't really notice any difference in the standard of hockey - until we played the Panthers in cross-over games. Was great to get to different rinks too.

The BNL should have been where the whole country went. Quality was good - and throughout it's history they made fools of the "higher quality" EIHL teams. Yes, the EIHL were probably better - but the rarely looked comfortably so.

What really amazes me is the number of players that came through the BNL - and are probably the best British players in the EIHL. Meyers, Myers, Mark Richardson, Jono - I could keep naming them.

The BNL gave the Brits the chance to get decent ice time along really top end imports. That is how to improve the game in the UK - not using the Brits to warm the bench like the high import EIHL encourages.

 

[BeatBox]

i love the sport and i love my team. if its 8 imports or just the one, i'll be there, epl, plastic tent, i dont care ! :Banana ickle

 

[Wannabe2]

But not a fair one I feel.

If we drop to the EPL, then I would guess we would have to go with their caps and 6 imports (and only 3 on the ice at any given time). But if we actually rethought the whole failed EIHL mess, what would that look like?

If we had a better league model, would MK and Flames join (as they talked about doing at the start)? I believe the Flames regularly run with 8 imports. It is the arms race in the EIHL that really puts them off.

A genuine question back - would 8 (or even 6) imports put you off coming to matches? Would you try it to see if there actually would be a drop in quality? If the "top flight" was 3 imports, would you come then?

Trying to get a grasp on what the barrier to fans would be.

8 imports against 8 imports with top brits would be pretty okay, 6 imports not really, would there be a drop in quality well thats pretty obvious. If the top league was 3 then no i wouldnt to be honest. I also wouldnt want to be in a league where we had 8 imports and the opposition 3-4, as thats just taking the Panthers Giants stance. This is only my view and i aint talking for anyone else, and i think i am entitled to my view. This club deserves to be in the top flight of hockey in the UK whatever that may be in the future, for me the reason we are in a state at the moment is due to some really stupid business manouvers, the Elite league is far from perfect and needs a different direction to cater for more teams to survive, but EPL for me no thanks.

 

[jester]

Difference is, Braehead know their financial limits and aren't up their own backsides.

Lol right you are WD

The EPL have a 4 import rule( 4 per game no wage cap)

if you need a work permit you can't play I'd outside Europe

last year Guilford flames EPL big fish had 7 imports sound familiar :?

 

[jimmy snels]

wouldnt there be an increase in the quality of the imports themselves tho at the bigger higher spending clubs, as they would have just as much cash to splash on less players, meaning the drop in quality might not even happen and still lead to the dangerous gap still existing?

 

[TheStub]

8 imports against 8 imports with top brits would be pretty okay, 6 imports not really, would there be a drop in quality well thats pretty obvious. If the top league was 3 then no i wouldnt to be honest. I also wouldnt want to be in a league where we had 8 imports and the opposition 3-4, as thats just taking the Panthers Giants stance. This is only my view and i aint talking for anyone else, and i think i am entitled to my view. This club deserves to be in the top flight of hockey in the UK whatever that may be in the future, for me the reason we are in a state at the moment is due to some really stupid business manouvers, the Elite league is far from perfect and needs a different direction to cater for more teams to survive, but EPL for me no thanks.

It was a genuine question, as I would probably go as long as the hockey was competitive.

I agree on the business part - the whole league has been built on false premises, and needs sorting. The owners running the league just doesn't work - they will just fight for their own selfish self interest. The league needs to grow a pair, and keep the owners at arms length.

A competitive league would benefit everyone. If every game had the potential of being a barn stormer, the sales would be better across all matches - for all teams. I can see 8 import hockey not seeing a reduction from any team (apart from those fans who would rather all import hockey - and I'm sorry they don't deserve a say).

 

[TheStub]

wouldnt there be an increase in the quality of the imports themselves tho at the bigger higher spending clubs, as they would have just as much cash to splash on less players, meaning the drop in quality might not even happen and still lead to the dangerous gap still existing?

If you signed Sidney Crosby, would you win every game? You are still going to be dependent on the support players - and personally as long as there is an element of competition it would be fun to watch.

 

[TheStub]

How about going back to the old day? 3 or 4 imports, but UK passport holders don't count.

Encourage teams to sign for the long term.

 

[Wannabe2]

wouldnt there be an increase in the quality of the imports themselves tho at the bigger higher spending clubs, as they would have just as much cash to splash on less players, meaning the drop in quality might not even happen and still lead to the dangerous gap still existing?

Try playing 4 imports for 60 mins, they would have to be very good.

 

[Wannabe2]

How about going back to the old day? 3 or 4 imports, but UK passport holders don't count.

Encourage teams to sign for the long term.

And £ 6-8 to get in.

 

[jimmy snels]

i dont disagree stub im just saying that for the people who think the quality would drop at 8 i dont see it happening. i personally would rather 8 very good imports than 12 average. maybe the lower teams might compete better? i dont really know, but if the buisness models at the clubs themselves are poor i dont think the import level changing will have any effect. the clubs spashing money they simply dont have will eventually struggle no matter what.

wouldnt there be an increase in the quality of the imports themselves tho at the bigger higher spending clubs, as they would have just as much cash to splash on less players, meaning the drop in quality might not even happen and still lead to the dangerous gap still existing?

Try playing 4 imports for 60 mins, they would have to be very good.

thought we were talking about 8? not 4 :roll: i agree at four not as much as an effect but if nottingham for example dropped to 8 they would just snatch hill and richy for example by paying them twice as much :lol:

 

[BBW]

Surely if the cash rich clubs just snatched the better players the game would suffer? You would still have this gulf.

I think spending caps, top and bottom, are much fairer. I look at the 4 scottish teams, who can all beat each other on any given night and think it's far more competitive. I think regional splits would at a slightly lower level could improve the game as it would be more competitive.

 

[jimmy snels]

yer exactly the point BBW, its got to be a limit on imports along with proper controlled spending limits if its to happen.

 

[TheStub]

It all comes back to a strong league management, with a proper marketing plan.

Stop selling teams, and sell EIHL as a brand.

In terms of "snatching all the top Brits" - that may last a season or two, but soon the Brits would develop. Looks at Sam, Ben, Piggot, Harding, Tim and Batch? Would they have been snatched up prior to this season? Probably not - but are often our most dynamic and productive players.

 

[Qweeb]

quick question why do our leagues only hold contracts for one year?

 

[Kipper]

If the Elite League folds then the EPL will be the top league in the country.I'll be happy to watch the Devils in the top league available to them.Its better than no hockey team to watch

 

[philuk20]

Didnt the Blaze run into trouble when they lost their main sponser, nothing to do with the rest of the EIHL at all?

The EIHL has plenty of probelms and needs to change, I agree. But just wanting to cut the three biggest clubs out of the sport so everyone else can have a hug and feel better about their crappy rinks and sub 2000 attendances?

I dont buy into the whole rink teams cant compete idea? Arent the Blaze the most successful team in EIHL history? Didnt the Devils come joint first last season?

I think this season the bottom clubs have gotten stronger, they just seem to be losing by the odd goal and we havent really seen any blow outs. Fife came into the league and under-estimated everyone else, thats their fault not the EIHL.
Even the Caps are sitting on 7th right now, so I agree that the EIHL needs a shake up but not a lets cut out the most successful clubs and try to be big fish in the smaller league.

 

[osh]

We can't just lay the blame for the current situation on arena teams. Let's face it, if we had a new arena that held 4000 we would be delighted if it was full at most games and that is actually what we are striving to achieve. Teams that get larger crowds are always going to be in a stronger financial position than the lower attended teams. We have been saying it for years, but here goes again, we Must have a league that has an enforceable wage cap structure. We must also structure a league that is acceptable to the financial restraints of smaller attended clubs, i.e perhaps 8 imports as has been mentioned. The wage cap however must not be set at a level just to appease the smaller clubs either. A fair cap - for both the bigger and smaller clubs - must be agreed and established, otherwise the present EIHL set up will surely disintegrate. Unless the owners of the EIHL realise this, they will be the instigators of their own downfall. We must be fair to the arena teams in such negotiations, a league without them is unimaginable and they won't have a league to talk about unless the likes of ourselves And others are involved, a compromise must be met and I'd say this is an urgent matter that needs to be resolved for next season.

 

[BBW]

I don't think people want to cut the arena teams out, it's just that the other 7 clubs can't keep up with them financially. We can't compromise with what we don't have and can't afford, the compromises will have to come from them.

 

[Koop11]

I don’t think anyone is blaming arena teams nor wants us to break away from them in a separate league. What there needs to be however is some middle ground. For years now there has been calls for a wage cap, reduced import limits, etc and it hasn’t happened. I think the league was content for the smaller uncompetitive teams to struggle, the likes of Newcastle, Edinburgh, us but when all of a sudden you have a Coventry announcing problems, which of course will in turn mean Hull, then the league needs to finally compromise in my opinion.