Elite Ice Hockey League

[Zanetti]

Dundee beat Cardiff 7-3 tonight to finally get their first win of the season.

[big_bairn_1876]

couldnt believe the Dundee score when i saw it, but i was actually really impressed with them against the clan last week, until the last period they held their own very well and looked dangerous coming forward, a bit shaky at the back tho.

[The_Belgian]

Yeah but the chants themselves at American/Canadian sports in general are highly unimpressive compared to what you hear at football grounds in Europe and I say this as someone who loves American sports.

That's very true.

Attendances are likely to be higher at the football matches as well. There's only so much capacity you can have with ice hockey, as compared to a football pitch the rink is quite small, and trying to fit, say 50,000 people into a hockey match means most of them will struggle to see the rink at all.

[HibeeJibee]

Can anyone explain to me how the Elite League season is structured now? I used to go a couple of times a season until recently - but I was just amazed at the way the season worked.

There were 10 teams, playing 6x = 54 games... and the top 8 went into the title play-offs!! There was a Knock-out Cup on top of that (home-and-away), and another Cup with a Group-stage then KO?

Some games doubled-up (league + cup) tbf... which was also odd.

Anyway, I was impressed by the hardcore fans who went to so many games - against the same teams so often - especially as it's not cheap and 2 games a weekend usually. Including Irish Welsh + southern English sides.

But... I just couldn't get my head around a format where you played 54 league games, and then 8 of 10 teams still progressed.

Not wanting to cause trouble - genuinely interested in current format.

Edited October 29, 2010 by HibeeJibee

[Zanetti]

Can anyone explain to me how the Elite League season is structured now? I used to go a couple of times a season until recently - but I was just amazed at the way the season worked.

There were 10 teams, playing 6x = 54 games... and the top 8 went into the title play-offs!! There was a Knock-out Cup on top of that (home-and-away), and another Cup with a Group-stage then KO?

Some games doubled-up (league + cup) tbf... which was also odd.

Anyway, I was impressed by the hardcore fans who went to so many games - against the same teams so often - especially as it's not cheap and 2 games a weekend usually. Including Irish Welsh + southern English sides.

But... I just couldn't get my head around a format where you played 54 league games, and then 8 of 10 teams still progressed.

Not wanting to cause trouble - genuinely interested in current format.

Essentially the same thing right now, really.

[Zanetti]

Clan take on Nottingham Panthers at Braehead Arena on Saturday, should be a really good game.

Just announced a new signing too, left winger Jordan Krestanovich who has a bit of NHL experience. Hopefully he'll be available for this weekend.

[The_Belgian]

Clan take on Nottingham Panthers at Braehead Arena on Saturday, should be a really good game.

Just announced a new signing too, left winger Jordan Krestanovich who has a bit of NHL experience. Hopefully he'll be available for this weekend.

Gutted, I can't make this game

[St. Starko]

Edinburgh Capitals coach Brad Gratton resigned yesterday. Not sure how I feel about it. Results haven't been great, but the team actually seem better than last season in spells. Reports of player unrest which led to him leaving.

I'm just a bit 'meh' about it all.

Edited November 4, 2010 by St. Starko

[Zanetti]

Been a while since anyone's posted on this thread, and a similar amount of time since we won a game. Hopefully that can change this weekend though, Scottish triple header with Dundee away on Thursday night, then at home on Saturday, and Edinburgh away on Sunday.

Mon the Clan!

[TheTodd]

Been a while since anyone's posted on this thread, and a similar amount of time since we won a game. Hopefully that can change this weekend though, Scottish triple header with Dundee away on Thursday night, then at home on Saturday, and Edinburgh away on Sunday.

Mon the Clan!

I'd put money on you getting a 6 point weekend. We're seriously struggling this season, and I fear for the future of Elite hockey in Edinburgh.

[The_Belgian]

Braehead finally pick up another win, 4-3 away to Dundee on Thursday night.

Next up, Dundee again, on Saturday night, this time at home.

Elsewhere, Hull were humped by Cardiff 12-0.

[Zanetti]

Braehead finally pick up another win, 4-3 away to Dundee on Thursday night.

Next up, Dundee again, on Saturday night, this time at home.

Elsewhere, Hull were humped by Cardiff 12-0.

That 12-0 game was on TV as well, must've made our game last month they showed look amazing.

Anyway, Thursday night in Dundee was good, we played well and it was a good game. I had hoped that'd be a turning point though. We were poor other than for the third period on Saturday, and we didn't deserve to win that shootout, which we're rubbish at anyway. Last night was a total shocker though, losing 8-3 to Edinburgh is a disaster.

Hopefully Richardson can pick them up again though, if he doesn't I fear the worst for Friday's game against Cardiff.

[TheTodd]

Didn't see that 8-3 coming. Still, it papers over the fact it's been a disasterous season so far and I still think Elite League Ice Hockey may soon be a thing of the past in Edinburgh.

[grazza]

Newcastle making announcement Tuesday about their future. The thing that has really helped the elite league is there isn't even a decent semi pro standard in Scotland or Northern England where as in southern England they have the EPL which is up to 4 imports I think nothing amazing but probably more sustainable for teams with crowds below 1000. Hull are being ran by Coventry's management team else they would not be in the elite this season. Edinburgh really struggle year to year always with shorter benches so last nights win against Clan was a fantastic result for them. Dundee are pretty new to the elite and found the jump from more or less amateur hockey tricky though some of their Scots done well but imports that came in took longer to adapt. The rink in Dundee is ideal though for elite level if they can get it half full or more and if they perform on the ice that will happen and fans will return from their last era in pro hockey 2001-2005.

If one or two of these teams pull out of elite though I could see a chain reaction. These are 4 northern teams if they got maybe Manchester Phoenix and Sheffield Steeldogs from EPL, Fife Flyers and maybe at a push Solway sharks they could probably make a league that would be more sustainable. It is great having 3 elite teams in Scotland and I hope it can work but I would rather that teams still exist and take a step down if they need to. Until there is enough teams and a willingness to setup a better level below Elite for northern teams then teams will keep elite for as long as they can and maybe sadly longer than they should. Hopefully it works out and no more teams go bust.

There is a huge gap financially between top and bottom and teams not really following the wage cap if it even exists any more. If Nottingham, Belfast, Sheffield and maybe to a lesser extent Coventry, Cardiff and Braehead get a player injured or turns out crap they can easily afford to get a new import in some with NHL experience. The bottom teams whereas often just have to go a player or two short and to be fair they still manage to pull of some great scores on the odd occasion but overstretch themselves financially just to try and be competitive.

[philpy]

Being a fife flyers fan since the late 80's, i am sad to see the demise of the team, but i feel that the owners have played a great part in it all. They don't seem to care what the fans want, and are happy to see the team ran into the ground. I live in musselburgh these day, and i now class myself as an edinburgh caps fan. Most folk grumble about paying £15 to watch them, but im happy to part with my money to see a better standard of hockey.

[HibeeJibee]

I went to the Capitals v Panthers game on Saturday night, it was good entertainment and I didn't feel robbed for £15 + £3 for a programme. But as I've said before, I couldn't see myself becoming a regular due to the structure. For example I wouldn't have felt as good value to pay £15, the next night, to watch the same opposition. Bit deja-vu, I'd think.

And I don't know if I could get excited about... or feel happy paying £15 per game for... a league season where you can play 54 games; finish up 8th out of 10; and still go on to the title play-offs. Think I would feel like I was, as a regular, being milked.

It was also plain to see that a number of players on each team (and by my untrained eye it looked to be the better ones) were foreign. Now the same thing happens in football and rugby and cricket, but obviously those outfits tend to be running professionally off crowds of X thousand. Not X hundred. Is that one of the big reasons why many outfits seem to be perenially struggling in terms of money?

Anyway, that's not to be critical of the match experience. It was good fun, and for them to get pegged back to 4-4 then win with 18.4 secs left... that was pretty exciting!! I've been to 8 or 9 Capitals games in the last 3/4 years and they've never lost in regular time - maybe I'm a bit lucky!!

Something else that confused me, looking at the program. There is a Challenge Cup (2 pools of 5) which appears to be played based upon some of the League results. However... who decides which home game out of the 3 count? And why did Capitals play 2 stand-alone ties v Dundee but not versus the other teams?

Edited December 12, 2010 by HibeeJibee

[TheTodd]

I went to the Capitals v Panthers game on Saturday night, it was good entertainment and I didn't feel robbed for £15 + £3 for a programme. But as I've said before, I couldn't see myself becoming a regular due to the structure. For example I wouldn't have felt as good value to pay £15, the next night, to watch the same opposition. Bit deja-vu, I'd think.

And I don't know if I could get excited about... or feel happy paying £15 per game for... a league season where you can play 54 games; finish up 8th out of 10; and still go on to the title play-offs. Think I would feel like I was, as a regular, being milked.

It was also plain to see that a number of players on each team (and by my untrained eye it looked to be the better ones) were foreign. Now the same thing happens in football and rugby and cricket, but obviously those outfits tend to be running professionally off crowds of X thousand. Not X hundred. Is that one of the big reasons why many outfits seem to be perenially struggling in terms of money?

Anyway, that's not to be critical of the match experience. It was good fun, and for them to get pegged back to 4-4 then win with 18.4 secs left... that was pretty exciting!! I've been to 8 or 9 Capitals games in the last 3/4 years and they've never lost in regular time - maybe I'm a bit lucky!!

Something else that confused me, looking at the program. There is a Challenge Cup (2 pools of 5) which appears to be played based upon some of the League results. However... who decides which home game out of the 3 count? And why did Capitals play 2 stand-alone ties v Dundee but not versus the other teams?

Glad you enjoyed the game and the experience! A game which goes like Saturday's and is won at the death is hugely exciting, I wished all games were like that.

I suppose you could decide most regular season games are pointless if all you're trying to do is scrape top 8 to qualify for the playoffs but it's not the be-all and end all. In the UK, winning the league championship is just as important (and probably more important) than the playoff title unlike the NHL where the Stanley Cup (ie playoff title) is much, much more important than the President's Trophy (ie league title). Also, because the way the playoff fixtures work out you want to finish as high up the top 8 as possible since 8th plays 1st, 7th playes 2nd etc. To get an easier quarter final your league placing over the season is important.

As for the repetetiveness, sure I suppose it can be. But playing Nottingham twice in one weekend isn't the norm, and two home matches on consecutive days also isn't the norm - usually the Capitals play away on Saturday and at home on Sunday and to be honest by Sunday I'm usually so desperate for my fix I don't care who we play! But from time to time the 2 home match scenario does raise it's head.

As for the challenge cup, it's a seperate competition but some league fixtures do double up as cup fixtures otherwise we'd end up with more of that repetetiveness you mentioned since only Elite teams are in the competition anyway.

Glad you had fun, and hopefully you'll be back soon!

[grazza]

- very funny and good publicity for the team and the league

I was up in Dundee on Sunday and caught their win over Hull a good result and they are showing steady improvement. Friday night the Caps go up to Dundee on a game live on Sky sports 4 (face off 7.30pm). Should be a good one tow teams battling to get into the play offs. On Saturday I'm hoping I can make it up to the Clan v Dundee game should be a close affair like the last couple games and been a month or so since I last got to Braehead.

The Challenge cup is basically split into north and south groups

North - Braehead, Dundee, Edinburgh, Belfast, Newcastle

South - Coventry, Cardiff, Hull, Nottingham, Sheffield

The southern teams played challenge cup games as seperate games from the league but the northern teams decided to just double them up with league games. If a game goes to OT and SO in the league if its also a challenge cup game it counts as a draw in the cup. However Newcastle played Dundee in a seperate challenge cup game at Whitley Bay as they were not due to play each other for a while and to be honest Newcastle really needed to get some money in as they are struggling financially though have had some good results in the last couple weeks working short benched.

The league looks interesting this year and really the whole bottom half will have a fight to ensure they are in the play offs and it looks fairly tight still at the top. As for the challenge cup in the northern group Belfast are through to the semi's and Dundee are out. If Newcastle win their game in Belfast on 30th December I think it is they will join the Giants through but if not then its winner takes all as the Clan host Edinburgh at Braehead on the same night.

[Zanetti]

Edinburgh Capitals 0-8 Braehead Clan

Incredible result for us tonight and it looks like we've turned our bad form around but I really feel for the Capitals. Everything is just going wrong for them right now.

[Zanetti]

Also, TheTodd, I'm assuming that you go by the same name of the Capitals forum? Regarding your point about some of the Clan fans being the same people who have supported your team in previous seasons, I can't imagine that really is true of many people, and if it is then I really question whether they're real fans at all. I personally travelled through to Edinburgh a few times to watch games at MIR, but I never really supported the Capitals. I understand that you were just hurting a bit after that horrible result for you guys, but I thought I would try to clear that up. The vast majority of people supporting the Clan are either ex-Eagles or Pirates fans, or fans of the sport who've never had a team to follow previously, and I myself fall into the latter. If anyone really did switch allegiances just like that then I'd seriously question how much the Capitals at the time, or indeed the Clan now mean to them. But seriously, I wish the Edinburgh Capitals nothing but good fortune for the rest of the season and I hate to see any team in serious trouble.