Posted on Saturday, May 16th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Plans to expand the European Champions League THIS season have been shelved. The move means the Sheffield Steelers are set to replace the Coventry Blaze in the 2009-10 Continental Cup instead of competing in the higher competition.
And the delay means the first ever British place in ice hockey’s champions league is up for grabs and will go to the winner of what promises to be the most exciting season of UK Elite League ice hockey yet.
All eight clubs gathered near Nottingham to help finalise plans for the upcoming campaign this week. It was a very positive meeting and there are some exciting announcements in the pipeline.
All the clubs reported progress on the recruitment front and several said they felt demand for season tickets was at the same or even higher levels than last season.
The league programme is set to start on the weekend of September 5/6.
The big season curtain raiser will be the repeat of last season’s play-off final when the GMB Panthers host the Sheffield Steelers on Wednesday September 2nd at the National Ice Centre in this season’s Charity Shield. The event will raise funds for junior development for Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers and for the family of ice hockey photographer Dave Page who died suddenly last season.
© 2008 Belfast Giants Limited, unless otherwise stated. Imagery © Michael Cooper Photography.
