Rumours have been doing the rounds on various message boards about different changes to the league next season given that it is expanding from eight to ten teams. Below is a look at the majors ones with my thoughts…

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With the Breahead Clan joining the EIHL and the number of teams going to nine for the first time since the Giants first ever season in 2000/01 the League has decided to re-format the league set-up and the playoff format. The following is their statement for next season:

NEW FORMAT REVEALED FOR 2010/11 ELITE LEAGUE SEASON
An exciting new format for the 2010/11 Elite League season has been revealed with changes to both the league and play-offs.

The Braehead Clan have just been announced as the latest side to enter the Elite League, and they will join Belfast Giants, Cardiff Devils, Coventry Blaze, Edinburgh Capitals, Hull Stingrays, Newcastle Vipers, Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers in a nine-team league.

Each side will play three home and three away against the other teams in the league for a 48-game season. The Elite League campaign will begin on the weekend of 4th/5th September 2010 and end on 12th/13th March 2011.

The top six teams will qualify for the 2010/11 play-offs and will face each other in the round robin format. This will see the sides finishing first, second and third having the incentive of playing three home games and two away, with teams in fourth, fifth and six playing two homes games and three away. Matches will take place between the 14th and 27th March.

The top four will meet in the traditional play-off finals weekend on 2nd and 3rd April 2011, with the two semi-finals on the Saturday and the play-off final taking place on the Sunday.

Elite League chairman, Eamon Convery, said: “We are very excited by the new format for the 2010/11 season. The addition of Braehead is great for the sport and I am sure supporters will be thrilled with the changes we’ve made.

“Play-offs are always one of the most important and exciting times in the season and this new longer format is sure to excite every hockey fan. There’s now added emphasis on the league season with nine teams battling it out for six spots and then jostling for position in the top three, to claim that all important extra home game.”

A further press release will be issued in due course with regards to the 20-20 HockeyFest and the Challenge Cup.

I like it. Especially the playoff format though to be fair it couldn’t have gotten much worse than the format for the past few years were you could effectively win the playoffs without winning a game (tie you two leg qualifier game and go through in a shootout, tie your semi-final and win in a shootout and do the same in the final!). Hopefully the Giants finish better in the standings though than the last time it was a nine team league when they came 6th – their worst ever league finish, though granted in their first ever year.