New format challenge cup

[thebluewellies]

To me that’s a nonsense format that only does one thing and that’s allow Belfast and the other arena teams to qualify fairly easily. I think it should have been two groups of five with Manchester being in the northern conference and everybody else in the southern conference. If they don’t like it then they know where the door is. How to take a **** current setup and make it even worse in one easy go. Personally I’d have liked to have seen it scrapped and only a league and proper playoff series being played. Opinions?

[zamboni]

The timing is rubbish
Already purchased season ticket
So now another 3 games to add
I don’t get it either
Why does group B runner up not go to semifinals?
No you have to play Group A third place
So this is to get 4 Arena teams in to semifinals
Tom Muir will welcome home games v Clan and Stars

[joestoyanovich]

What a silly set up, stupid. I'd scrap the whole competition who actually cares anything about it.

For me I'd have a straight forward cup competition, EIHL teams and any other teams that wanted to enter, single leg knockout rounds then a final, home and away ties if you like.

[coloradoflyer01]

May 13, 2024 18:48:57 GMT thebluewellies said:

To me that’s a nonsense format that only does one thing and that’s allow Belfast to qualify fairly easily. I think it should have been two groups of five with Manchester being in the northern conference and everybody else in the southern conference. If they don’t like it then they know where the door is. How to take a **** current setup and make it even worse in one easy go. Personally I’d have liked to have seen it scrapped and only a league and proper playoff series being played. Opinions?

I agree

[flyers87]

Would be much better just getting rid of the challenge cup and have a better playoff series. Best of 3 games with the highest seed getting the 2 home games. Challenge cup is a joke and so is the current playoff format. Things like this just leaves the elite league so far behind other top league's around Europe etc

[thebluewellies]

I would be interested to hear the clubs take on it? From a business sense it makes sense getting both home and away fans ticket sales on game nights at the start of the season when there are most overheads, doesn’t incur many travel expenses and gives the clubs a chance to sort out the wheat from the chaff with their signings. The clubs know that the fans will attend because of their eagerness for the return of hockey. From looking around the league at other teens social media pages, almost everybody is thinking the same. It’s not what the fans want with clearly no cognisance been taken of ideas bounced around regarding setup

[thebluewellies]

I’ve seen some comments saying the cup could have been opened to NIHL teams also and have a knockout format like football. Give the underdogs a chance to experience the top level and give them a decent pay day whilst letting the big dogs scout potential players capable of playing Elite. I never thought of this and an interesting suggestion

[thebluewellies]

Or another suggestion, a Scottish cup challenge, Fife, Glasgow, Dundee, Belfast if they wanted it but opening it up to Dumfries, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and the likes

[tackleberry]

May 14, 2024 16:40:58 GMT thebluewellies said:

Or another suggestion, a Scottish cup challenge, Fife, Glasgow, Dundee, Belfast if they wanted it but opening it up to Dumfries, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and the likes

Only if the Elite teams had to play with an empty net for the 60 mins …Lynx, Capitals and Kestrels etc are nowhere near the level to give the Elite teams any sort of competitive game.

[thebluewellies]

I agree but same could be said about the “underdogs” in the Scottish cup in football.

[greyhound]

I'd have preferred to see an actual Autumn Cup with semis and finals at end of it. Emphasis could have been put on playing under 23 players for all teams, and Brit back up keepers. And would like to see a Scottish Cup warm up again, could have a SNL/NIHL Solway select team in it,weekend format, this was popular before.

[joestoyanovich]

May 14, 2024 11:51:18 GMT thebluewellies said:

I’ve seen some comments saying the cup could have been opened to NIHL teams also and have a knockout format like football. Give the underdogs a chance to experience the top level and give them a decent pay day whilst letting the big dogs scout potential players capable of playing Elite. I never thought of this and an interesting suggestion

If 6 NIHL teams were interested, or the top six in their league at the end of the previous season say, we could have a straight knock out cup. round of 16, quarters, semi and final. Single leg ties or home and away for first couple of rounds maybe best of 3 for last two.

Let the NIHL teams play guest players from the teams from their league that don't take part. Lets see a few different teams and maybe a giant killing or two. Anything is better than the CC.

[thebluewellies]

And as expected the season tickets already bought before the change of format don’t cover all challenge cup games. Who wants to see the same teams over and over against anymore than we already do. Think there will be a lot of people either staying away from these games or at the most watching the webcasts.

[gmac]

The 3 cup games included already, will be midweek fixtures, with the 3 you have to buy being weekend fixtures vs Clan & Belfast🤣