Rule-Change Rumpus and a little more

Sorry. When I said the Breakaway would go from daily to a few times a week, I didn't expect it to go six days without a post...however, there's simply not been that much to talk about. However, it seems you can always rely on the Elite League to do something worthy of comment, and this time they've really surpassed themselves by changing the rules again...





I'm now quoting from this page...





"The bmibaby Elite Ice Hockey League 2007-08 season finished with the stunning playoff finals at the start of April. September will see the next competitive game and already plans are well under way for clubs to enhance the competition and deliver even greater entertainment for the fans."





Stunning playoff finals? Those would be the ones that were generally agreed to be a bit of a let-down as far as the standard of the games went, then? The spin machine is already firing...





"However always wanting to improve the offering to fans, sponsors and the clubs, the league have adopted a new plan which should see the competition within league games even closer when the 2008-09 season gets under way"





You could start by actually sticking to the rules you make in the first place if you want to improve the offering. But failing that, you've done the next best thing and make up new ones...to whit...





Therefore, the teams that finished in the top four places in 2007-08, namely Coventry, Sheffield, Nottingham and Belfast, will continue to ice with a maximum of ten International Transfer Card (ITC) players on their respective rosters in season 2008-09. The teams that finished outside the top four in the 2007-08 regular season will have the option to ice an eleventh ITC player to provide additional depth to their rosters for 2008-09.





Fair enough. However, just how many of the teams outside the top four (the richest teams in the league, by the way) are going to have the money to sign this eleventh import-and just what do you do if they have to go with ten for budgetary reasons? The top Brits still get chased by the top four (even more so in fact as they'll be perceived as a must in order to offset the potential advantage of an extra import for the other four). Then, of course, you have the problem of continuity. Say that this season one of the four mentioned above have a bad year and finish outside the top four despite spending their money on top imports and Brits, and next season earn themselves an extra import. Then they use this advantage and well and truly blitz the league the following season. Just how is that making things more competitive-you could have a situation where teams are yo-yoing up and down the league from season to season based on whether they have an extra import or not, which might enable the PR people to say the league is more competitive as anyone can win it, but doesn't exactly make for consistency in terms of fans' expectations, does it? Nor does it help that certain teams (ie this year's top four) are already getting in the "it's not a true title win if you win it because of an extra import" excuses.



Plus, the system has a loophole-and I'm going to use one of the top players of last year to demonstrate it...Joe Tallari.



Look at his stats. They're not bad, but not great up until his move to Manchester-comparable to the vast majority of imports who come over fairly cheaply and often end up joining the mid-budget teams after being shunned by the big-spenders or, more likely, simply overlooked. If the rules had been in effect this season, the Phoenix would have been allowed an eleventh import (let's assume for a moment that the monetary means would have been there to use that opportunity). Suddenly, thanks to being a far better player than his stats (and thus wage-demands) would have suggested, he's by far one of the best players in the league. However, thanks to the rules the Phoenix have an extra import on their roster (say, KC Timmons-not flashy, but develops into a key player for his team nevertheless). Suddenly, there's a massive advantage-and off go the complaints.



Then, of course, you have the issue of manipulation of results becoming even more attractive at the end of the season. Say your team is in fourth place with nothing to play for, but it's still mathematically possible for your nearest rival in fifth to catch you. Given that the matchup is decided anyway, doesn't easing off a little in the final few games and being overtaken seem attractive for the advantage it'll give you the following season, particularly if you're a team like Nottingham, who have the budget spare? Morally, you'd take some flak, but moral scruples of your own fans will disappear pretty quickly when you turn around and say "Extra import next year, people".

Finally, is it just me who thinks that giving a league whose owners have the morals of a pack of sewer rats when it comes to getting one over on the competition yet another potential loophole for the bigger teams to exploit is a very bad idea?

Now, on to some rumours and signing news...

Derek Campbell from Basingstoke to Cardiff: Given that this was posted by the player's dad, we can safely assume it's credible...

Ben O'Connor signs for Blaze: While this could see the end of James Pease's time at the Blaze, signing arguably the best young d-man in Britain (OHL experience and all) is not an opportunity most coaches would pass up. Especially on a multi-year contract...

Jade Galbraith to Nottingham:...and he looks quite good...although maybe the natural centre the Panthers have been crying out for since Dan Tessier left will have to wait a little longer.

Hopefully the next update will be on Wednesday, but as you've seen, things get a lot more ad-hoc in the summer. There will be one soon though, so until then, keep keeping your eye on the puck..