The Champions Hockey League (CHL) has dropped mixed news on the Elite League, with confirmation that our national champions will receive a spot in the competition – unless the Guildford Flames prevail in the title race, that is.
Confused? Don’t be.
Earlier this season, Champions League decision-makers announced their intention to restructure the tournament – which raised the possibility that the Elite League could be excluded altogether.,
Thankfully, that hasn’t happened under the new 24-team format.
“The champions of Denmark, France, Norway, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom will be invited to compete in Europe’s elite club ice hockey competition,” wrote a spokesperson. “The decision has been made by taking several criteria, such as competitiveness in previous Champions League seasons, management structure, infrastructure, and attendance, into consideration.”
But there is a catch.
The Champions League will review its ‘challenger’ invitations on a yearly basis – which means any of the current invitees could be swapped out with minimal notice or justification.
There is also a scoop of bad news reserved for the Flames, their entrance to the competition will be blocked even if they win the Elite League title.
Paul Dixon’s Guildford Flames will not be granted a spot in the Champions Hockey League if they win the Elite League title (Image: Scott Wiggins)
“Should the Flames become national champions,” continued the statement, “the place will be allocated to the second-place team as Guildford does not meet the Champion Hockey League’s requirements.”
In other words, the Flames cannot feature in the Champions League as they fall short on an unspoken set of criteria – which are presumably related to their arena.
The Flames are based in The Spectrum – a leisure centre. While the ice surface is adequate and the team is supported by a passionate fanbase, the venue is small and difficult to broadcast from. Hence the Flames have been blocked from the competition.
Analysis: Champions Hockey League drops mixed news on Elite League, Guildford Flames
Stadium requirements are a common feature in international and domestic sports competitions.
In continental football, it is fairly common for ‘smaller’ clubs to play their fixtures at an alternative venue when their stadium fails to meet the requirements set by UEFA.
In other words, the Guildford Flames find themselves in familiar territory.
But does that make the situation they face fair?
Of course not.
Adam Keefe coaching the Elite League’s Belfast Giants in the Champions Hockey League (Image: Johanna Salo / Norran)
If the Flames win the title, they will have earned a spot in the Champions League.
“That’s why we do it,” Paul Dixon said when asked about his title ambitions. “That’s why we’re here and that’s what our goal was this summer. We have to be realistic with the teams that are in our league, and we are very realistic here, but we want to push them and finish as strong as we can. We’ll take it one game at a time and just make sure we win as many as we can.”
But that isn’t where the unfairness starts and ends.
The Champions League is now effectively a closed shop, with the majority of places reserved for ‘founder league’ clubs.
If you aren’t in the clique, you probably won’t be invited – which completely undermines the idea that the competition could help the sport develop a foothold in ‘newer’ hockey nations.
Ultimately, the Champions Hockey League has taken a backward step with this move.
