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The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) is the United Kingdom 's top-level Professional Ice Hockey league. Ice hockey is a minor sport in the United Kingdom and the EIHL, like its predecessors, faces a constant struggle to stay on the ice. There are nine clubs scheduled to take part in the 2006-07 season. They are Basingstoke Bison ( England ), Belfast Giants ( Northern Ireland ), Cardiff Devils ( Wales ), Coventry Blaze (England), Edinburgh Capitals ( Scotland ), Manchester Phoenix (England), Newcastle Vipers (England), Nottingham Panthers (England) and Sheffield Steelers (England). The London Racers withdrew their teams part way through the 2005-06 season and are unlikely to return. Milton Keynes Lightning have a position on the board, but they ice their team in the English Premier Ice Hockey League . Formed in 2003 after the demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague , the EIHL consists of three teams from the old top-level, three teams from the now defunct British National League (BNL), and two new teams. The first season got under way in September 2003 after much wrangling over the league's affiliation with Ice Hockey UK and arguments over the future of several of the teams, mostly Nottingham. This was eventually solved when the international governing body, the International Ice Hockey Federation , intervened. Manchester did not compete in 2004-05, as a new venue for the team was being prepared. They have further announced that they will also be unable to compete in 2005-06 although progress has recently been made and it is hoped they will compete in the 2006-2007 season. The London Racers withdrew part way through the season due to safety problems at their venue. The 2004-05 league schedule also included games against teams from the BNL in a move that was seen by many to be the first steps towards a merger of the two organisations. However, the post-season moves of Edinburgh Capitals and Newcastle Vipers , followed by the move of Bracknell Bees , Guildford Flames & Hull Stingrays to the now second tier English Premier League (EPIHL) forced the collapse of the BNL. On March 5 , 2005 '' The Times '' reported that ten NHL players were temporarily playing in the EIHL, and published some figures on salaries and attendances:
These figures are in error. The annual wage-cap stands at £210,000. Ice hockey struggles to get media attention in the U.K. The EIHL is covered on television by the rather low profile North American Sports Network , rather than one of the major terrestrial channels or the dominant pay television sports network Sky Sports . It is largely ignored by the national newspapers and the BBC 's national radio, television and web outlets, though the BBC does give it some coverage at a local level in the cities where the teams are based. The only print magazine that truly covers the British leagues including the EIHL is '' Powerplay ''. CHAMPIONS EXTERNAL LINKS |
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