Cloutier backs new-look league make-up

 Photograph of Excel Hull Stingrays player-coach Sylvain Cloutier courtsey of Mark Tredgold: www.tredders.com.

Excel Hull Stingrays player-coach Sylvain Cloutier has given his support to the new format announced by the Elite League for next season.

Braehead Clan were this week unveiled as the ninth team to participate in the league, joining Stingrays, Belfast Giants, Cardiff Devils, Coventry Blaze, Edinburgh Capitals, Newcastle Vipers, Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers.

Now the make-up of next season`s competition has been revealed. Each side will play three home and three away against the other teams for a 48-game season, which will begin on the weekend of September 4/5 and end on March 12/13.

The top six teams will qualify for the play-offs and will face each other in a 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 March 14-27 and the top four will meet in the traditional play-off finals weekend on April 2/3.

Cloutier said: “I think it is good for the league. This season has been very competitive and anybody can beat anybody. Last year you had one team [Basingstoke Bison] who everyone knew they were going to beat - that has not been the case this time.

“With only six of the nine teams making the play-offs next season, players won`t be able to take nights off and it`s going to be a battle for the whole season.

“I know winning the league is the priority here as it`s the one where you have to go to war to win a trophy. In the play-offs you only have to win four games to be champions - it`s not like playing a five or seven-game series.

“So to have a round-robin format is good as you will have to go to war every night just to make the semi-finals. Games like that are also what bonds teams together so it`s going to be exciting.”

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