EDINBURGH Capitals are now back in ice hockey's Elite League following a spectacular U-turn at a meeting of the nine clubs yesterday only seven days after being left out in the cold.
Elite League chairman Eamon Convery revealed: "Representatives of the Edinburgh Capitals, Manchester Phoenix and Newcastle Vipers joined with their counterparts from the Belfast Giants, Cardiff Devils, Coventry Blaze, Hull Stingrays, Nottingham Panth
ers and Sheffield Steelers at a meeting.
"It is my pleasure to advise that all are committed to the future of the Elite League.
"The Elite League in 2009-10 will operate with some revisions to the previous formats and the clubs have agreed to a new maximum of ten import players per roster on any given game night."
The regular league season will see all teams meet each other three times home and away for a 48-game season and the Knockout Cup will cease but a new revised Challenge Cup will be unveiled. Work on the full format of the competition, leading to a one-game, neutral venue final, has already begun.
Convery said that the Elite League is also keen to introduce a new early-season tournament weekend and work on an exciting new three-day festival has already started.
The culmination of the season will be the post-season play-offs which were sold out at Nottingham last weekend.
Convery added: "We will confirm exact details of the revised Challenge Cup format and the early-season tournament as soon as possible.
"Everyone left the meeting in a positive frame of mind and determined to continue to work toward a bright and exciting future."
