EHM The Blue Line

The Elite League would like to clarify the situation regarding the Fife Flyers...

A couple of club owners had made speculative enquiries regarding Fife Flyers joining the Elite League next season.

Therefore no direct official approach had been made by Elite League chairman Eamon Convery to the Fife owner Tom Muir.

Eamon Convery said: "We would look forward to having constructive discussions with the objective being to explore the opportunity of Fife commencing in the Elite League.

"It has been a little while since official communication took place and the door was always left open to pick up on the opportunity."

It is expected that following another successful play-off weekend, direct contact with Fife Flyers will be made to see if progress can be made.

ROD STEWART'S teenage son Liam is being lined up to play for Great Britain.

And he’s already carved out a reputation as an exciting young talent after top-scoring last season for the Los Angeles Junior Kings Under-16s ice hockey side.


Now his mum, ex-model Rachel Hunter, has been in touch with the GB camp in the hope that Liam can get the go-ahead to play for the Lions in the future.


Even though he was born in London and has a British passport, he’s not eligible to wear the red, white and blue in the World Championships because he’s never played in this country.


His case is now being taken up and will be on the agenda of the world governing body, the International Ice Hockey Federation, at their autumn congress this September.


They will be asked to make a ­special exemption for the forward, 17, ­because of his family ­circumstances which meant he has been brought up in America.


Liam has lived with his mum since she split from rock legend Rod in 1999 when he was only four years old.


His football-loving rocker dad was a talented young footballer and signed as an apprentice for Brentford in 1961, a decade before he had his first No.1 hit with ­Maggie May.


Rod, who also had a hit with The First Cut Is The Deepest, set up a trust fund for Liam as part of the settlement after divorcing Rachel in 2006.


They’ve both regularly been in the stands at Liam’s matches.


Last season, his second with the Kings, he scored 24 goals and had 13 assists, which saw him drafted by US Hockey League side Lincoln Stars.


But he may not ice for the Nebraska team and was missing from last week’s try-out camp.


Six-footer Liam has had plenty of advice on how to make the big time – his mother’s former live-in lover Jarret Stoll has spent the last nine seasons in the NHL, three of them with the LA Kings.


Andy French, general secretary of Ice Hockey UK, said: “Rachel contacted us to say Liam would like to play for GB

and since then I’ve been preparing a case for the IIHF.


“I’m optimistic we’ll get the right answer and he can play for the GB Under-18s.”

Fife Flyers have performed a stunning U-Turn and made a late application to step up to the Elite Leaguefor the new season,

Thier bid is due to be considered at a meeting in Nottingham on Thursday,

And if Fife, scotland`s oldest club, are successful they would join Braehead Clan, Dundee CCS Stars and Edinburgh Capitals in britains top division,

Flyers move marks a U-Turn from thier position earlier this summer when a statement on thier website claimed they were not thinking of making the step up from the Northern League,

It read: "No discussion has taken place between Fife and the Elite League, No offer has been made or discussed

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-13897027

Liquidation for Cardiff Devils, Sheffield Steelers firm

The company which owns ice hockey Elite teams Cardiff Devils and Sheffield Steelers is to go into voluntary liquidation.

Sixteen staff of Cardiff-based Rink Corp Limited are being made redundant after the business was declared "no longer financially viable".

Business licences to trade as "Cardiff Devils" and "Sheffield Steelers" have been issued to two separate companies.

Insolvency practitioner John Cullen says matches will go ahead next season.

He added that season tickets would be honoured.

A meeting of members and creditors will be held on 7 July.

"Despite their best efforts to find a viable way forward the directors of Rink Corp Ltd have been left with no choice but to wind the company up under Section 98 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (creditors voluntary liquidation)," said a statement.

"Rink Corp Ltd runs two ice hockey teams: the Sheffield Steelers and the Cardiff Devils, who were winners and runners up respectively in the Elite League last season."

It said "regrettably" 16 staff at Rink Corp Ltd were being made redundant, with consultation starting on Thursday.

"Whilst every effort has been made to avoid the situation, the company is no longer financially viable," added the statement.

Consultation with affected employees began on Thursday June 23rd. The company has, however, granted two business licences to trade which will enable matches to continue next season and ensure season tickets are honoured

WELCOME FIFE FLYERS
June 23, 2011

One of the truly great names in British Ice Hockey is back at the top level of the sport. At a Board meeting of the EIHL on Thursday it was agreed that the Fife Flyers would become the 10th team participation in the 9th season of the league.

Fife will join fellow Scottish sides Braehead, Dundee and Edinburgh alongside Belfast, Cardiff, Coventry, Hull, Nottingham and Sheffield when the season commences on Saturday 3rd September.

EIHL Chairman Eamon Convery said “It has been a long time coming but we are delighted to welcome the Flyers into our league. Fife remain one of the biggest names in our sport. Their inclusion in the Elite League enhances the top level of our sport and certainly creates a huge rivalry north of the border.

”Our view has always been that the Flyers belonged in the EIHL, and that we as a league needed the UK’s oldest established ice hockey team in our division.

Jack Wishart, Director of the Fife Flyers said “We are delighted to have been accepted to join the EIHL. We have monitored the league’s development over the years especially here in Scotland with Braehead, Dundee and Edinburgh

”We felt that this was the right time to join the league. At the end it was a mutual coming together and one we hope benefits both the Flyers and the other member clubs

”We are also delighted for our fans. We know that they are keen to see the best teams’ in the UK at Kirkcaldy and to renew old rivalries with many clubs both in Scotland and South of the border.