lamplighter 0 Report post Posted April 8, 2006 Has anyone ever heard of, played in, or know any helpful information about the English Premier Ice Hockey League? Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick23 0 Report post Posted April 8, 2006 yes, its is second tier hockey league in England for the first year (since the demise of the BNL, lower than only that of the Elite league. Consists of 13 teams. Each team can have 4 imports. Regularly players from this league will be a step up for players at a national level after juniors looking to make the senior England and Great Britain teams.May i ask why you are inquiring? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gavin 0 Report post Posted April 8, 2006 I would love to go to Europe and play for one of those kind of leagues. I spent a summer in France and it was exhilirating. My other dream places to spend a year/2 at: Ireland, Scotland, Sweden (I don't know Swedish yet) and Swizterland (probably some place where they speak French. And playing hockey would make it even sweeter. LOL with my style of checking, I'd probably be in the sin big a lot, as I heard they call a lot over there. Is that true? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lamplighter 0 Report post Posted April 8, 2006 May i ask why you are inquiring? I'm inquiring because I want to play in this league next season and tryout information seems to be scarce on the web. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
#66 0 Report post Posted April 8, 2006 i know that in scotland if you play it is full contact and not all that many penailties are called and there are often a lot of figthing, which you normally only get a 5 major for anmd only very rarly a miscounduct Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gavin 0 Report post Posted April 8, 2006 Sound like bush league Senior A hockey... I love playing that stuff, the fans are NUTS LOL and you get such a rush knowing you could get your block taken off if you dangle a bit/score a goal. Hey #66 do you get any Canadians coming over? If so, what level did they come from? OHL? QMJHL? Junior B? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pantherfan 0 Report post Posted April 8, 2006 I have no idea what the level is in the epihl but for details i would probobly go on http://epihl.co.uk/ and have a look Just what ever you do please dont go the Sheffield lolBtw lamplighter what league are you in at the moment? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lamplighter 0 Report post Posted April 8, 2006 I've looked at the epihl website and a lot of the websites for the teams in the league. I'm just wondering if anyone on here has ever played in, or knows someone who has played in that league so I can find out how to start the process for playing in that league next season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
#44wannabe 4 Report post Posted April 8, 2006 Email the coach of each of the teams and go for a tryout. Depending on what league you're in now then they may sign you unseen. But email/call the coaches - details are usually on the sites.As for the level, well its probably somewhere around junior A/ Major junior. Pays fairly well too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff_12 0 Report post Posted April 12, 2006 PM Me if you get a chance, I have many close friends who have been in this league or are in this league at the moment, I can give you some information on the standard etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Extremo 0 Report post Posted April 13, 2006 the teams in this league are only allowed 4 foreign players each so you'll find they get pretty good ones. Most of the Americans playing in the EPIHL are probably the equivalent of CHL standard in the US. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gavin 0 Report post Posted April 13, 2006 i know that in scotland if you play it is full contact and not all that many penailties are called and there are often a lot of figthing, which you normally only get a 5 major for anmd only very rarly a miscounduct Do they have a limit on the number of imports in Scotland? I would love to play in Scotland. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
#66 0 Report post Posted April 14, 2006 no im pretty sure they sont have a limit in scotland Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
#44wannabe 4 Report post Posted April 16, 2006 Im pretty sure they do...... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flymonty3 0 Report post Posted April 17, 2006 English Elite league's import requirements are: 1) You have to currently hold a EU passport OR2) You have to have played 70% of the previous seasons games in the ECHL or AHL.Most of the imports here are usually at least 15-20 point ECHL scorers, or top for D Men... Some of the AHL players that come over come on a package which consists of ECHL salary levels, but they also get an education package included ( Free Masters Degree in 10 months, some offer 4 year degrees)To play in the EPIHL as an import, you have to hold a EU passport, or qualify for a European Ancestry stamp (great grandparents or sooner came from Europe, and you can prove it!) Even if you meet these requirements, you still need to be approx. SPHL level of player before you even attempt to go to Europe to play as an import, and in most cases need SOME experience in a US pro league. Sure, I have seen much lesser players go over as imports, but they almost never last an entire season and trust me, it is difficult to continue a career once you have been released from a low level team.Even the worst of the worst European leagues require at least solid ( I mean guys with 50+ PTS and 150 + PIM or similar) Major Junior or Jr. A experience, NCAA (D.1 and sometimes D3) or CIS. Teams make a huge financial investment in an import player, a guy cant be just as good as a non import, he has to dominate. They have to pay 1500 Euro (most countries) for a transfer card, housing, airfare, transportation when you get there, equipment (hopefully!) so it adds up quickly, so they want to find some on who can be a star, and I know even coming over from a canadian Sr. AA or AAA league is difficult because it is still considered SR. Hockey. They want someone with stats on Hockeydb.com, and if not, you have to be damn sure you can prove what you did, and when you did it, because unfortounatly stats paint the picture of a player. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gavin 0 Report post Posted April 17, 2006 Are you saying that SPHL level hockey = Senior AAA hockey? That's very intruiging. I'm not very familiar with the SPHL, but don't they have a pretty good team in Pensacola, FL? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flymonty3 0 Report post Posted April 18, 2006 Depends, Sr. AAA varies from province to province, or even team to team. US Sr. AAA is much much lower quality most of the time...SPHL players are usually at least above average NCAA D.3 players, or guys from NCAA D.1 confrences like Atlantic Hockey or CHA. Again, talent varies team to team, but there are SPHL teams in Jacksonville FL, Orlando Fl, Colombus GA, Huntsville AL, Knoxville TN (2006 Champs) Florence SC, and Fayateville SC.Pensacolais in the ECHL Lots of call ups to the CHL, UHL and ECHL as this league is truly a development league, like "A" baseball.Canadian Sr. hockey is much easier to break into though as you are going to have one hell of a time coming from the beer leagues to being taken seriously enough to earn a professional training camp invitation even unless you have had a pretty decent hockey background at least..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JR Boucicaut 3791 Report post Posted April 18, 2006 Seals lost eh?That league is pretty bad... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flymonty3 0 Report post Posted April 20, 2006 good effort though.They do have some guys on the roster that are questionable, but Katzberg and Rivard are some pretty good scrappers and there are a few more fairly decent guys that will move up to better clubs next year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cunndies 0 Report post Posted April 20, 2006 Okay, to correct a couple of small mistakes in this thread. Firstly, the Elite League is a UK league, not just confined to England. Secondly, all leagues in the UK play under IIHF rules, just like the rest of Europe. The Elite League made a couple of changes (to fighting rules, if I recall), but most of the time you'll get tossed for fighting. Thirdly, there is currently only one pro/semi-pro team in Scotland, the Edinburgh Capitals. There were 3 before last year, but to cut a very very long story short, one of the two main pro leagues collapsed, and Fife and Dundee were left with nowhere to go as far as pro leagues go. That said, they're both involved in attempts to set up a Northern equivalent to the EPL, so we'll see how that goes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
#44wannabe 4 Report post Posted April 20, 2006 He's talking about the EPL, not Elite League. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gavin 0 Report post Posted April 20, 2006 So to the EPIHL and the scottish equivalent (didn't pick up wether it had a name or not) both farm to the Elite League? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cunndies 0 Report post Posted April 20, 2006 He's talking about the EPL, not Elite League. I know, somebody mentioned the "English Elite League" earlier though, and that's not what it is :)And as far as I know there's no official farm system on the go, as the leagues aren't technically affiliated with oneanother. The Scottish one (SNL) as it stands has no imports at all and is amateur, and nobody knows what the Scottish "equivalent" to the EPL will be like next year yet! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick23 0 Report post Posted April 20, 2006 From first hand experience, the english system sucks :) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gavin 0 Report post Posted April 21, 2006 From first hand experience, the english system sucks :) Meaning the quality is poor or the coaching/managing is braindead? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
