BRACKNELL BEES player-coach Lukas Smital has called on ice hockey’s governing body to do more to prevent clubs from going out of business.
The English Premier Ice Hockey League (EPIHL) has been thrown into turmoil in recent weeks when Manchester Phoenix were forced to withdraw from the competition following financial troubles, causing clubs to reschedule fixtures and previous results being expunged.
This is not the first time a side has withdrawn from the EPIHL due to funding struggles with Slough Jets pulling out of the top flight back in 2014.
And Smital, who is well aware of the struggles facing clubs after his recent experiences with the Bees, says it is time for something to change before it’s too late.
“It’s always sad to see a team go,” he told The Wokingham Paper.
“It happened with Slough a few years ago and now Manchester.
“It’s not like we’ve got 50 teams in the country – there’s not enough teams as it is.
“It’s always sad when a team pulls out. It just affects the whole league and pretty much the whole country, all the players, all the young lads and everything around it because you’ve got one less team and it needs to be restructured.
“Something needs to be done in terms of the governing body needs to step in and there needs to be structure and idea behind what’s happening so that these situations are avoidable before the season even starts.”
Bees kept their slim play-off hopes alive with their first four-point weekend of the season after ending a four-year win drought against Peterborough Phantoms before also seeing off Swindon Wildcats.
However, their place in the end of season competition could have already been confirmed if the original decision following a league meeting to deny this weekend’s opponents Telford Tigers entry into the play-offs was upheld.
“I can’t think anything about it, I don’t make the decisions,” said Smital.
“It was voted that Telford would be out of the play-offs then the decision was overturned and that’s the way it is.
“Is it right? Is it wrong? I don’t know. I don’t think it happened before in this country.
“They just need to be prepared to do these decisions properly when it happens again or when similar circumstances appear so all the teams know where they are in terms of if something goes wrong or if there is some kind of hiccup during the season.”
Following the two wins last weekend, Bees now sit seven points behind Sheffield Steeldogs, who occupy the final play-off spot, with just seven games to go.
The first win was certainly a notable one – finally defeating Peterborough after 23 straight defeats over the last four years.
And it looked like it would be an all too familiar feeling when Phantoms raced into a 4-1 lead, only for Bees to battle back and win 7-6 after penalties.
That was then followed up on Sunday as they survived a scare to beat Swindon Wildcats 5-4 at The Hive.
“We are still fighting,” said Smital.
“They were good performances and it came at the right time hopefully so we’re happy with the results.
“There is still quite a gap between us and Sheffield but we are going ahead in the right direction.
“We’ve got a tough weekend coming up but we’ve just got to keep fighting for it.”
He added: “It didn’t look so great after the first period (at Peterborough) but we regrouped, we recovered and got the result.
“It was a great feeling. It think the run was a combination of both (them and us).
“It’s one of those, you go there thinking we have to beat them and maybe you’re too tight, too nervous.
“It could be anything. If I knew, I would have avoided it and we probably would have beaten them sooner!”
Two of the seven remaining games come in the form of a double-header against leaders Telford this weekend, a side who have already rattled in a staggering 25 goals in just four games against Bees this campaign.
“At their place it’s tough,” admitted Smital.
“They’ve got such strength in depth in all areas.
“But it’s sport and we definitely go there to try and get a result and do what we can.
“Unfortunately these guys need four points to clinch the title, so they are going to be going for it.
“It’s going to be two teams fighting.
“It’s going to be a tough one, but we are definitely going to be prepared to do our best.”
