My thoughts on the EIHL's new roster rules

 Import limits and British player development are what seem like a never ending debate throughout the British ice hockey world. It's a topic that I've been keen to delve into for a while, and now seems like a good time, following league chairman Tony Smith's revelation on the roster size for the 2021/22 season. 

To summarise, match night rosters can have up to 19 players. A maximum of 14 can be imports (non British trained players). This means, should coaches use all 14 import slots, that only 5 Brits can be on a team's roster. 

This has been met with widespread criticism across all fanbases for being a big step back for developing homegrown talent in a league where chances for Brits are becoming harder to come by. Coaches will almost always use the import limit to the maximum, and why shouldn't they? They are hired to win after all. 

With hockey being a minority sport in the UK, I do believe the league has a responsibility to grow the sport for aspiring homegrown talent. 

That being said, I don't think it is their number one responsibility. As a fan, I watch the sport to be entertained, which is more important to me than nurturing talent. Higher import limits mean a greater standard of hockey that my club is putting on show. I won't exactly be losing sleep over this change, but that doesn't mean I am against more effort being put in by the league. 

I think what has to be kept in mind is that the 14+5 rule could very well be a short term thing. We are coming off the back of a pandemic where the league will have taken a financial hit. Due to a lack of high quality British players, those that are and can provide the depth beyond the 14 imports will not come cheap. They could very well be the most expensive players on a roster, so as a cost cutting move, I totally understand it. The league isn't an endless money pit. 

If it is to be a more permanent thing, then I think questions have to be asked of how the pathway to the EIHL can be changed to ensure players are ready rather of the limit itself. I don't want players who are not ready to be given a free pass just because of their nationality. 

This is where there needs to be cohesion throughout the British leagues, most blatantly between the NIHL, British hockey's second tier, and the EIHL. Currently, the NIHL's import limit...is 2. Expecting players to jump from that to 14 is simply ridiculous. Once a player makes the step up, they are being thrown into the deepest of deep ends. 

If you look at the league's top prospects right now, many have had to go abroad in order to properly prepare themselves for the EIHL. Cardiff's Josh Waller and Sam Duggan had go to the Czech Repulbic and Sweden respectively. Mac Howlett of Guildford spent 2 seasons in Finland before returning to the UK with Glasgow in 2018. 

Not every player has the luxury of being able to go overseas to effectively develop though. The bridging of that gap needs to be accessible on home soil to make professional hockey a more realistic dream for homegrown talent. 

The league board have always had an attitude that the EIHL is not a 'development league', but if they're going to make way for British talent then surely improving their pathway to the big time benefits the product on show? If you look at almost any top league in any sport, talent is nurtured as well as imported. The EIHL is naive for thinking that these players will appear out of thin air if they continue to widen the gap between themselves and the lower leagues. 

It is arguably now more important than ever to have this conversation due to the current golden era of the Great Britain national team. The squad at the last World Championships had an average age of nearly 30, with many of the players coming from a time where import limits were lower, alongside dual nationals. 

Of course, British hockey's freak of nature, Liam Kirk, was in there too and is on his way to becoming one of the British hockey greats. Had he been coming through the ranks with the current rules in place though, it is unlikely he would've got his opportunity aged 16. In turn, he may have never been drafted by Arizona of the NHL, and been the go to point scorer for Team GB. 

In a less extreme sense, a fan favourite for the Panthers, Ollie Betteridge, also may not have been given his opportunity just days after his 16th birthday in 2012. This could have caused the potential he is currently reaching to be unfulfilled. This hypothetical situation could become a reality for many youngsters with the way things are headed.   

So, what is the solution? I am no expert on the complexities of it all, but first off, I can accept the 14+5 rule as a short term solution for a season, or maybe 2. Covid will have inevitably made things financially tougher. 

Whilst many would like to see the import limit cut to 10-12, I would rather first re-increase the bench sizes by 2-3, as was previously the case. This allows space for more Brits, whilst maintaining the high standards that imports set. Many talk of the success of the Elite Series having lower import limits, but truth be told, I thought the standard was below par. I would not personally welcome that over the course of a real season. It did however show that some players deserve more exposure than the new EIHL rules will give them. 

Most importantly for me, the NIHL in an ideal world needs a higher import limit to close that gap. I am aware that this could bring financial complications, so let me emphasise the 'ideal world' part. An increase in imports from NIHL 2 to the NIHL itself would allow more gradual progression for younger players and better prepare them. 

The pathway being improved is far more important to me than the EIHL making space for the sake of it. This obviously can't be achieved overnight, especially with the seemingly lack of an urge for a unified governing body. 

However, British ice hockey might be growing as a form of entertainment, but as a sport and in turn, a career path? It does appear to be going backwards, despite our national team's prestige going forwards, which does feel quite wrong.