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Hey there sports fans
Me and Vpatrol were spitballing behind the scenes about how the current NZIHL season looks like it will end in an all South Island final, unless some dramatic events occur.
Given this we were wondering since travel costs would be down, due to no flights necessary, whether the time is right for a series to be used to decide the outcome of the national league.
We propose starting off small with a three game series.
One game in Queenstown, one game in Tekapo and a game in Christchurch.
We would imagine that the team who comes out top of the league would decide the order of the games. Probably with the runner up playing at home first and then the winner deciding whether to play the second or third game at home. Then the neutral game would be played on the left over weekend.Bearing in mind we have no power of the league what so ever, this is a pie in the sky idea. What do people think of it? and do they have any suggestions?
Game in Tekapo? That’s pretty random. Nice, but random.
This couldn’t happen for this year as the schedule is set, but it might be worth suggesting for next season perhaps. If the owner of the Tekapo rink were keen to get in behind it then it might be a good option, particularly if there was some sort of financial kick back for holding it here. The problem though would be that I’m not sure you would get enough spectators from there, or would it be the opposite since it would be such a novelty for the town? I recall Gore getting a seriously big crowd for a Canadian Moose vs Gore game once, so perhaps the same effect would occur in Tekapo where half the town turned up to watch.
I haven’t voted yet as I don’t know what I’m comparing it to. What is the situation going to be for 2009? Is it two games on subsequent nights?
Financially not viable. It’s great to say that just because it could be two south island teams in the final, it could be done. But it’s just as likely to be a south and a north island team. Which would mean paying for flights on more than one weekend.
Plus the third game might be a dead rubber. Which isn’t a problem if the players are all there anyway, but foolish if you’ve paid several thousand dollars to get the visiting team there for that game.
I’d suggest that the finals should be a triple-header, with a possibility of not playing the third game. Top team hosts it, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Ice should be booked for all three and also (where relevant) extra time booked to allow for the possibility of overtimes and penalty shootouts (as per IIHF rules) for each.
The additional cost would only be additional accommodation and ice time and officials, which ticket sales would cover (it’s the cost of flights that makes the league expensive).
I’m fully in favour of an outdoor NZIHL game at Tekapo. I’m not sure if anyone would want to lose their home game and ticket sales however. Maybe one year if there’s two south island teams not in the final they could play a ‘friendly’ couple of games the week before the final at Tekapo? Or pre-season?
We were proposing this format based soley on the fact that it would be two south island teams in the final.
Which is looking very likely this year. Unless the second round is completely different and I see no reason to believe otherwise.
I think its comparing it to the current format.
Tekapo was thrown in as a winter classic type match. For the hardcore hockey fans who don’t mind driving from chch or qtown. Only really works with an all southern final though.
and 3rd game might be useless and would be scratched. Hence the top team choosing the order of games.
It would be great to have a 3 game final if it were the format i would choose is 1st place team get 2 home games and 1 away game for 2nd place team.
Tekapo probley wont work considering you have to pay 5000 to hold a finals game, so who ever holds it i would imagine wouldnt want to take a dive and would hold it where financially viable
Slightly off topic, if Gore can get good crowds like for the game mentioned earlier in this thread, why don’t the Thunder and Stampede play a round down there?
It is an area where they both take players from so there will be some support. They may even get more spectators than a home round in Dunedin!
Last year the Devils and Stampede were meant to play a pre-season game in Tekapo but the snow came down and the Devils drove home before it got too deep. However, 20 minutes after they left the sky cleared and the Stampede played an inter squad game for the opening of the rink. Good game and venue which is not used enough by either SIHL or Canty.
Chinstrap.
Would you like to see for the winner Home-away-home or Home-home-away
or away-home-home????Plod16
I am not sure why gore doesn’t get a game would be an interesting question i suppose?
I am not entirely sure about the size or the quality of their ice though. Although I may be wrong been a while since I was down there.Also I think to get bigger crowds in Dunedin the thunder just have to win, or at least be competitive with more teams…..
It is slightly deceptive though with the size, there are more people in there than you think.away home home
i think gives 1st place team chance to win at home thats the reward for being 1st place in regular season
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