Former greats honoured in Elite League’s new era

The 10-club league has been controversially split into two conferences for the new campaign, mainly drawn along regional lines.

Sheffield Steelers are joined in the ‘southern’ conference – expected by many to be a far stronger section – by Coventry Blaze, Nottingham Panthers, Cardiff Devils and 20-11-12 champions Belfast Giants.

That will now be known as the Erhardt Conference, named after Carl Erhardt, who captained Great Britain’s ice hockey team to their stunning Olympic gold in 1936 in Germany.

After his playing career ended, Erhardt continued to be a leading figure in the game, becoming lifetime vice-president with the British Ice Hockey Association. He was posthumously elected to the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Hall of Fame in 1988, shortly after he had died aged 91.

The ‘northern’ conference - comprising Hull Stingrays, Braehead Clan, Dundee Stars, Edinburgh Capitals and Fife Flyers – will be known as the Gardiner Conference, named after Edinburgh-born netminder Charlie Gardiner, who captained the Chicago Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup in 1934.

Gardiner moved to Canada as a young child, played seven seasons with Chicago and became the only NHL goaltender to lead his side to a Stanley Cup win – a record that still stands today.

Sadly, he passed away a few months after the Cup success aged just 29, following a brain haemorrhage.

Philip Erhardt, son of Carl, said: “It is a great honour that my dad will be remembered in this way.

“I know he would have been delighted, although he was a very modest man.”

Ted Poulter, nephew of Gardiner, added: “Charlie achieved so much in his short career and it is fantastic that his legacy will live on for years to come.”

Under the new conference format, teams will play other teams in their conference a total of eight times – four times at home and four times away. They will also play teams from the other conference a total of four times – twice home and twice away.