Video - Series format best way forward for Elite League play-offs, says Sheffield Steelers' Paul Thompson
The Sheffield Steelers’ head coach, who led his team to the regular season title on the final day of the 2015-16 campaign, believes teams facing each other in the post-season should battle over three games – others are known to favour even longer play-off series’ over five or even seven games, as currently operated by the NHL.
The Steelers exited this year’s play-offs at the first stage after losing on aggregate over the currently-favoured two-legged system to Thompson’s former club, Coventry Blaze.
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Hide Ad“Personally, I would like it to go to a best-of-three series – I think that is the best way for the Elite League play-offs going forward,” said Thompson.
“I’m not making any excuses for us going out at the first stage this year – we lost to the better team. A best-of system has been talked about before but nothing has ever moved forward on it.”
Were such a format introduced, it would mean an end to the annual Final Four Weekend, which closes the league’s season at Nottingham’s National Ice Centre.
n Milton Keynes Lightning will join the Elite League for the 2017-18 season, it was announced yesterday.