STORM BLITZ ISSUE #50 Monday 28 July 1997 If you have any comments on Storm Blitz, please feel free to e-mail into.the.storm@poboxes.com any time. --------------------------------------------------- In this issue : * Panthers future in doubt * Superleague fixtures delayed * Work permits in doubt * Meet The Players Night * New pages on Into The Storm * Download back issues of Storm Blitz * How to unsubscribe to Storm Blitz --------------------------------------------------- > PANTHERS FUTURE IN DOUBT Radio 5 Live had a feature on Wednesday (23rd July) afternoon at 4.50pm about the future of the Ice Hockey Superleague. It was stated on the programme that if a buyer for the Nottingham Panthers was not found this week then the club could fold - and also the league could collapse. It was stated that the Superleague was about 2 years ahead of its time in being set up and that the teams in the smaller rinks with less money (eg. Bracknell & Basingstoke) needed high quality players in order to compete - and therefore wages to be paid that are above their means. The Panthers seem to have gone down this road in an attempt to be competitive being 0.25 Million UK Pounds in debt and so have been put up for sale for 0.75 Million UK Pounds. A 2 Million pound investment is the minumum expected to be worthwhile. If no buyer is found the club could be forced into extinction or into the British League. That would leave a Superleague of just 7 teams - too small to be able to sustain meaningful competition. This may being the league to collapse. The General Manager of Nottingham Panthers said that he remained hopeful that the situation would be resolved. Radio 5 Live made no comment or conclusion, they just moved onto the next story. The Nottingham Evening Post reports that an advert for the sale of Nottingham Panthers is in the Financial Times. The directors of the club say they want to widen the net of possible buyers and explore all possible options before they accept any offer. > SUPERLEAGUE FIXTURES DELAYED The Superleague fixtures have been delayed until mid-August due to confusion over the new Cross-Channel Cup competition taking place in the second-half of the season. There were to be two Dutch and two French teams joining the Superleague teams in a cup competition, but the Dutch teams pulled out. It is hoping that two more French teams will join meaning that the competition can be resurrected. If no more teams can be found to take part, the cup will be scrapped and there will be more Superleague fixtures to compensate - it will revert to 3 home and 3 away like last season. Until this is all resolved, no fixtures are being released apart from the B&H games. > WORK PERMITS IN DOUBT The Manchester Evening News reports that some of Storm's new signings are having their positions in UK ice hockey put in doubt after the British Players Association protested about the number of foreign players being allowed into the country to play for UK teams. Work permits are therefore being put on hold until the matter is resolved. This means that Kevin Hoffman, Dominic Maltais, Rick Judson, Troy Neumeier, Jeff Jablonski and netminders Jim Hrivnak and Grant Sjerven have not yet got their permits. Those players who have had their permits confirmed are Kris Miller, all last season's players and Stefan Ketola, Jeff Tomlinson, Mikael Viklander and Dave Morrison all hold Euro passports. > MEET THE PLAYERS NIGHT Just to confirm, the Meet The Players Night at the Nynex Arena on Friday 22 August at 7.30pm (doors open 7.00) where you can see the new shirt, meet the players and Kurt Kleinendorst. The night is exclusive to Stormforce members AND season ticket holders on production of your Stormforce membership card OR your season ticket. > NEW PAGES ON INTO THE STORM In preparation for the start of the new season, there are some new pages added to Into The Storm. Storm Blitz now has its own page from where you can register, unsubscribe or send comments to me. The Fixtures and Results pages are back with a slightly revised look (I've used colour!) - not that there is too much on there until the Superleague fixtures are released. The rest of the site will be updated over the coming weeks. Don't forget if you have any comments that you want other people to see, post them on the Guestbook or preferably the Manchester Storm Message Forum, all linked from the main Into The Storm page. If you want to chat with me on the Web, e-mail me to tell me when you'll be at the Storm Chat room and if I'm available I'll do my best to be there. > DOWNLOAD BACK ISSUES OF STORM BLITZ All previous issues of Storm Blitz are still available. You can download all of the back issues from the Storm Blitz page on Into The Storm. If you do not have Web access, then if you e-mail me, I'll forward the issues that you require to you. > HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE TO STORM BLITZ Easy! Send an e-mail to into.the.storm@poboxes.com telling me that you don't want Storm Blitz any more. Also use this address if you wish to change e-mail addresses or if you have any comments. *** END OF STORM BLITZ ISSUE #50 *** INTO THE STORM can be accessed at: http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/3859/storm.html OR http://www.poboxes.com/into.the.storm