Cardiff Devils will 'come back stronger' as 2020-21 Elite Ice Hockey League season suspended
Cardiff Devils managing Director says the club will "come back stronger" after it's been announced the Elite Ice Hockey League has indefinitly suspended the 2020-21 season.
The decision was made on Monday, with all 10 teams deciding that they could not commit to the season starting on December 5 as previously planned.
The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) is the top professional ice hockey league in the UK made up of teams from all 4 of the home countries.
Speaking about the suspension, the league chairman Tony Smith said that it was not an option for the teams to play matches behind closed doors without fans.
"We’ve been very open that we need to have fans back in our arenas for us to begin playing again," he said.
"Government compliance along with the safety of our players, officials, staff and fans is paramount to this decision.
“If government guidance and support were to change, some teams may be ready to revise their plans to return to play and would need a minimum of 8 weeks to prepare.
"We are looking into the possibility of some form of top level ice hockey in the UK potentially taking place in early 2021."
When the 2019/20 season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, Cardiff Devils were first place in the league and looking to win their third title in four years.
The decision to indefinitly suspend the new season, casts doubt on the future of a number of Devils players, but mangaing director Todd Kelman has reassured fans.
Joey Martin, Mark Richardson and Sam Duggan have left for 2020-21 but have pledged to return in 2021-22.
"It is tough but we all saw this coming," he continued.
"The UK ice hockey fan base here is something special. We need to stay positive, starting and having it shut down later on would be worse for teams than not starting at all.
"You might say we been very lucky here in Cardiff that we have usually had the majority of players returning each season. But it isn’t luck. It is because we have built a culture of respect and winning in Cardiff that wasn’t here for a long time.
"To our fans, we will see you when we see you."