THE eagerly-anticipated 2005/06 season in the Elite Ice Hockey League will start on Friday, September 9, with Belfast Giants at home to one of the new teams in the league, Newcastle Vipers.

Following the fixture meeting on June 28 almost all the teams programmes are completed and the new season will include newcomers Edinburgh Capitals and Newcastle Vipers plus all the teams from the 2004/05 season being Basingstoke Bison, Belfast Giants, Cardiff Devils, Coventry Blaze, London Racers, Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers.

"The league consists of nine playing teams spread throughout United Kingdom while Manchester Phoenix are very positively progressing plans for their new venue so as to recommence playing in the 2006/07 season," confirmed League Chairman Eamon Convery. "Furthermore, I believe the new competitive format will add greater interest for the fans."

The league format will consist of all teams playing each other three times both at home and away. The post-season Playoffs will see two groups of four teams fighting out on a single home and away game basis to determine who will reach the playoff final weekend. The groups will comprise the top seven teams in the league plus the winner of a single game between the teams that came 8th and 9th, with that game being played at the home venue of the 8th placed club.

A new element this year will be the Challenge Cup as a stand- alone competition while previously the games were included as part of the league table. Convery confirmed: "There are now three clear and distinct competitions in Elite Ice Hockey being the League, the Playoff's and the Challenge Cup. It is expected that the Challenge Cup semi-finals and finals will be concluded before Christmas."

This year the Challenge Cup will consist of two groups of four teams battling out to see who makes the semi finals. Group A consists of Edinburgh, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield with Group B being Basingstoke, Cardiff, Coventry and London. The teams within each group will play each other once home and away with the top two teams of Group A being matched against the top two teams of Group B in the semi-finals. Due to fixture congestion, the Belfast Giants have opted not to take part in the Challenge Cup.

"I have no doubt that the 2005/06 season will prove to be a major success for the clubs in the Elite League and I am equally certain that the fans will enjoy the extra excitement of the new teams and the new Challenge Cup format," claimed Convery.