The new Alps League: two proposals for an 18-player tournament on the table

The Unterland Cavaliers and Slavija Junior have applied. Asiago instead is waiting to know if he will play in IceHL

CORTINA.From the possible farewell of Asiago, to the probable arrival of two new teams in the next Alps Hockey League, which ended on Tuesday evening with the triumph of Asiago. Once the season on the ice is over, the next transalpine championship has already begun to take shape. In fact, the league has confirmed that all 16 teams at the start this year have submitted their registrations for next season. But there are two nominations, presented by the Unterland Cavaliers and the Slovenians of the Hokejski Klub Slavija Junior. The board’s decision is expected in the next few days, which would bring the total number of teams at the start of the next championship to 18, provided that Asiago’s candidacy in ICEHL (the old EBEL) is not accepted.

THE NEW TEAMS

The Unterland Cavaliers are a club born in 2019 from the merger of Egna Neumarkt and Auer Ora. A few days ago they won the Italian Hockey League for the first time, defeating Fiemme in the final after a ride to be framed, especially in the second half of the season. After this success, to which two Italian Cups are added, the South Tyrolean company has decided to take the plunge and try the adventure in the Alps.

The Unterlands play in the WurthArena of Egna, capable of hosting 1200 spectators. Would it be a further step of growth for the Italian movement? Opinions on the matter are conflicting and only time will be able to establish it, the fact is that the Italian teams in the Alps could become eight, with the Unterland that would be added to Asiago, Renon, Cortina, Fassa, Gherdeina, Vipiteno and Merano.

Slavija Junior, on the other hand, is a Slovenian team, whose first team went bankrupt in 2018 after winning five league titles. The club has recently been reborn by focusing heavily on the youth sector and plays its home games at the Zalog Ice Hall in Ljubljana. Slavija would thus join Jesenice, becoming the third Slovenian team to participate in the Alps, after Olimpia Ljubljana which has played in ICEHL since last year. The decision now rests with the league which will certainly also take into account the Asiago issue.

ASIAGO WAITING

The Vicenza club, reigning Italian champion, has in fact submitted an application for admission to the ICEHL a few weeks ago. A very important step that requires several sacrifices and requisites. At the moment the biggest problem would be that of the renovation and adaptation of the stadium, an expensive and long-lasting operation. The will of the ICEHL seems to be not to exceed 14 teams, at least for one season, so the Vicenza players should take over in the place of some renouncing.

Also in this case, a definitive response from the league should arrive by May. The Alps could therefore lose another first level player after Val Pusteria and Olimpia Lubiana. At that point, despite the new registrations, would the hypothesis of an Italian championship come back into vogue? Difficult, but not impossible.