SWINDON Wildcats may not face either Telford Tigers or the Manchester Phoenix in this season’s English Premier Ice Hockey League play-offs following a meeting between team representatives last Sunday.

Officials from eight of the 10 EPIHL clubs, which included representation from the Wildcats, but not the Tigers or Phoenix, met with the aim of addressing the impact of organisations falling into financial difficulty.

Earlier this season, 2014-15 regular season champions Telford entered voluntary liquidation amidst debts of £500,000 and last week, Manchester’s future was thrown into doubt after their owner Neil Morris stepped away as a result of financial difficulties.

Their holding company went into liquidation in May last year but a potential investor has asked head coach Tony Hand to prepare a team to travel to the Wildcats this Saturday.

At the meeting, it was unanimously decided that the Tigers and Phoenix will not be invited into the end-of-season play-offs as ‘punishment’ for entering liquidation within the last 12 months.

It was also proposed that in future, clubs entering administration, liquidation or bankruptcy during the course of the season will be placed on the same points as the bottom-placed team at that time, receive an additional 10-point deduction and will also not be issued any further international transfer cards to bring in import players.

Harry Howton, who has been installed as acting EIHPL chairman, said: “Hopefully these measures will ensure that the EPIHL can now be stabilised. I look forward to working with the teams as we develop the league.”

However, before details of Sunday’s meeting were released, league leaders Telford issued a statement regarding their potential exclusion.

It read: “Telford Tigers would like to say they do not accept the proposal to exclude the team from this season’s EPIHL play-offs. The club is in discussions with league representatives to have this exclusion rescinded.

“This proposal is not within the rules of competition for the EPIHL and the league has no power to unilaterally exclude a team, from the play-off competition.

“The rules expressly mandate that the play-off invitations are determined by final league position. Telford Tigers are currently top of the English Premier League.”

Officials also agreed that there would be a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy to hits to the head and dangerous play, to be supported by video evidence where required, which will come into effect from this weekend.

It was also agreed that supplementary discipline can be requested, with the relevant procedures to be communicated to match officials and clubs in due course.