EIHL: two coaches depart and a familiar face returns for 2024-25 season

Already two coaches have departed, and a familiar face has returned for the 2024-25 campaign which is some five months away.

Glasgow Clan moved quickly to draw a very firm line under a poor season which saw them finish tenth. The new era hoped for on the back of new owners simply didn’t materialise despite a hefty budget and ambitions of being a challenging team.

Clan suffered some dreadful defeats and coughed more goals than any other team in the league as they tumbled down the standings to last place for the first time.

Jeff Battah was the first to go, with the assistant coach announcing he was to pastures new in Europe. Head coach Jason Morgan quickly followed as he parted company with the team after just one season in charge. The fact his successor was announced the very same day suggests there has been much work going on behind the scenes.

Corey Neilson’s return was warmly welcomed, and it will be interesting to see what impact he makes on his return to the EIHL.

He was a big hit at Nottingham Panthers, where he played and coached between 2006 and 2018, winning an Elite League title, seven Challenge Cups and five play-off crowns, completing a Grand Slam in 2013 plus an IIHF Continental Cup in 2017. He also led Nottingham to the knockout stages of the Champions Hockey League in 2018.

He didn’t come close to matching that success in his European travels - he coached in Germany, Norway and Slovakia - and put that down to not being able to sign his own rosters, which he will have control over at Clan, other than the already announced returnees Charlie Combs, Mike Pelech and Rob Lachowicz.

Neilson has spoken of a desire to show “a ferocious amount of competitiveness” but underlined it with: “Everything starts with good people and those who can emotionally handle the highs and lows of a tough schedule. “

Neilson’s return came just before Nottingham announced the departure of coach Jonathan Paredes after the most difficult season imaginable.

The Frenchmen was praised for the way he held the club together after the tragic death of player Adam Johnson, and for steering them through the rest of the campaign while dealing with their grief. That Panthers remained in contention for a play-off spot until the final weekend only underlined the incredible bonds forged in the dressing-room in the most traumatic of circumstances.

Parades plans to work in Europe next season and be closer to his family.