Fife Flyers: an empty dressing-room and a waiting game for fans as season ends

The ‘for sale’ sign put up above the door in February is still hanging there as talks go on with possible buyers.

With Non Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) in place for all parties involved in the process, there have been no formal updates, and there is little the club can say publicly until a deal is done and due diligence has been completed.

But the team’s immediate future is the only topic of discussion rinkside, with fans hoping that there will be hockey next season.

Anyone buying the team has to do a deal quickly to ensure the club has a berth in any league before it starts to draw up its fixtures for 2025-26- that’s a tight turn around, and the option of deferring the club’s EIHL franchise for two seasons is on the table. That could mean mothballing the club for 2025-26, returning again for the 2026-27 season - the worst possible scenario for fans.

I understand the club is only considering bidders interested in keeping the team in the Elite League, and that there are two possible consortiums in talks.

No names have been publicly confirmed, but they include sponsors and long-standing interested businessmen, as well as at least two names who are well known as part of rival EIHL teams.

That also means that former player Lee Mercer’s plan to switch to the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) has been discarded. The move would have opened the door to a more BNL-style of competition, but, with the exception of Solway Sharks, the league is wholly based in England, and would need to restructure into north-south conferences.

The negotiations also mean a very different end to the season. The week following the final game is usually a busy one for the coaching staff as they host exit interviews with each player, and sort out who they want back, and find out who is moving on or hanging up their skates.

With no indication of a direction of travel, or confirmed ownership, all of that is, effectively, on hold, although coach Johnny Curran will give his feedback to any players who want it.

Without exception, the players are also departing town immediately after Monday’s farewell event at the rink - some straight to North America, others for a holiday before returning home.