Points deductions upheld, Champions League in jeopardy again

Plzeň 1929, BK Mladá Boleslav, and Vagnerplast Kladno will not get their points back, and the issue that has hung over the 2010-11 Extraliga season like a cloud seems to finally be over, though not to everyone's satisfaction.

At the most recent meeting of the Association of Professional Clubs (APK) this week in the Krkonose town of Špindlerův Mlýn, clubs voted 13 to 1 in favour of bringing the matter to a close, with the lone objection coming from Mladá Boleslav. Suprisingly, even Plzeň delegate Jan Svoboda agreed to accept it, though he resigned his position with the club the next day. This sparked speculation at website hokej.cz that his vote was not popular within the organization, in particular general manager Martin Straka. The club's only comment was that Svoboda had resigned.

Though the matter can't officially be closed, there is no longer any possibility of the points being returned, as any further discussion on the matter won't take place until after the season is finished.

In early November, it came to light that five players on three Extraliga clubs had not been properly registered, and therefore had played ineligibly. On November 19, the APK stripped the three clubs of all points they received in the games where ineligible players competed. Mladá Boleslav lost 22 points, Plzeň 19, and Kladno 6. The three sunk to the bottom of the standings. Within a week, Mladá Boleslav and Plzeň appealed the rulings.

In the two months and change since the ruling, Plzeň has managed to climb out of its precarious position to engage in a battle for the playoffs. Last week they climbed as high as ninth place, though they currently sit in 11th. Neither Mladá Boleslav nor Kladno have shown any real signs of life since.

Martin Adamský. Photo: Lenka Rybaříková, regionycr.cz.

It was speculated that there was more news regarding points deductions, as some irregularities were found in the registration of Oceláři Třinec's Martin Adamský, who was transferred from Plzeň in the off-season. Mladá Boleslav, in particular, was adamant that this situation had to be handled with the same severity that they were shown. However, the APK disagreed, claiming that the registration was completed and it was only a case of the registration form being damaged.

"It was damaged paper, but the evidence and the registration were completed. Both clubs also received notification that Adamský was registered in Třinec," said Ctibor Jech of the APK.

In other news, the APK announced that it may not accept the IIHF's invitation to participate in the 2011-12 edition of the Champions Hockey League. The Czech Extraliga, among the group of the top seven hockey leagues in Europe, has been invited to send its regular-season and playoff champions from the current hockey season. All leagues have until February 17 to accept this invitation. However, there are still unresolved issues regarding the cancellation of the 2009-10 season, and board member Ladislav Blazek said this must first be addressed.

"The resolutions made in previous meetings were confirmed, insofar as all the clubs support Slavia, Plzeň, Karlovy Vary and Pardubice in the case of the old settlement of obligations. This means that in case of pre-existing unsettled obligations, we won't (participate)."

Slavia and Karlovy Vary were the regular-season and playoff champions, respectively, from the Extraliga in 2008-09, which earned them berths in the 09-10 Champions League season before its cancellation. Plzeň and Pardubice won those same titles last season.

Other European leagues also have similar concerns.