France: Ligue Magnus

[Theokritos]

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[Theokritos]

 

[TheWhiskeyThief]

League suspended until 1 December, except games broadcast for television.

 

[AintLifeGrand]

how much are guys in this league making? Is it a viable living for a North American Pro? What is skill level comparable to? How popular is it in France?

 

[SoundAndFury]

how much are guys in this league making? Is it a viable living for a North American Pro? What is skill level comparable to? How popular is it in France?

As with most leagues in Europe parity isn't really a thing there, it applies to salaries too. The highest-paid players get more than the biggest ECHL stars and the same applies to the level. Best teams like Rouen and Grenoble are on par with top ECHL teams. At the bottom of the pile, there are teams who would struggle badly in the ECHL, and players are paid enough to live normal lives but not much else. Playing for such a team should be treated more as an experience/adventure rather than a business decision.

Regarding popularity, top teams play in 3 - 3,5k capacity arenas they manage to sell out. Some teams average less than 1k.

 

[Theokritos]

 

[AintLifeGrand]

Good. Let the boys play

 

[Theokritos]

 

[Theokritos]

 

[FrHockeyFan]

Reviving the thread.

So the Scorpions de Mulhouse are liquidated (again). Debts and cash diverted from the association running minor hockey towards the pro team to balance the books by the previous guys running the club have finally pushed the team over the edge after years of getting fines and points penalties. The association will start everything from scratch again in Division 3 (4th tier).

And so begins the musical chair game. There haven't been many volunteers to join the Ligue Magnus. Since Briançon in 2019, none of the Division 1 champions have been willing to go up and Cergy was only promoted in 2020 to bring back the league to 12 teams after Lyon gave up 2 years before. Since being there, Briançon has been a perennial last place by a large margin and "forced" to make do with the situation. To their credit, they didn't try to outstrech themselves financially.

To go up, Division 1 teams have to apply for it beforehand and show they are ready in terms of finances, infrastructures, club structure and minor hockey. This season, only 2 clubs did so: Nantes and Marseille. The problem is neither reached the playoffs so legitimacy to go up according to results is a bit undermined from the fans' perspective. Worse, Marseille saved their skin only on the last day of the relegation round. However Marseille is the one asked by the FFHG to rise up for the occasion.

The club's home is the largest permanent ice rink in the country with 5,600 seats. This season, the Spartiates topped the championship with close to 3,000 spectators on average but apparently many were freebies. Paying spectators will be necessary to keep the finances afloat in the top flight and, considering the city is not a hockey hotbed, many doubt they will attract enough people, especially for the midweek games. On top of that, Ligue Magnus teams play a 44-game schedule usually on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays) while Division 1's only 26 (mainly on Saturdays).

Finances have been an issue this past season after losing one of their main sponsors due to russian links. This explain the weak roster aligned. But apparently the club has found new backers willing to take a hit in the top division. The number thrown around is 1.6 million which would place them above Nice, Anglet and Briançon but about a third of Grenoble's budget. But nothing is official yet.

Minor hockey is close to non-existent and the club relies heavily on its entente with Gap who lend them a good few players every season. If Marseille was to go up, the Rapaces would probably pull out their players as they wouldn't be able to call them back if needed.

If gaining a place in Olympique de Marseille's shadow wasn't hard enough, the club always had a chip on their shoulders on the French hockey scene as well. The reason? Two men: GM Jonathan Zwickel and HC Luc Tardif Jr., sons of former FFHG president and current IIHF head Luc Tardif. This perceived nepotism combined with Marseille being asked to go up is seen by some as proof the FFHG cares solely about clubs based in large urban area with large rinks (funny as Lyon is only getting out of D3 now). The lack of hardware since the club's creation ten years ago doesn't help their cause either (many consider the 2021 title as worthless).

The club has yet to agree to promotion. They want to make sure everything is in place before jumping up. However the clock is ticking and the players they have under contract don't augur a good season, even at D1 level. So not sure how long that chicken game can really last.

If Marseille is to go up, then someone needs to replace them in D1. Relegated Montpellier doesn't seem wanting to stay up. D2 champion Vaujany is not an option as they are considered Grenoble's reserve team (Ligue Magnus teams cannot line up a reserve in D1) so finalist Meudon is the one who already gained promotion. Semi-finalist and historical club Français Volants can't as they play out of Bercy's basement. Val Vanoise would therefore be the one offered the spot but not sure if they interested or not. Meanwhile, at the other hand, I would imagine one out of Clermont-Ferrand or Wasquehal-Lille do want to stay in D2 if offered the chance.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Reviving the thread.

So the Scorpions de Mulhouse are liquidated (again). Debts and cash diverted from the association running minor hockey towards the pro team to balance the books by the previous guys running the club have finally pushed the team over the edge after years of getting fines and points penalties. The association will start everything from scratch again in Division 3 (4th tier).

And so begins the musical chair game. There haven't been many volunteers to join the Ligue Magnus. Since Briançon in 2019, none of the Division 1 champions have been willing to go up and Cergy was only promoted in 2020 to bring back the league to 12 teams after Lyon gave up 2 years before. Since being there, Briançon has been a perennial last place by a large margin and "forced" to make do with the situation. To their credit, they didn't try to outstrech themselves financially.

To go up, Division 1 teams have to apply for it beforehand and show they are ready in terms of finances, infrastructures, club structure and minor hockey. This season, only 2 clubs did so: Nantes and Marseille. The problem is neither reached the playoffs so legitimacy to go up according to results is a bit undermined from the fans' perspective. Worse, Marseille saved their skin only on the last day of the relegation round. However Marseille is the one asked by the FFHG to rise up for the occasion.

The club's home is the largest permanent ice rink in the country with 5,600 seats. This season, the Spartiates topped the championship with close to 3,000 spectators on average but apparently many were freebies. Paying spectators will be necessary to keep the finances afloat in the top flight and, considering the city is not a hockey hotbed, many doubt they will attract enough people, especially for the midweek games. On top of that, Ligue Magnus teams play a 44-game schedule usually on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays) while Division 1's only 26 (mainly on Saturdays).

Finances have been an issue this past season after losing one of their main sponsors due to russian links. This explain the weak roster aligned. But apparently the club has found new backers willing to take a hit in the top division. The number thrown around is 1.6 million which would place them above Nice, Anglet and Briançon but about a third of Grenoble's budget. But nothing is official yet.

Minor hockey is close to non-existent and the club relies heavily on its entente with Gap who lend them a good few players every season. If Marseille was to go up, the Rapaces would probably pull out their players as they wouldn't be able to call them back if needed.

If gaining a place in Olympique de Marseille's shadow wasn't hard enough, the club always had a chip on their shoulders on the French hockey scene as well. The reason? Two men: GM Jonathan Zwickel and HC Luc Tardif Jr., sons of former FFHG president and current IIHF head Luc Tardif. This perceived nepotism combined with Marseille being asked to go up is seen by some as proof the FFHG cares solely about clubs based in large urban area with large rinks (funny as Lyon is only getting out of D3 now). The lack of hardware since the club's creation ten years ago doesn't help their cause either (many consider the 2021 title as worthless).

The club has yet to agree to promotion. They want to make sure everything is in place before jumping up. However the clock is ticking and the players they have under contract don't augur a good season, even at D1 level. So not sure how long that chicken game can really last.

If Marseille is to go up, then someone needs to replace them in D1. Relegated Montpellier doesn't seem wanting to stay up. D2 champion Vaujany is not an option as they are considered Grenoble's reserve team (Ligue Magnus teams cannot line up a reserve in D1) so finalist Meudon is the one who already gained promotion. Semi-finalist and historical club Français Volants can't as they play out of Bercy's basement. Val Vanoise would therefore be the one offered the spot but not sure if they interested or not. Meanwhile, at the other hand, I would imagine one out of Clermont-Ferrand or Wasquehal-Lille do want to stay in D2 if offered the chance.

Seems like a real mess. Perhaps a reduction to 10 teams would be better.

 

[FrHockeyFan]

Seems like a real mess. Perhaps a reduction to 10 teams would be better.

Well, the FFHG and/or the Ligue Magnus clubs seem hell bent on not contracting the league or adapt its format to keep a similar number of games.

French hockey does face many challenges. It has always been and will always be a minor sport in the country. It is expensive, not environmentally friendly and people still think it is for goons only so it is difficult to attract new players.

Mediatization is pretty terrible. Every game is available through Fanseat but the platform does a crap job and many have cancelled their subscription. So that leaves the odd game on a minor tv channel dedicated to French sport. Fanseat also holds the broadcasting rights for French NT games and still somehow botched the WC streams despite only having to link them up. When mentioned in mainstream media, the sport is more often than not reported with plenty of mistakes, showing the complete lack of interest from journalists. And almost nobody outside hockey is aware of the 2017 WC in Paris. So hearing about France being potentially candidate to host the 2028 WC, either alone or with the UK, doesn't excite anyone.

While some complain about the NA's perceived obsession with large cities, they forget only one really matters in France, not that anyone likes to admit it. One just has to see the impact the Stade Français and its president's gimmicks did 25 years ago to rugby union's popularity. Few back then would have thought it possible to organise a World Cup in major stadia spread all over the country. But the capital city is the very one that doesn't have a decent rink, not like the bar is particularly high. The lack of a Paris-based team in the league is definitely not helping in getting the media's attention. Travelling to Cergy's Aren'Ice from the middle of Paris sounds like an expedition (40 minutes on RER A followed by a 22 minutes walk). So someone from the other side of town won't be inclined to go there. The Français Volants play out of Bercy's training rink and therefore can't seriously think of getting out of Division 2, even if they are one of the better teams. ACBB, who once upon a time was a three-time Spengler Cup winner, doesn't have much ambition at the moment and its rink is as old as those titles. Potential in building a fanbase in the Paris area is pretty high. There are plenty of clubs and rinks in the region (albeit most are from the post-1968 Winter OG building rush). The recreational championship, sometimes nicknamed D4, includes 31 teams from Ile-de-France out of 72, on top of the 11 that play competitive hockey. But Cergy is the only one with the means. However the Jokers are also on shaky grounds.

French sport financing model, including top-flight football teams, relies heavily on public subsidies. Mulhouse was to get 300k from the city on top of what they would have gotten from the urban area council, the département and the region. But local authorities are feeling the pinch like anyone else so those are likely to be reduced, amid competition from other local clubs. Sponsors don't necessarily line up for a sport that attracts about 1, 000 fans in some places. And the pandemic has put most clubs on the backfoot.

Infrastructure is not great either. Rinks are usually owned and run by city councils and shared with skating clubs and local schools, plus public skating hours. Some have invested in new ones in recent years, with secondary ice in some cases (Marseille, Gap, Cergy, Angers). But others are starting to show their age (a pretty big hole on Rouen's Ile-Lacroix's ice forced this year's finals' game 3 to be rescheduled) while others are ancient like Chamonix or Anglet (mind you, the beach literally on the doorstep looks pretty awesome!). You also have the odd one in Nice on the 4th floor of an ageing sports complex, with floor to ceiling bay windows overlooking the city on one side and below a swimming pool. And it's pretty much the same in Division 1 with Epinal and Dunkerque being the only ones with recent sizeable rinks.

And you have the culture. The French always have had a weird love/hate relationship with pro sports. And the lower you get, the more amateurish the attitude gets. Valentin Claireaux was pretty critical comparing to what he got used to abroad when he decided last season to come back in France to be closer to his family. And we are talking about Rouen!

French hockey is currently walking a thin line in trying to get professional. But its place in the pecking order makes it very difficult. Separating pro teams from their minor hockey is definitely an improvement. Mulhouse still has a club and doesn't have to build everything back from the grounds up. Rinks are often enough full on the weekends, midweek games being another story in some cases. Even at lower levels, games can attract fans in drove in some places. Foreign players coming into the league are of a better caliber than 10-15 years ago when signing from the LNAH or the Czech's third tier was pretty normal.

Only time will tell if the league, and the sport at large, will weather through. But if it doesn't, hard to see what the bigger clubs of Rouen, Grenoble or Angers can do to keep up the level in accordance with their investments. Unlike Italian clubs, they don't have an ICE HL to fall back onto.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Well, the FFHG and/or the Ligue Magnus clubs seem hell bent on not contracting the league or adapt its format to keep a similar number of games.

French hockey does face many challenges. It has always been and will always be a minor sport in the country. It is expensive, not environmentally friendly and people still think it is for goons only so it is difficult to attract new players.

Mediatization is pretty terrible. Every game is available through Fanseat but the platform does a crap job and many have cancelled their subscription. So that leaves the odd game on a minor tv channel dedicated to French sport. Fanseat also holds the broadcasting rights for French NT games and still somehow botched the WC streams despite only having to link them up. When mentioned in mainstream media, the sport is more often than not reported with plenty of mistakes, showing the complete lack of interest from journalists. And almost nobody outside hockey is aware of the 2017 WC in Paris. So hearing about France being potentially candidate to host the 2028 WC, either alone or with the UK, doesn't excite anyone.

While some complain about the NA's perceived obsession with large cities, they forget only one really matters in France, not that anyone likes to admit it. One just has to see the impact the Stade Français and its president's gimmicks did 25 years ago to rugby union's popularity. Few back then would have thought it possible to organise a World Cup in major stadia spread all over the country. But the capital city is the very one that doesn't have a decent rink, not like the bar is particularly high. The lack of a Paris-based team in the league is definitely not helping in getting the media's attention. Travelling to Cergy's Aren'Ice from the middle of Paris sounds like an expedition (40 minutes on RER A followed by a 22 minutes walk). So someone from the other side of town won't be inclined to go there. The Français Volants play out of Bercy's training rink and therefore can't seriously think of getting out of Division 2, even if they are one of the better teams. ACBB, who once upon a time was a three-time Spengler Cup winner, doesn't have much ambition at the moment and its rink is as old as those titles. Potential in building a fanbase in the Paris area is pretty high. There are plenty of clubs and rinks in the region (albeit most are from the post-1968 Winter OG building rush). The recreational championship, sometimes nicknamed D4, includes 31 teams from Ile-de-France out of 72, on top of the 11 that play competitive hockey. But Cergy is the only one with the means. However the Jokers are also on shaky grounds.

French sport financing model, including top-flight football teams, relies heavily on public subsidies. Mulhouse was to get 300k from the city on top of what they would have gotten from the urban area council, the département and the region. But local authorities are feeling the pinch like anyone else so those are likely to be reduced, amid competition from other local clubs. Sponsors don't necessarily line up for a sport that attracts about 1, 000 fans in some places. And the pandemic has put most clubs on the backfoot.

Infrastructure is not great either. Rinks are usually owned and run by city councils and shared with skating clubs and local schools, plus public skating hours. Some have invested in new ones in recent years, with secondary ice in some cases (Marseille, Gap, Cergy, Angers). But others are starting to show their age (a pretty big hole on Rouen's Ile-Lacroix's ice forced this year's finals' game 3 to be rescheduled) while others are ancient like Chamonix or Anglet (mind you, the beach literally on the doorstep looks pretty awesome!). You also have the odd one in Nice on the 4th floor of an ageing sports complex, with floor to ceiling bay windows overlooking the city on one side and below a swimming pool. And it's pretty much the same in Division 1 with Epinal and Dunkerque being the only ones with recent sizeable rinks.

And you have the culture. The French always have had a weird love/hate relationship with pro sports. And the lower you get, the more amateurish the attitude gets. Valentin Claireaux was pretty critical comparing to what he got used to abroad when he decided last season to come back in France to be closer to his family. And we are talking about Rouen!

French hockey is currently walking a thin line in trying to get professional. But its place in the pecking order makes it very difficult. Separating pro teams from their minor hockey is definitely an improvement. Mulhouse still has a club and doesn't have to build everything back from the grounds up. Rinks are often enough full on the weekends, midweek games being another story in some cases. Even at lower levels, games can attract fans in drove in some places. Foreign players coming into the league are of a better caliber than 10-15 years ago when signing from the LNAH or the Czech's third tier was pretty normal.

Only time will tell if the league, and the sport at large, will weather through. But if it doesn't, hard to see what the bigger clubs of Rouen, Grenoble or Angers can do to keep up the level in accordance with their investments. Unlike Italian clubs, they don't have an ICE HL to fall back onto.

Maybe a merge then with another league...Not that is solves everything but could allow the league to run with less teams and perhaps have a decent 2nd division.

 

[FrHockeyFan]

Maybe a merge then with another league...Not that is solves everything but could allow the league to run with less teams and perhaps have a decent 2nd division.

Not many options there...

Improving Division 1 so as to reduce the gap with the Ligue Magnus would be a big step. But there is already not enough clubs strong enough to hold it up smoothly in the top division. So not gonna happen anytime soon.

Otherwise Marseille has been officially promoted for the upcoming season. Next stage is the accounts review for everyone to see who gets what penalty...

 

[FrHockeyFan]

So the FFHG held its AGM last weekend and the clubs voted a few competition reforms planned for the 2024-2025 season.

- Division 1 will go from 14 to 16 teams to increase the number of games. There were many ways to improve that championship. Not sure that was necessarily a good one.
- Division 3 will be restructured so as to limit travel distance while guaranteeing a 16-game schedule.
- Junior leagues will go back to the old U22 and U18 format (currently U20 and U17 since 2016).
- Creation of 3v3 competitions. The idea is to help clubs not having access to standard size rinks to compete and help promote the sport in the country.

 

[FrHockeyFan]

Nikita Scherbak (yep, he is still playing) signed for one year with Ducs d'Angers.

 

[FrHockeyFan]

First round of clubs bookkeeping reviews has been released.

Cergy has not been validated. It doesn't mean that it's over yet for the team sharing the facilities with the FFHG. 4 clubs have been validated so far (Amiens, Anglet, Chamonix and Rouen). 3 are still under review (Bordeaux, Gap and Grenoble). The rest have been asked additional informations.

In Division 1, 6 clubs are through (Caen, Dunkerque, Meudon, Morzine-Avoriaz, Neuilly-sur-Marne and Strasbourg). 6 have been asked additional informations, including reigning champion Epinal and finalist Tours. Nantes not validated.

Communiqué CNSCG du 11 juillet 2023 - FFHG • Site fédéral

A l’issue de sa réunion du 7 juillet 2023, la Commission nationale de suivi et de contrôle de gestion a rendu ses résultats concernant l’étude des dossiers financiers des […]

www.hockeyfrance.com

 

[FrHockeyFan]

Second round of the financials reviews. Only Cergy still has to be confirmed. The new wording "non validable" (not able to validate) has confused quite a few French hockey fans.

In Division 1, Chambéry and Nantes still has to confirmed. Roanne, who is considered the favorite to replace Marseille still not confirmed in Division 2.

Communiqué CNSCG du 13 juillet 2023 - FFHG • Site fédéral

A l’issue de sa réunion du 13 juillet 2023, la Commission nationale de suivi et de contrôle de gestion a rendu ses résultats concernant l’étude des dossiers financiers des […]

www.hockeyfrance.com

 

[FrHockeyFan]

So Cergy is making the cut for Ligue Magnus play but gets 6 points penalty and another 3 suspended.

Same goes for Nantes in Division 1. In the end, Valenciennes are the ones taking over Marseille's spot.

Meanwhile in Division 2, HCMP (formerly Val Vanoise) have appealed the decision of not being confirmed. Still doesn't stop them to announce a pretty strong roster. Clermont takes over the spot vacated by Valenciennes.

 

[AlexanderSemin21]

Real surprised to see Nikita Scherbak joining this league

 

[FrHockeyFan]

Real surprised to see Nikita Scherbak joining this league

Well a few reasons...

Firstly, he is Russian. This has closed quite a few doors. He had to leave Czechia midway through last season due to visa issues. And last month, the government there has officially banned Russians athletes from competing in the country. He stated himself he is not interested in playing in the KHL, considering the current situation. Even if small, French hockey has seen an increase in the number of Russian and Belarusian players over the last few years, though most of them don't leave a memorable mark.

Secondly, lifestyle. He is tired of changing teams all the time and be constantly away from his growing family and was looking ideally for a French speaking place (his wife is from Quebec). He was apparently in talks with Trois-Rivières Lions from the ECHL back in spring. In the end, he lands in Angers, one of France's top teams.

Still feels surreal but he seems happy with that choice.

 

[FrHockeyFan]

Regular season is over.


As expected, the Big 3 are still dominating, the Dragons being the ones taking the Trophée Jacques Lacarrière home. Bordeaux takes best of the rest title. Despite joining late, Marseille went above and beyond anyone would have thought them capable. Amiens is where Amiens is supposed to be. Even starting the season with -6 points, Cergy made the playoffs easily enough. Nice snatches its second top flight postseason spot in its history on the last day at Chamonix's expense. Anglet is where Anglet is supposed to be. Briançon not last, it's been a while. However, huge disappointment from their neighbours from Gap.

Awards ceremony was held today:

- Best scorer (Trophée Charles Ramsay) : Alexandre Lavoie (Grenoble), 57 pts (15g/42a)
- Best French player (Trophée Albert Hassler) : Anthony Rech (Rouen)
- Best goaltender (Trophée Jean Ferrand) : Marek Čiliak (Marseille)
- Best forward (Trophée Philippe Bozon) : Anthony Rech (Rouen)
- Best defenseman (Trophée Denis Perez) : Florian Chakiachvili (Rouen)
- Fair-play team (Trophée Marcel Claret) : Nice
- Best rookie (Trophée Jean-Pierre Graff) : Quentin Tomasino (Rouen)
- Best head coach (Trophée Camil Gélinas) : Luc Tardif Jr. (Marseille)

Postseason kicks off next Friday. All rounds are best-of-7 in a 2-2-1-1-1 format with best ranked team hosting first.

- Rouen vs Nice
- Angers vs Cergy
- Grenoble vs Amiens
- Bordeaux vs Marseille

Bottom 4 play a relegation round in a double round robin format, keeping all their points from regular season. The team finishing last is (in theory) relegated to Division 1.

 

[FrHockeyFan]

Quick recap before the Magnus Cup finals kick off.

There was one big upset in the quarter-finals with 7th seed Cergy eliminating 2nd seed Angers in 6 games. The Jokers were particularly strong on home ice on their way to the semifinals for the third year in a row. For Angers, it is again a huge disappointment as they seemed once again ready to finally fight for that elusive first league title.

Grenoble and Rouen didn't face such problems as they cruised by respectively against Amiens in 4 and Nice in 5 games.

The last series meanwhile went all the way to OT in Game 7. Marseille thought they had all the cards in hand as they travelled home for Game 6 following a SO win. But Bordeaux shut them out in front of a boiling crowd. The Boxers would seal the deal through their captain Maxime Legault. For the Spartiates, this first season in top flight is a success, as much on the ice than off. The club won both the marketing and the environmental action within the community awards. They now hold the highest average attendance in the league with 4,033 spectators (72% capacity). And there is now some serious talks about an outdoor game at the 67,394-seat Stade Vélodrome.

The semifinals were again too much for Cergy as Rouen swept them without mercy, the Jokers being outscored 23-6.

48 hours was all Bordeaux had before getting back to it while Grenoble was off for 9 days. And the Boxers kept the rhythm going. Hosting the first two games due scheduling issues at the Meriadeck rink, Bordeaux took a strong start. The Brûleurs de Loups thought they were going to come back during the 3 home games stretch but it was not to be as Bordeaux qualified for its first ever finals in 5 games. For Grenoble, it is the end of a rather bad season which includes that disastrous Continental Cup tournament at home. Casting errors for the foreign contingent, veterans out of their depths, younger players were often the brighter stars. Yet, they will be back playing European hockey next season as they won the French Cup back in January, giving their ticket to the Continental Cup.

The finals begin this Friday at 8.30pm CEST in Rouen. The Dragons are looking to retain the Coupe Magnus which would their 18th. The Boxers will challenge to bring the trophy for the first time in the South West of the country. 3 Rouen players top the playoffs scoring board with Alexandre Mallet (5+9), Christophe Boivin (8+5) and Francis Hardy-Perron (6+7). They are followed by 3 Boxers, 21 year-old Enzo Carry leading them (3+10) while Dman Kevin Spinozzi scored 7 goals and 3 assist so far. Games will be available on Sport en France.

Le Direct - Sport en France

www.sportenfrance.com

Schedule
Game 1 on Friday 5th at 8.30pm CEST,
Game 2 on Saturday 6th at 9pm CEST,
Game 3 on Tuesday 9th at 8.30pm CEST,
Game 4 on Wednesday 10th at 8.30pm CEST,
Game 5 on Saturday 13th at 8.30pm CEST,
Game 6 on Monday 15th at 8.30pm CEST,
Game 7 on Wednesday 17th at 9pm CEST.

In the relegation round, Chamonix and Anglet quickly secured their spot. The Basque club is however in financial difficulties after an important sponsor left them a couple of months ago. The Hautes-Alpes clubs battled to the end and finally ended level on points, Gap edging Briançon in games between them with 5 wins to 1.

The Diables Rouges must now wait the end of the Division 1 playoffs to know if they go down or not as the second tier champion must have applied and been approved to gain promotion, which seems not to have happened in ages. However there hasn't been anything official about who did make an application. In the best-of-5 semifinals, the Corsaires de Nantes are leading 2-1 over the other Corsaires, but those from Dunkerque. Meanwhile the surprising Éléphants de Chambéry are on the verge of eliminating reigning champions the Wildcats d'Épinal.

Of those four clubs, Épinal is the most likely to try going up. Dunkerque is considering as well but will likely wait for their rink to be expanded as promised by the city council after they reached the French Cup final, losing to Grenoble 7-5 in a soldout Accor Arena in Paris. Nantes did apply last season but were not considered when Mulhouse's spot needed to be filled after their bankruptcy. And with their ruin of a barn, they would look ridiculous, even by the low standards you can find in some places. Being Grenoble's farm team, Chambéry would not apply as they wouldn't be able to afford it anyway.