91Èȱ¬

First things first. If you're new to ice hockey in the UK, the two biggest leagues are the and the (usually shortened to EPL).

The Elite League is the better-known and better-attended of the two. Its teams are, for the most part, based in bigger cities like , and , and it attracts stronger foreign players.

However, that doesn't necessarily make it more fun to watch. Personally, I prefer the EPL. To my mind it's a bit grittier, there's more variety (there are 10 teams, to the Elite League's eight), and some of the finest players ever to have played hockey in Britain are leading several of the top teams.

Teams play each other six times between now and April, resulting in a 54-game season (plus the play-offs for the top eight teams), and there is no such thing as promotion or relegation - finances and spending-power, as much as anything, determine which teams play in which league.

Hockey teams here sometimes suffer a precarious existence, not least because owners of uncertain integrity seem to crop up more often than is healthy, but also because it's an expensive sport to maintain, especially if attendances dip in a recession.

Happily, that does also mean it's rare for teams to "buy the league". Last season both the league title and the play-offs - the sport's traditional season finale, which are arguably more important than the league - were by no means foregone conclusions, and this season the league is even less predictable.

That's because two weak teams have gone, and two very strong teams have joined. The and have made the move from the Elite League, preferring the less costly climes of the EPL, and they will start the season as joint favourites in my book.

I saw the Bison beat in their final pre-season friendly last weekend and, even though they'd barely trained, "the Herd" looked like a force to be reckoned with. It's almost like someone has come in and picked an EPL all-star team. They should provide plenty of entertainment.

Most of the reason for their strength is , their new player-coach. The wily Canadian, now well into his 40s, is a legend of British ice hockey and still one of the finest players you'll see. His reputation is such that top players were calling him asking to join the Bison once he'd been put in charge.

Going up against Moria is one of few players who can rival, if not exceed him in the legend stakes. is British ice hockey, with hundreds upon hundreds of games under his belt, not to mention being picked by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1986 NHL entry draft - even if he didn't make it onto the ice for them.

Hand is now player-coach of the Manchester Phoenix. They, like Basingstoke, are a big team new to the EPL, and the two teams face each other on the opening day.

With Moria and Hand in charge, these two teams ought to prosper, but established EPL sides like and (last season's league and play-off champions) stand in their way.

It promises to be exciting and if you live near an EPL team, it'd be well worth your while getting to a game. Here's my quick team-by-team rundown:

BASINGSTOKE BISON
91Èȱ¬ ice: Planet Ice, Leisure Park, Basingstoke, RG22 6PG
Tickets: £9.90, U16s £5.50, concessions £7 ()
Player-coach: Steve Moria (right) - Canadian who made UK hockey his home, becoming one of the British game's most respected and talented players.
Verdict: Basingstoke are bursting at the seams with experience, as well as flair players like Moria and Joe Ciccarello. Should be exciting to watch and will expect to challenge for honours.

BRACKNELL BEES
91Èȱ¬ ice: John Nike Leisuresport Complex (dubbed "The Hive"), Bracknell, RG12 8TN
Tickets: £9.95, U16s £4.50 ()
Player-coach: Claude Dumas - highly-respected forward in UK hockey since 1990, joined from Telford, who dropped out of the EPL in the summer.
Verdict: Bracknell nearly folded over the summer but have made it to financial safety, a relief as they're a popular team with plenty of history. But the time lost getting money together means they've had to piece together a side from other teams' leftovers.

GUILDFORD FLAMES
91Èȱ¬ ice: The Spectrum, Parkway, Guildford, GU1 1UP
Tickets: £8.50-£8.95, U16s £4.95-£5.95, concessions £5.50-£6.50 ()
Player-coach: Paul Dixon - long-term servant of the Flames who won the league in his first season in charge two years ago.
Verdict: Guildford have traditionally been one of the EPL's strongest teams. Top forward Nathan Rempel is an excellent summer signing but their season comes down to how they perform against the league's two new big boys.

MANCHESTER PHOENIX
91Èȱ¬ ice: Altrincham Ice Dome, Altrincham, WA15 8EW
Tickets: £12, U16s £6, concessions £9 ()
Player-coach: Tony Hand - former NHL draft pick, the biggest name in British ice hockey and capable of tearing some EPL defences apart.
Verdict: Phoenix have an exceptionally powerful forward line - watch out for names like Ed Courtenay and Andre Payette - but in truth it's hard to find a weak link in the team, which includes top young British netminder Steve Fone.

MILTON KEYNES LIGHTNING
91Èȱ¬ ice: Planet Ice, Leisure Plaza, Milton Keynes, MK9 1BL
Tickets: £10, U16s £5, concessions £6.50 ()
Player-coach: Nick Poole - has led the Lightning since the team were formed in 2002, winning two league titles and four play-offs.
Verdict: MK were something of a surprise package last season, finishing second behind Peterborough, but they'll have their work cut out to reproduce that this time around. Finnish forward Andre Smulter stood out for me last year as one to watch.

PETERBOROUGH PHANTOMS
91Èȱ¬ ice: Peterborough Arena, 1 Mallard Road, Peterborough, PE3 8YN
Tickets: £10, U16s £5.50, concessions £6.50 ()
Coach: Doug Irwin - joined over the summer having previously coached in Germany and Italy. Tough job on his hands replacing treble-winning coach Colin Patterson.
Verdict: Expect Peterborough to fade away a little this season. Last season's team to beat have lost ace forward Nathan Rempel and, while still no pushovers, haven't really strengthened and don't look the same force on paper.

ROMFORD RAIDERS
91Èȱ¬ ice: Romford Ice Rink, Rom Valley Way, Romford, RM7 0AE
Tickets: £10, U16s and concessions £6 ()
Coach: Jesse Hammill - made his name in British hockey in Peterborough, worked miracles at Romford on taking over in January last season.
Verdict: Hammill's arrival saw Romford transform overnight from whipping boys into a team capable of beating anyone. However, the team had a troubled summer off the ice and lost key players like towering defender Jan Krajicek. Hammill has his work cut out this season.

SHEFFIELD SCIMITARS
91Èȱ¬ ice: iceSheffield, Coleridge Road, Sheffield, S9 5DA
Tickets: £8.50, U16s £4, concessions £6 ()
Coach: Jon Rowbotham - former Scimitars academy head who has stepped up to fill the shoes of talismanic Sheffield hockey star Ron Shudra.
Verdict: Rowbotham is untested and has struggled to attract names to the Scims this summer, living as they are in the shadow of better-known Elite League side the Steelers. It will be interesting to see what his young Sheffield side can produce.

SLOUGH JETS
91Èȱ¬ ice: Absolute Ice (dubbed "The Hangar"), Montem Lane, Slough, SL1 2QG
Tickets: £9.50, U16s £5, concessions £6.50 ()
Coach: Peter Russell - left local rivals Bracknell to take over at Slough, bringing a number of his old team with him.
Verdict: A host of top players followed Steve Moria from Slough to Basingstoke and, while the Jets have held on to some good players like Michael Bowman (right) and Blaz Emersic and patched up the gaps, it's difficult to see them breaking into the top five this season.

SWINDON WILDCATS
91Èȱ¬ ice: The Link Centre, Whitehill Way, West Swindon, SN5 7DL
Tickets: £11, U16s and students £5.50, concessions £8 ()
Player-coach: Ryan Aldridge - highly experienced at this level, entering his first full season in charge.
Verdict: Bringing in Jan Krajicek, one of the league's top defenders, was an excellent piece of business over the summer. Swindon will be relying on Krajicek since otherwise they still look short on numbers and experience at the back.

Live audio coverage this season will come from Bracknell, the only rink in the league with the broadcast facilities we need, but we'll be going to games across the country to file reports, and every team will get on air at some point. You can too, or for updates.

Our first game on air is Bracknell Bees v Milton Keynes, on Sunday, 20 September from 1745 BST. There are more details on our , which also explains how to get the latest on your team from the 91Èȱ¬'s local newsrooms.

I hope you enjoy the season and, if you can't make a game, it'll be good to have you tuning in.