The Abu Dhabi Hockey League ready for the 2024/25 season

Months of sweeting in shady gyms and honing skills during dryland training, the players are ready to hit the ice and compete for the prestigious Grover Cup. The new season comes with some changes. The Oryx have been sold to conglomerate of wealthy Emiratis and are renamed to the UAE 71's to honor the country's birthday and represent all of the local fans. After his release from a Canadian gulag in the Northwest Territories where he served a 10-month sentence of selling fake poutine in Montreal, William 'Wild Bill' Mellanby was signed as the new captain and immediately promised his new bosses to defend the Grover Cup. 

All teams have agreed to increase the team salary cap from $75.69 (equivalent to 278 AED), to a whopping $136.13 (equivalent to 500 AED), which should help to attract more talent to the premier hockey league of the Gulf region. League president Ali Kaddas signed the agreement last week, making the Abu Dhabi Hockey League the most lucrative league within a 10 mile radius. 

What is the Grover Cup?

The Grover Cup is one of the most prestigious sports trophy to win, and only the champions of the Abu Dhabi Hockey League are allowed to lift the heavy cup over their heads. Sports experts argue that the Grover Cup is one of the highly distinguished trophies in the world, along with the FIFA World Cup, the Stanley Cup, or the Wimbledon Trophy. Made from pure steel, the Grover is not only heavier than the Stanley Cup, it is also shiner, more beautifully designed, and harder to win. In its long history, the Godfathers have won the most Grover Cup championships, but weren't able to call themselves a dynasty as the Abu Dhabi Oryx with star players Connor Doherty and Aleksi Hirvonen ripped the trophy out of Guillaume Laberge's hands.