British ice hockey's Superleague suffered another blow on Thursday when the Scottish Eagles pulled out because of financial problems.

The Eagles are the second club to have withdrawn from the league in the space of a week after Manchester Storm's withdrawal on Tuesday.

On Monday, the management of the Eagles advised their players to look for new clubs after three days of negotiations failed to come up with a rescue plan.

The Braehead-based side had been forced to cancel two league games but now the curtain has come down on ice hockey in Glasgow.

The Eagles' problems mean there are now just five teams left in the Superleague while the Belfast Giants will now take the Eagles' place in the Challenge Cup semi-finals.

Administration Officer Brian Storey said: "Clearly it is a further blow to the ISL.

"To lose two clubs in a week would make any league fragile - and we certainly are.

"But on the positive side the remaining five clubs have given us assurances they will see out the remainder of the season."

The Superleague play-offs have also been restructured and will now see the five remaining clubs playing each other twice home and away.

The top four sides will go through to the play-off finals weekend in early April.

With first choice netminder Ryan Bach out injured for the next month,

Meanwhile, Eagles' net-minder Mark Cavallin is back with the Giants.

Coach Dave Whistle has brought in Cavallin as temporary cover and he will join Colin Ryder on the bench for the Continental Cup in just over a week's time at the Odyssey Arena.

Cavallin, the first player Whistle signed for the fledgling Giants back in the summer of 2000, returns to the club he won the league championship with last season.