Scottish Ice Hockey has been made aware of the official statement published by Aberdeen Lynx on social media on Sunday, 23rd June.

The board is disappointed that having established a workable structure for the 2019/20 Scottish National League (SNL) season, Aberdeen have issued a misleading press release.

Lynx posted a statement on social media back in April that the club was withdrawing from the SNL. The SIH board were unhappy with the decision and the rationale given for doing so.

Discussions subsequently took place between Ice Hockey UK chairman Richard Grieveson, SIH-UK and Aberdeen, with a view to reaching a positive outcome that was acceptable to all parties.

Aberdeen subsequently attended an SNL meeting called to discuss possible rule changes and formalise selected aspects of the 2019/20 season.

This included draws for the Scottish Cup and Stuart Robertson Cup, both of which included Aberdeen for the upcoming campaign. Had the club indicated differently, these draws would have been unable to proceed.

This was a clear indicator to both the SIH board and the other member clubs that Aberdeen would be taking their place in the SNL next term.

The club were represented at the Annual General Meeting on Sunday, during which the board confirmed its intention to step down at the end of the 2019/20 season, regardless of the outcome of the ongoing UK-wide governance dialogue.

However, this announcement was in no way linked to Aberdeen’s participation in the league and no representations were made by the club to this effect during the meeting.

SIH chairman, David Hand, said: “The board is extremely disappointed that Aberdeen Lynx have sought to paint a public picture that is factually incorrect.

“The club clearly indicated ahead of the AGM that they would be playing in the SNL next season. This is highlighted by their involvement in the cup draws and we were happy to facilitate this for the benefit of the league and its member clubs.

“We wish to make it clear that the board’s decision to step down next year was announced after Aberdeen were welcomed back into the fold and is completely unrelated to the club’s status within the SNL.

“As communicated to the clubs during the meeting, the SIH treasurer will remain in post to ensure the smooth financial transition to a new governance structure at the end of the upcoming season.

“To be 100 percent clear, the existing board structure will be in place for the coming season and we now wish to move on and deliver a great 2019/20 campaign.”