The Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation (NIHF) has decided not to grant Comet IK a license to Get-Ligaen 2009/10. If the decision is upheld, Get-Ligaen 2009/10 will be reduced to nine teams and the schedule of the regular season reduced from 45 to 40 games.

On its meeting on 9th June, the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation (NIHF) decided not grant Comet IK of Halden a license to Get-Ligaen 2009/10. The background for the decision is Comet's longstanding financial problems. Prior to the 2005/06 season, Comet had a negative equity of NOK195,000, and the NIHF gave the club three years to reach eliminate the negative balance sheet. In the meantime, Comet's debt has accumulated to NOK6.1 mio. with little hope of reducing it anytime soon.

Provided that it can come up with a finance plan that will reduce the debt with at least NOK2 mio., Comet will likely appeal IIHF's decision. If it don't, or if the Appellate body turns down Comet's appeal, the Comet will probably fold, and attempts will be made to make a new club. In any case, Comet will not play in the Norwegian 2. division next season.

Get-ligaen will then be reduced to 9 teams. Initially, there were talks about reducing the schedule of the regular season from 45 to 40 games. But NIHF quickly proposed to extend the schedule to 48 games (8 times 6). This proposal has vigorously been rejected by the players' association, SOSU. Without Comet, it seems likely that the schedule will be reduced to 40 games. With the Olympics in February, the season would already be dense with 40 games.