Germany men's national ice hockey team
The German men's national ice hockey team first participated in serious international competition at the 1911 European Hockey Championship. When Germany was split after World War II, a separate East Germany national ice hockey team existed until 1990. By 1991, the East German teams and players were merged into the Deutscher Eishockey-Bund association; the biggest accomplishment from the West German team, came in 1976 at the Winter Olympics, when the team went 2–3–0 and won the bronze medal. The team's wins came against the United States and Poland; the team played well against the silver medalists and the gold medalists, the USSR. In 1980, the team didn't do as well and only won one game in the preliminary round, which kept them from advancing, they finished 10th out of 12. In 1984, the team was invited to the Canada Cup. By 1991, the reunification of East and West Germany meant the inclusion of players from the former East Germany; the team is not considered to be as elite as Canada, the Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden or the United States, but they are ranked 8th in the world by the IIHF.
Since re-unification, their best recent results include finishing 6th place at the 2003 World Championships where they lost a close quarter-final match in overtime to Canada, 4th at the 2010 World Championships where they lost to Sweden in the bronze medal game. They finished third in the European Group and qualified for the quarter-finals at the 1996 World Cup after a surprising 7–1 victory against the Czech Republic. In the 1992 Olympics, they lost to Canada 4–3 in an overtime shoot-out in the quarter-finals. Germany has never won an international competition, their most recent medal was silver in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, when they lost to the Olympic Athletes From Russia 4-3 in overtime, it was the first time. This was their best result, tied with a silver medal at the 1930 World Championships. There are 25,934 registered players in Germany. Team Germany finished in 4th place at the 2010 IIHF World Championship, their best placement since 1953. 1930 – Won silver medal 1933 – Finished in 5th place 1934 – Won bronze medal 1935 – Finished in 9th place 1937 – Finished in 4th place 1938 – Finished in 4th place 1939 – Finished in 5th place 1953 – Won silver medal 1954 – Finished in 5th place 1955 – Finished in 6th place 1959 – Finished in 7th place 1961 – Finished in 8th place 1962 – Finished in 6th place 1963 – Finished in 7th place 1965 – Finished in 11th place 1966 – Finished in 9th place 1967 – Finished in 8th place 1969 – Finished in 10th place 1970 – Finished in 8th place 1971 – Finished in 5th place 1972 – Finished in 5th place 1973 – Finished in 6th place 1974 – Finished in 9th place 1975 – Finished in 8th place 1976 – Finished in 6th place 1977 – Finished in 7th place 1978 – Finished in 5th place 1979 – Finished in 6th place 1981 – Finished in 7th place 1982 – Finished in 6th place 1983 – Finished in 5th place 1985 – Finished in 7th place 1986 – Finished in 7th place 1987 – Finished in 6th place 1989 – Finished in 7th place 1990 – Finished in 7th place 1991 – Finished in 8th place 1992 – Finished in 6th place 1993 – Finished in 5th place 1994 – Finished in 9th place 1995 – Finished in 9th place 1996 – Finished in 8th place 1997 – Finished in 11th place 1998 – Finished in 11th place 1999 – Finished in 20th place 2000 – Finished in 17th place 2001 – Finished in 8th place 2002 – Finished in 8th place 2003 – Finished in 7th place 2004 – Finished in 9th place 2005 – Finished in 15th place 2006 – Finished in 17th place 2007 – Finished in 9th place 2008 – Finished in 10th place 2009 – Finished in 15th place 2010 – Finished in 4th place 2011 – Finished in 7th place 2012 – Finished in 12th place 2013 – Finished in 9th place 2014 – Finished in 14th place 2015 – Finished in 10th place 2016 – Finished in 7th place 2017 – Finished in 8th place 2018 – Finished in 11th place 1912 Championship was annulled because Austria was not a member of the IIHF at the time of the competition.
1996 – lost in quarterfinals 2004 – lost in quarterfinals 1984 – Finished in 6th place Deutschland Cup: Gold medal Nissan Cup: Gold medal Roster for the 2018 IIHF World Championship. Head coach: Marco Sturm Rudi Ball Christian Ehrhoff Karl Friesen Marcel Goc Jochen Hecht Dieter Hegen Udo Kießling Olaf Kölzig Erich Kühnhackl Uwe Krupp Robert Müller Helmut de Raaf Dennis Seidenberg Marco Sturm Xaver Unsinn Germany men's national ice sledge hockey team East Germany national ice hockey team Official website IIHF profile
Coventry Blaze
Coventry Blaze are an ice hockey team based in Coventry, England. They compete in the British Elite Ice Hockey League and play their home games at the SkyDome Arena; the club was founded in 1965 as the Solihull Barons and renamed to Solihull Blaze in 1996. At the turn of the millennium the club relocated to the SkyDome Arena and became Coventry Blaze. Blaze have won four Elite Ice Hockey League Championships since the formation of the league in 2003; the Solihull Barons evolved into Solihull Blaze before the start of the 1996–97 season, finishing second in the southern division of the British National League during the league's inaugural season. For the following season the team joined the newly formed "national division" of the English National Ice Hockey League for its inaugural season; this season was one of the most successful on record as Blaze were victorious in both competitions and their respective play-offs. Nine goals in each leg of the play off final against Chelmsford Chieftains gave Blaze their third trophy of the season.
The Blaze left the ENIHL along with the rest of the national division during the course of the 1998-99 season, with the division becoming the English Premier League. In November 1998, they were losing finalists in the English Cup, but the side were once again crowned league champions in March with a victory in Chelmsford on 20 March. Play-off success followed in April with a 5–3 two-legged victory over season-long rivals, Milton Keynes Kings. For the following season Blaze returned to the BNL. In May 2000, the club announced that they would be heading to new a new 3,600-seater stadium, the Coventry SkyDome Arena, for the 2000–01 BNL campaign; this was done for the purpose of attracting a larger fan base to the team. With eight new players on board the Blaze started their inaugural season at the Skydome with a decent run in the Benson & Hedges Cup and, after losing in their opening BNL game, proceeded to set an impressive pace in the league competition throughout October and November; the loss of key players, Craig Chapman and Steve Chartrand at the turn of the year were possible contributions to a dip in form which resulted in an eventual fourth-place finish.
In the playoffs Blaze were unable to repeat the previous years semi-final appearance. However, the most important factor of the year was the growth in fan base from a few hundred at the start of the year to over 2000 by the end of the play-offs. Season 2001–02 saw few changes in the line up The Season started with a run of good results in the Findus Challenge Cup which saw Blaze qualify for the Semi-Finals; this run included the first return visit to Hobs Moat Road in Solihull to take on the reformed Barons. An injury to Andrew McNiven saw ex-Steeler/Panther/Giant Steve Roberts join up with the Blaze. An impressive October/November saw; the Finals weekend of the Challenge Cup saw Blaze comeback from 3–0 down in the semi-final to beat Basingstoke Bison and go on to meet Fife in the final, which the Flyers went on to win. Returning to the league, the Blaze continued in fine form throughout splitting results with the Stars. Stars greater consistency, their ability not to drop points against mid-table teams left them top of the league with the Blaze runners-up again.
The Play-Offs saw the Blaze top their qualification group and beat Guildford Flames over the two legged semi-final. The Final saw them take on the Stars and lose out by the narrowest of margins, 8–7, over the two legs, for the third time in the season Blaze were runners-up. Season 2002–03 saw another evolution not revolution in the playing staff with Jody Lehman replacing Burt in goal, Joel Poirier replacing the departed Roberts, GB forward Ashley Tait joining the team. Blaze entered the Ice Hockey Superleague Challenge Cup at the start of the season, ran a couple of ISL teams close; the Findus Challenge Cup saw Blaze into the Finals where they met the Newcastle Vipers, but the result was a 0–3 loss. A run of form following the defeat saw the Blaze wrap up the league title with a victory in Dundee; this was followed up with an unbeaten play-offs run, the Final being contested against Cardiff Devils, a narrow victory in Cardiff was followed by a first capacity crowd at the Skydome for a triumphant night that saw Blaze lift their second trophy of the year.
Shortly after the final, Blaze announced their move into the newly formed Elite Ice Hockey League, commenced preparations for their first season in the top flight of British ice hockey. Season 2003–04 saw another major change in the club's progress as they took part in their first season as a top-flight club in the newly formed Elite League. Coach Paul Thompson stayed true to the team which had won the double in the BNL the year before, replacing only three players; the first game of the league saw another first for the club as they flew to their game in Belfast and beat the previous year's Superleague playoff champions. A 6–1 win over Sheffield in October and
World War I
World War I known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars", it led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history, it is one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilian deaths as a direct result of the war, while resulting genocides and the 1918 influenza pandemic caused another 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide. On 28 June 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb Yugoslav nationalist, assassinated the Austro-Hungarian heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, leading to the July Crisis. In response, on 23 July Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia. Serbia's reply failed to satisfy the Austrians, the two moved to a war footing. A network of interlocking alliances enlarged the crisis from a bilateral issue in the Balkans to one involving most of Europe.
By July 1914, the great powers of Europe were divided into two coalitions: the Triple Entente—consisting of France and Britain—and the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. Russia felt it necessary to back Serbia and, after Austria-Hungary shelled the Serbian capital of Belgrade on the 28th, partial mobilisation was approved. General Russian mobilisation was announced on the evening of 30 July; when Russia failed to comply, Germany declared war on 1 August in support of Austria-Hungary, with Austria-Hungary following suit on 6th. German strategy for a war on two fronts against France and Russia was to concentrate the bulk of its army in the West to defeat France within four weeks shift forces to the East before Russia could mobilise. On 2 August, Germany demanded free passage through Belgium, an essential element in achieving a quick victory over France; when this was refused, German forces invaded Belgium on 3 August and declared war on France the same day. On 12 August and France declared war on Austria-Hungary.
In November 1914, the Ottoman Empire entered the war on the side of the Alliance, opening fronts in the Caucasus and the Sinai Peninsula. The war was fought in and drew upon each power's colonial empire as well, spreading the conflict to Africa and across the globe; the Entente and its allies would become known as the Allied Powers, while the grouping of Austria-Hungary and their allies would become known as the Central Powers. The German advance into France was halted at the Battle of the Marne and by the end of 1914, the Western Front settled into a battle of attrition, marked by a long series of trench lines that changed little until 1917. In 1915, Italy opened a front in the Alps. Bulgaria joined the Central Powers in 1915 and Greece joined the Allies in 1917, expanding the war in the Balkans; the United States remained neutral, although by doing nothing to prevent the Allies from procuring American supplies whilst the Allied blockade prevented the Germans from doing the same the U. S. became an important supplier of war material to the Allies.
After the sinking of American merchant ships by German submarines, the revelation that the Germans were trying to incite Mexico to make war on the United States, the U. S. declared war on Germany on 6 April 1917. Trained American forces would not begin arriving at the front in large numbers until mid-1918, but the American Expeditionary Force would reach some two million troops. Though Serbia was defeated in 1915, Romania joined the Allied Powers in 1916 only to be defeated in 1917, none of the great powers were knocked out of the war until 1918; the 1917 February Revolution in Russia replaced the Tsarist autocracy with the Provisional Government, but continuing discontent at the cost of the war led to the October Revolution, the creation of the Soviet Socialist Republic, the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk by the new government in March 1918, ending Russia's involvement in the war. This allowed the transfer of large numbers of German troops from the East to the Western Front, resulting in the German March 1918 Offensive.
This offensive was successful, but the Allies rallied and drove the Germans back in their Hundred Days Offensive. Bulgaria was the first Central Power to sign an armistice—the Armistice of Salonica on 29 September 1918. On 30 October, the Ottoman Empire capitulated. On 4 November, the Austro-Hungarian empire agreed to the Armistice of Villa Giusti after being decisively defeated by Italy in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto. With its allies defeated, revolution at home, the military no longer willing to fight, Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated on 9 November and Germany signed an armistice on 11 November 1918. World War I was a significant turning point in the political, cultural and social climate of the world; the war and its immediate aftermath sparked numerous uprisings. The Big Four (Britain, the United States, It
Slough Jets
Slough Jets are an ice hockey team from Slough, England. The team was founded in 1986 after the construction of the Slough Ice Arena in Montem Lane in Slough. With the help of Gary Stefan, with Streatham Redskins, the Slough Jets were formed; the Slough Jets are one of the few clubs in the UK who from their foundation have continued to play to the present day without interruption or a change of name. They play in the English National Ice Hockey League South 2 Wilkinson Division, the fourth tier of UK hockey; the Slough Jets' home rink is the Slough Ice Arena, known as the "Hangar", though the arena is undergoing renovation so the team is playing out of a temporary facility operated by Silver Blades in the car park of the site. The Slough Jets have a junior programme with under-13's, under-15s and under-18s. Future Oscar winner Gareth Unwin, who produced The King's Speech, once played for the team; this is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Jets. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Slough Jets seasons.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes Note: 2017-18 is the current season, last updated 3 December 2017 - Season will consist of 26 league games. These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated. Note: Pos = Position.
Milton Keynes Thunder
Milton Keynes Thunder are an ice hockey team from Milton Keynes, they are known stylistically as the Rightmove Milton Keynes Thunder for sponsorship purposes, the team competes in the Britton Conference, of the National Ice Hockey League South Division 1. The team was founded in 2001 predominantly to provide competitive hockey and further development opportunities for players leaving the Milton Keynes Junior Ice Hockey system, their home rink is renamed Planet Ice Arena, known locally as the Thunderdome. It has a capacity of circa 2,500. Founded in 2001, MK Thunder shared their home rink with the Milton Keynes Kings. However, the MK Kings were involved in a dispute with rink operators Planet Ice, which led to their relocation to Solihull in May 2002; the space left by the MK Kings was taken by the Milton Keynes Lightning, formed in 2002. As the second most senior ice hockey club in Milton Keynes, the MK Thunder have always played in the National Ice Hockey League South Division 1 or its former incarnations.
It has been used as a vehicle to further develop Milton Keynes based players and has been a'feeder' club for the senior hockey club Milton Keynes Lightning. The teams iced by the club have been dominated by local players, supplemented by the occasional import; the club has links with the junior system and provides development opportunities for junior players at the Milton Keynes Storm Club. In March 2013, Milton Keynes Council approved plans to redevelop the Leisure Plaza after failed attempts in 2006 and 2011; the development of the arena took 17 months to complete. This forced Thunder to play their home games at a temporary rink sited within the Milton Keynes City Centre in a building vacated by the Supermarket Waitrose; the rink and the MK ICE charity established to operate it was organised by the team's owner and the general manager, David Fairhurst. The team returned to the redeveloped rink, renamed the "MK Arena" in October 2014. NIHL League: 0 NIHL Playoffs: 0 NIHL BBO Cup: 1 2016-17The Milton Keynes Thunder lifted their first silverware when they secured the NIHL South BBO Cup in the 2016-17 season.
League, Cup & Play Offs.
Guildford Flames
The Guildford Flames are an ice hockey team based in Guildford and they play their home games in the Guildford Spectrum. They compete in the top-tier of hockey in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Founded in October 1992, the Flames played in the second tier leagues of British hockey, first the British National League until 2004, subsequently the English Premier Ice Hockey League until 2017. On February 24, 2017, it was announced that the Flames would become the 12th Elite Ice Hockey League team, joining for the 2017–18 season; the team's head coach is Paul Dixon, who took over after Stan Marple retired in 2007. Barry Dow, an American who sponsored and owned the basketball team Guildford Kings and Bill Hurley established and owned the team as management – the two were new to the sport of ice hockey, brought in Mike Urquhart as coach and Darrin Zinger as captain. Key players signed for the first season included Canadians Sean Murphy and Dave McGahan due to their high scoring at Solent Vikings. In addition a number of British players including goaltender, Mike Kellond.
The Flames' inaugural season began in October 1992. With the Guildford Spectrum not yet completed, the team had to train at Slough's facility; the Flames played their home games at Alexandra Palace until their new home ice was ready and played there for the first time on 23 January 1993. When 23 January 1993 arrived and the Guildford Spectrum opened, the event was a big one; the area's paid-for newspaper The Surrey Advertiser described the local council's £28 million arena as "awesome". Guildford's first game at their new home showed a convincing win with Andy Sparks scoring the first goal at the Spectrum; the team went to the top of the Conference due to that game, a position they held onto for the whole season. Season 2018/19 Patton Conference Champions Season 2015/16 English Premier Cup English Premier League Playoff Winners Season 2012/13 English Premier League Champions English Premier Cup Season 2011/12 English Premier League Champions English Premier Cup Season 2010/11 English Premier League Playoff Winners Season 2009/10 English Premier Cup Season 2007/08 English Premier League Champions Season 2006/07 English Premier Cup Season 2005/06 English Premier League Champions Season 2003/04 British National League Play-off Winners Season 2000/01 Christmas Cup Winners British National League Champions British National League Play-off Winners Season 1998/99 Benson & Hedges Plate Winners Season 1997/98 British National League Southern Conference Winners British National League Winners British National League Play-off Winners Season 1996/97 Benson & Hedges Plate Winners The team logo is similar to that of the Calgary Flames of the NHL.
The team jerseys mirror those used by a former NHL team, Atlanta Thrashers from 1999 to 2006. Head Coach Paul Dixon Assistant Coach/Bench Coach Milos Melicherik Kit Manager Sam Smith CEO Rob Hepburn Commercial Manager/Senior Advisor Kirk Humphreys The retired numbers at the Guildford Flames are: 3 Stan Marple 10 Ryan Campbell 11 Fred Perlini 9 Terry Kurtenbach 15 Andy Sparks 1992–94 – Darren Zinger 1994–99 – Paul Thompson 1999-00 – Karry Biette 2000–01 – Wayne Crawford 2001–07 – Paul Dixon 2007–09 – Ricky Plant 2009–10 – Rob Lamey 2010–15 – David Longstaff 2015–16 – Jez Lundin 2017–18 – Jesse Craige Official Guildford Flames website Flames Backburner Site Unofficial Game photos by David Steadman Guildford Flames Too Hot To Handle! – Supports Blog
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, more known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. Situated to the north of Mont Blanc, near the massive peaks of the Aiguilles Rouges and most notably the Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix is one of the oldest ski resorts in France; the Chamonix commune is popular with skiers and mountain enthusiasts, via the cable car lift to the Aiguille du Midi it is possible to access the off-piste ski run of the Vallée Blanche. Chamonix is the fourth largest commune in mainland France, with an area of 245 km2, its population of around 8,900 ranks 1,089th within the country of France. The valley was first mentioned in 1091, when it was granted by the Count of the Genevois to the great Benedictine house of St. Michel de la Cluse, near Turin, which by the early 13th century had established a priory there. However, in 1786 the inhabitants bought their freedom from the canons of Sallanches, to whom the priory had been transferred in 1519.
In 1530, the inhabitants obtained from the Count of the Genevois the privilege of holding two fairs a year, while the valley was visited by the civil officials and by the bishops of Geneva. But travellers for pleasure were rare. Chamonix was part of the historical land of Savoy emerged as the feudal territory of the House of Savoy during the 11th to 14th centuries; the historical territory is shared between the modern countries of France and Switzerland. The House of Savoy became the longest surviving royal house in Europe, it ruled the County of Savoy to 1416 and the Duchy of Savoy from 1416 to 1860. The first party to publish an account of their visit was that of Richard Pococke, William Windham and others, such as the Englishmen who visited the Mer de Glace in 1741. In 1742 came P. Martel and several other Genevese, in 1760 H. B. de Saussure, rather Marc Th. Bourrit; the growth of tourism in the early 19th century led to the formation of the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix in 1821, to regulate access to the mountain slopes, this association held a monopoly of guiding from the town until it was broken by French government action in 1892.
From the late 19th century on, tourist development was dominated by national and international initiatives rather than local entrepreneurs, though the local community was dependent upon and active in the tourist industry. The commune lobbied to change its name from Chamonix to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in 1916. However, following the loss of its monopoly, the Compagnie reformed as an association of local guides, retained an important role in local society; the holding of the first Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix in 1924 further raised Chamonix's profile as an international tourist destination. During the Second World War, a Children's Home operated in Chamonix, in which several dozens of Jewish children were hidden from the Nazis; some of those who hid them were recognised as "Righteous Among the Nations". By the 1960s, agriculture had been reduced to a marginal activity, while the number of tourist beds available rose to around 60,000 by the end of the 20th century, with about 5 million visitors a year.
The commune of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc includes 16 hamlets. From north to south: Le Tour 1,462 m, Montroc, Le Planet, Argentière 1,252 m, Les Chosalets, Le Lavancher, Les Tines, Les Bois, Les-Praz-de-Chamonix 1,060 m, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Les Pècles, Les Mouilles, Les Barrats, Les Pélerins, Les Gaillands, Les Bossons 1,012 m. Due to its elevation, Chamonix has a humid continental climate, with an average annual precipitation of 1,275 mm. Summers are mild and winters are cold and snowy. Population change Sources: Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962, INSEE database from 1968 · Population Over Time Chamonix is a winter sports resort town; as the highest European mountain west of Russia, Mont Blanc attracts mountain climbers. There is a cable car up to the 3,842 m Aiguille du Midi. Constructed in 1955, it was the highest cable car in the world and remains the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world; the town of Chamonix is served by French Route Nationale 205, nicknamed the Route blanche, or "white route", due to its snowiness.
This is an extension of French autoroute 40 nicknamed the autoroute blanche, which ends at Le Fayet, a village in the commune of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains. The 11.6-km Mont Blanc Tunnel originates here. Chamonix is linked to Switzerland by. In 2006, it was converted to a Route Départementale 1506, with a part of it integrated into RN 205; the nearest airport to Chamonix is Geneva Cointrin International and it is 88 kilometres in distance. Chamonix is served by the metre-gauge St Gervais-Vallorcine Line, operated by SNCF; the line from Saint Gervais to Chamonix opened in 1901. The line ho
