Coventry Blaze
Encyclopedia
Coventry Blaze are an ice hockey
team based in Coventry
, England
. They currently compete in the British
Elite Ice Hockey League
(EIHL).
, the Coventry Blaze evolved from the Solihull Barons
to become the Solihull Blaze in 1996. In order to attract a new and larger fanbase the team moved to Coventry
in 2000 and continue to occupy the 3000-seat SkyDome Arena
.
The Coventry Blaze head coach is Paul Thompson, who also coaches the Great Britain men's national ice hockey team. Thompson is assisted by Luc Chabot and, from 2011, former player Mathias Soderstrom.
gave Blaze their third trophy of the season.
The club moved into the new nine team English Premier League
for the start of the 1998-1999 season. 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 March 20. Play-off success followed in April with a 5-3 two-legged victory over season-long rivals, Milton Keynes Kings
.
The following season, Blaze made a semi-final appearance in the 1999-2000 British National League
play-offs, losing to eventual winners Fife Flyers
, having finished in seventh position in their first year back at British National League level. In May 2000, the club announced that they would be heading to new surroundings, the Coventry SkyDome Arena
for the 2000-2001 BNL campaign.
and, after losing in their opening BNL game, proceeded to set a impressive pace in the league competition throughout October and November. The loss of key players, Craig Chapman (returned to USA) and Steve Chartrand (injury) 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 2001-2002 saw few changes in the line up (Canadian Ian Burt replacing Henrik Sjodin in goal, Andrew McNiven joining in place of AJ Kelham and Steve Carpenter returning to Blaze colours being the main changes.) 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 (both games saw Blaze victorious). An injury to Andrew McNiven saw ex-Steeler/Panther/Giant Steve Roberts join up with the Blaze. An impressive October/November saw the Blaze matching new-boys Dundee Stars all the way. 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, and the Blaze continued in fine form throughout splitting results with the Stars. Stars greater consistency, and 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 then beat Guildford Flames
over the two legged semi-final. The Final saw them take on the Stars and loose out by the narrowest of margins, 8-7, over the two legs, and for the third time in the season Blaze were runners-up.
Season 2002-2003 saw another evolution not revolution in the playing staff with Jody Lehman
replacing Burt in goal, Joel Poirier replacing the departed Roberts, and GB forward Ashley Tait
joining the team. Blaze entered the Ice Hockey Superleague
(ISL) Challenge Cup
at the start of the season, and 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
, and a narrow victory in Cardiff was followed by a first ever capacity crowd (2750) 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
, and commenced preparations for their first ever season in the top flight of British ice hockey.
to replace Andreas Moborg and Ron Shudra and college-graduate Graham Schlender replacing folk-hero Kurt Irvine. 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 an 11-0 thumping of Manchester Phoenix
in December were highlights as the team stayed close the leaders at the top of the table up until Christmas.
In the New Year, Blaze fell back and wins were hard to come by, but they still finished third in their first year in the top flight. The playoffs however, got off to an awful start as they lost in Cardiff minus coach Thompson, serving a one match ban following a bench clearance against the Devils the weekend before. With only four games in the group stage, Blaze were unable to get going after that loss and ended the season by finishing winless in the post-season.
, who went on to become the league’s Player of the Year and selected to the EIHL All-Star Team
. The brand-new first line of Dan Carlson, Adam Calder and Andre Payette
proved potent all through the season, as Carlson’s speed and vision proved the perfect set-up for Calder’s finishing and play around the net, while Payette angered many by clocking up almost 500 penalty minutes. The season started well as they qualified from their group for the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup
, kept with the early pace-setters at the top of the league and even got over the disappointment of losing out on NHL forward Eric Beaudoin
on a lock-out deal by bringing in high-scoring centreman Chris McNamara.
The turning point in Blaze’s season came in November, as Thompson cut Slovak Michal Vrabel and brought in Toronto Maple Leafs
’ NHL defenceman Wade Belak
, sparking a run to the end of the regular season where they only lost once in regulation time. A Doug Schueller goal against Nottingham Panthers
sent Coventry to their first Challenge Cup final with a 5-4 aggregate victory, before they beat Cardiff 6-1 in the first leg of the final. A fight-strewn second-leg a week later saw Coventry battle under pressure to win the game 5-4; securing their first trophy of the season, 11-5 on aggregate. As Cardiff faltered, the league eventually became a two-horse race between Coventry and Belfast. Blaze eventually they had the chance to wrap up the title with three games to go in front of a new record crowd at the Skydome, Coventry dispatched of London Knights
5-1 and secured their place as the number one team in Britain.
Now the bid was on to add the Playoff crown to their trophy cabinet. After qualifying from their playoff group for their first finals weekend, a Jody Lehman shutout helped Blaze beat Sheffield Steelers
3-0 in their semi-final. The Playoff Final against the home-town Nottingham Panthers was tight and eventually went into sudden-death overtime tied at 1-1. But just over three minutes into the extra session, captain Ashley Tait scored the game-winner, securing Coventry Blaze’s place in British Ice Hockey history as winners of the elusive Grand-Slam.
in the final, deciding game. Blaze took a three-goal lead in a repeat of the previous year’s Challenge Cup final against Cardiff, but could not defend this in the second leg. The Devils wiped out the advantage, with the final goal 20 seconds from time, and were the only team to score in the deciding penalty shootout to win the competition.
The remaining months offered little success as the team finished fourth and then failed to make the playoff semis. Their last chance at success came in the final of the newly created British Knockout Cup
in front of a new record Skydome crowd, but resulted in another shootout loss.
to goal proved to be the team’s key signing, and the partnership of the Grand-Slam year was reformed as Adam Calder and Dan Carlson both returned. They were combined with proven past winners like Sylvain Cloutier
, Samy Nasreddine, former NHL player Rumun Ndur
, Reid Simonton and Danny Stewart.
Despite reigning champions Belfast pulling away at the top of the league, Blaze quietly qualified for both cup finals without defeat and maintained a steady pace behind the Giants. Come early February, Blaze had cut the 11 point lead Belfast held at Christmas, and when the two met at the Skydome, an 8-0 win in Coventry’s favour proved a massive turning point. They were ran close, but a home win against Edinburgh with a few games remaining secured Blaze’s second Elite League championship in three years. A week later a second trophy was in the cabinet – a 5-1 win in Sheffield brought the Challenge Cup back to Coventry. The other two trophies eluded them thanks to the Cardiff Devils, with a 3-0 shutout on SkyDome ice in the Knockout Cup final followed up by a 3-2 success in the playoff semi-finals.
in the team’s big transfer story, while sniper Curtis Huppe
arrived from Belfast and past-servants of the club, Russ Cowley and Matt Soderstrom, returned to Coventry for the 2007/08 season. Despite relinquishing the Challenge Cup early on with failure to escape their group and make the semis, Blaze started strong in the league and kept going throughout the season. They were the British representatives in the Continental Cup once more, this time in Aalborg
, Denmark
, and although they ultimately missed out on a place in the next round, they produced one of the greatest results in the club’s history – a 3-2 overtime comeback win against Austrian champians Red Bull Salzburg. Domestically, Adam Calder, ably assisted again by partner Dan Carlson, proved to be Blaze's main weapon. The Canadian scorer had a career season, hitting 58 goals and 125 points in Elite League competitions as he ended the year the club’s and the league’s MVP.
Blaze held off their challengers to finally seal a second successive, and third overall, Elite League title. By this time Coventry had also reached the Knockout Cup final against Basingstoke, but they needed a four-goal burst in the final period of the second leg to seal a second trophy of the season – one which had proved elusive on two previous occasions. In the playoffs Blaze reached the final against league runners-up Sheffield, but a 2-0 shutout backstopped by Blaze's grand-slam goalie Jody Lehman eluded them of another treble.
The club reacted to losing key members of their team, in All-Stars Trevor Koenig and Neal Martin and captain Sylvain Cloutier, by building a young, mobile roster designed to last the distance. However, they lacked consistency in key areas and went through periods of poor form. All of Head Coach, Paul Thompson's new signings were familiar to British hockey bar two - Scott Kelman and Corey LeClair - who both arrived from the East Coast league
.
The first half of the season saw good progress, with the club taking the Charity Shield in overtime against Sheffield and qualifying for the Challenge Cup semi finals. A third representation by the club at the Continental Cup saw a winner-takes-all final game against hosts Bolzano, where a disallowed Coventry goal proved the major turning point in an eliminating 1-0 defeat.
Come January 2009 though Blaze started to falter - Kelman and LeClair were replaced after failing to adapt to the British league and the Knockout Cup was relinquished against Belfast over two legs. The changes in personnel failed to bring enough of a change in fortunes, with Coventry falling over two legs to the Giants again in the Challenge Cup semis before finishing 11 points behind Sheffield to take second in the Elite League title race. The last hope of a trophy came in the playoffs, but Nottingham provided a final devastation with a 6-2 defeat.
Coach Paul Thompson’s new signings were key as Coventry recovered from being runners-up the previous year to title winners again. Peter Hirsch
was added as netminder, Brian Lee was installed on the blue-line, whilst Greg Chambers
and Luke Fulghum
brought goals up front.
The season started with a Challenge Cup run that fell at the group stage, but the Elite League’s newly created 20-20 hockey tournament proved more of a success and Blaze were losing finalists to the Sheffield Steelers. With the cups removed from the priority list, the league became Coventry’s main focus for six months, and the race for its title was to become one of the closest fought for years, going all the way to the final weekend.
To avoid a final day showdown with second-placed Belfast, Coventry as narrow leaders needed to win their penultimate game in Edinburgh. Blaze gained a two-goal lead, but with a minute to go found themselves a goal down and the big title-decider against the Giants looked likely. But Captain Adam Calder tied the scores with only 28 seconds remaining and took the game to OT, before his hat-trick goal sealed the comeback and the league championship. However, despite making the Playoff Semi-Finals for a fourth year running, they were well-beaten in Nottingham by the Cardiff Devils.
There were not many changes from the team that won the league championship the previous season. Brett Jaeger replaced Peter Hirsh in goal whilst Canadian blueliners Brad Zanon and Jeff Smith were signed in place of long-time defenceman Tom Watkins, who moved to Telford Tigers
as player-coach, and the retiring Jason Robinson. Up-front Owen Fussey was signed from rivals Edinburgh Capitals
to replace the teams highest goal scorer Adam Calder.
The season did not start well with four consecutive defeats against Belfast and Nottingham leaving the Blaze at the bottom of the league table, but even a club record 12 game unbeaten run between the end of September and middle of November did not help them catch up with the leaders. From then on Blaze lost more games than they won and the result was 6th in the league standings - Coventry's worst finish in their 11 year history. Injuries were blamed for the downturn, particularly to key imports, with defenceman Jeff Smith, Brian Lee and Jonathan Weaver all requiring lengthy lay-offs which resulted in Blaze calling up inexperienced players from their ENL team as well as bringing back Jason Robinson from retirement in America to help plug the gaps on the blueline. The situation was just as bad in attack with goalscorer Owen Fussey sidelined after 34 games with a knee injury and Brad Cruikshank forced to serve a lengthy ban for his involvement in a bench clearance against rivals Nottingham in a game at the SkyDome.
Away from the league there was just as little success. A strong start in the Challenge Cup soon faltered and Blaze failed to progress from the group stage, and in the playoffs the team failed to reach the finals weekend in Nottingham after suffereing a 3-4 overtime loss against Belfast in the quarter finals. As defending league champions Blaze once again were Britain's representatives in the Continental Cup, and made a strong bid to reach the superfinals of the competition with 6-1 victories in their first two group games before falling 3-7 to the hosts in Rouen.
The Coventry Blaze roster for the 2011-12 season.
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime Losses; PTS = Points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against
English Division One North Champions
English National League Champions
English National League Play Off Champions
English Premier League Champions
English Premier League Play Off Champions
British National League Champions
British National League Play Off Champions
Elite Ice Hockey League Champions
Elite Ice Hockey League Play Off Champions
Elite Ice Hockey League Challenge Cup Champions
Elite Ice Hockey League British Knockout Cup Champions
Elite Ice Hockey League Charity Shield Champions
Elite Ice Hockey League First Team All-Stars
Elite Ice Hockey League Second Team All-Stars
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. They currently compete in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Elite Ice Hockey League
Elite Ice Hockey League
Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other...
(EIHL).
Club history
Originally from the neighbouring town of SolihullSolihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
, the Coventry Blaze evolved from the Solihull Barons
Solihull Barons
Solihull Barons are an English ice hockey team from the town of Solihull who play at Solihull Ice Rink on Hobbs Moat Road. They were formed in 2005, although they are named after the team of the same name who played at the same ice rink between 1972 and 1996...
to become the Solihull Blaze in 1996. In order to attract a new and larger fanbase the team moved to Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
in 2000 and continue to occupy the 3000-seat SkyDome Arena
SkyDome Arena
The SkyDome Arena is a 3,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Coventry, England. It was built in 1999. It is home to the Coventry Blaze Ice hockey team...
.
The Coventry Blaze head coach is Paul Thompson, who also coaches the Great Britain men's national ice hockey team. Thompson is assisted by Luc Chabot and, from 2011, former player Mathias Soderstrom.
1996-2000: Solihull Blaze
The Solihull Barons evolved into Solihull Blaze before the start of the 1996-1997 season, finishing second in the Premier Ice Hockey League. The 1997-1998 season was one of the most successful on record as Blaze were victorious in the English National League and the ED1 North League. Nine goals in each leg of the play off final against Chelmsford ChieftainsChelmsford Chieftains
The Chelmsford Chieftains are an Ice Hockey team based in Chelmsford, Essex that are currently playing in the English National Ice Hockey League. Since the team was founded in 1987, the Chieftains have played their home games at the Riverside Ice and Leisure Centre.Chelmsford played their first...
gave Blaze their third trophy of the season.
The club moved into the new nine team English Premier League
English Premier Ice Hockey League
The English Premier Ice Hockey League commonly abbreviated to EPIHL, or simply EPL, is a senior ice hockey league in England, and is run and administered by the English Ice Hockey Association...
for the start of the 1998-1999 season. 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 March 20. Play-off success followed in April with a 5-3 two-legged victory over season-long rivals, Milton Keynes Kings
Milton Keynes Kings
Milton Keynes Kings were an Ice Hockey team based in Milton Keynes from 1990 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2002. Following a dispute with the Planet Ice Arena in Milton Keynes, the team relocated to Solihull, where they became Solihull MK Kings for a while...
.
The following season, Blaze made a semi-final appearance in the 1999-2000 British National League
British National League
The British National League is a defunct second-level professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Although no formal promotion and relegation existed during its period of existence, it was considered to have a standard below that of the Ice Hockey Superleague and above that of the...
play-offs, losing to eventual winners Fife Flyers
Fife Flyers
The Fife Flyers, established in 1938, are the oldest ice hockey team in Scotland, and also in the United Kingdom, beating the Nottingham Panthers by 8 years...
, having finished in seventh position in their first year back at British National League level. In May 2000, the club announced that they would be heading to new surroundings, the Coventry SkyDome Arena
SkyDome Arena
The SkyDome Arena is a 3,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Coventry, England. It was built in 1999. It is home to the Coventry Blaze Ice hockey team...
for the 2000-2001 BNL campaign.
2000-2003: Coventry Blaze
With eight new players on board the Blaze started their inaugural season at the Skydome with a decent run in the Benson & Hedges CupBenson & Hedges Cup
The Benson & Hedges Cup was a one-day cricket competition for first-class counties in England and Wales that was held from 1972 to 2002, one of cricket's longest sponsorship deals....
and, after losing in their opening BNL game, proceeded to set a impressive pace in the league competition throughout October and November. The loss of key players, Craig Chapman (returned to USA) and Steve Chartrand (injury) 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 2001-2002 saw few changes in the line up (Canadian Ian Burt replacing Henrik Sjodin in goal, Andrew McNiven joining in place of AJ Kelham and Steve Carpenter returning to Blaze colours being the main changes.) 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 (both games saw Blaze victorious). An injury to Andrew McNiven saw ex-Steeler/Panther/Giant Steve Roberts join up with the Blaze. An impressive October/November saw the Blaze matching new-boys Dundee Stars all the way. The Finals weekend of the Challenge Cup saw Blaze comeback from 3-0 down in the semi-final to beat Basingstoke Bison
Basingstoke Bison
The Basingstoke Bison are an English Ice Hockey club from Basingstoke. They currently compete in the English Premier Ice Hockey League and have previously been members of the Ice Hockey Superleague and its successor the Elite Ice Hockey League- History :...
and go on to meet Fife in the final, which the Flyers went on to win. Returning to the league, and the Blaze continued in fine form throughout splitting results with the Stars. Stars greater consistency, and 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 then beat Guildford Flames
Guildford Flames
The Guildford Flames are an ice hockey team based in Guildford, Surrey and their home ice is the Guildford Spectrum.Founded in October 1992, the team played for many years in the British National League...
over the two legged semi-final. The Final saw them take on the Stars and loose out by the narrowest of margins, 8-7, over the two legs, and for the third time in the season Blaze were runners-up.
Season 2002-2003 saw another evolution not revolution in the playing staff with Jody Lehman
Jody Lehman
Jody Lehman is a Canadian-British professional ice hockey player , currently playing for Aalborg in Denmark's highest league, the Oddset Ligaen.-Playing career:...
replacing Burt in goal, Joel Poirier replacing the departed Roberts, and GB forward Ashley Tait
Ashley Tait
Ashley Tait is a British ice hockey forward who currently plays for the Sheffield Steelers of the ELITE Ice Hockey League EIHL. During Tait's career he has also played for Nottingham Panthers , Kingston Hawks , Coventry Blaze and Ritten Renon...
joining the team. Blaze entered the Ice Hockey Superleague
Ice Hockey Superleague
The Ice Hockey Superleague was a professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom between 1996 and 2003. Formed in 1995, it replaced the Premier Division of the British Hockey League, it was the highest level of ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom...
(ISL) Challenge Cup
2002–03 ISL season
The 2002–03 Ice Hockey Superleague season was the seventh and final season of the Ice Hockey Superleague .The Ayr Scottish Eagles, under new management, moved from the Centrum Arena in Ayr to the Braehead Arena just outside Glasgow and shortened their name to simply the Scottish Eagles.The...
at the start of the season, and ran a couple of ISL teams close. The Findus Challenge Cup saw Blaze into the Finals where they met the Newcastle Vipers
Newcastle Vipers
The Newcastle Vipers were an ice hockey club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Former members of the Elite Ice Hockey League, the club previously held membership in the British National League.- History :...
, 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
Cardiff Devils
The Cardiff Devils are a Welsh ice hockey team who play in the British Elite Ice Hockey League. The team currently plays in the temporary Cardiff Arena...
, and a narrow victory in Cardiff was followed by a first ever capacity crowd (2750) 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
Elite Ice Hockey League
Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other...
, and commenced preparations for their first ever season in the top flight of British ice hockey.
2003/04 season
Season 2003-2004 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; defencemen Steve O’Brien and Steve Gallace coming from the ECHLECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
to replace Andreas Moborg and Ron Shudra and college-graduate Graham Schlender replacing folk-hero Kurt Irvine. The first game of the league saw another first for the club as they flew to their game in Belfast
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....
and beat the previous year’s Superleague playoff champions. A 6-1 win over Sheffield in October and an 11-0 thumping of Manchester Phoenix
Manchester Phoenix
Manchester Phoenix are a professional ice hockey team from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. The club was formed in 2003 as a result of the efforts of supporters group Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey to bring top-level ice hockey back to Manchester after Manchester Storm folded in...
in December were highlights as the team stayed close the leaders at the top of the table up until Christmas.
In the New Year, Blaze fell back and wins were hard to come by, but they still finished third in their first year in the top flight. The playoffs however, got off to an awful start as they lost in Cardiff minus coach Thompson, serving a one match ban following a bench clearance against the Devils the weekend before. With only four games in the group stage, Blaze were unable to get going after that loss and ended the season by finishing winless in the post-season.
2004/05 season
If the previous season had finished disappointingly, season 2004-2005 ended in the best possible way after the greatest seven months in the club’s history. Although stalwarts such as netminder Jody Lehman and new captain Ashley Tait returned, coach Thompson changed many, bringing in more size, more speed and more quality. His greatest coup was signing former-Superleague defenceman Neal MartinNeal Martin
Neal Martin , is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman.He played for the Coventry Blaze in the British Elite Ice Hockey League. In the 2004–05 season he led the team to a British Grand Slam as the League MVP. In 2006–07, he helped the Blaze retain the Elite League and Challenge Cup titles...
, who went on to become the league’s Player of the Year and selected to the EIHL All-Star Team
EIHL All-Star Team
The All-Star Teams for the British Elite Ice Hockey League are voted for by members of Ice Hockey Journalists UK to honour the best players at the end of each season.- 2003-2004 :First Team...
. The brand-new first line of Dan Carlson, Adam Calder and Andre Payette
Andre Payette
Andre Payette is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who plays for the Sheffield Steeldogs of the English Premier Ice Hockey League ....
proved potent all through the season, as Carlson’s speed and vision proved the perfect set-up for Calder’s finishing and play around the net, while Payette angered many by clocking up almost 500 penalty minutes. The season started well as they qualified from their group for the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup (UK Ice Hockey)
The Challenge Cup, hosted annually by the Elite Ice Hockey League, is a cup competition for ice hockey clubs in the United Kingdom. It is one of three competitions ran each season by the Elite League, the others being the league championship and the playoff championship...
, kept with the early pace-setters at the top of the league and even got over the disappointment of losing out on NHL forward Eric Beaudoin
Eric Beaudoin
Eric Beaudoin is a professional ice hockey forward, currently with Elitserien team Rögle BK after concluding a one-year contract with Linköpings HC of the Swedish Elite League.-Playing career:...
on a lock-out deal by bringing in high-scoring centreman Chris McNamara.
The turning point in Blaze’s season came in November, as Thompson cut Slovak Michal Vrabel and brought in Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
’ NHL defenceman Wade Belak
Wade Belak
Wade Belak was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and defenceman. He was drafted 12th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft...
, sparking a run to the end of the regular season where they only lost once in regulation time. A Doug Schueller goal against Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
sent Coventry to their first Challenge Cup final with a 5-4 aggregate victory, before they beat Cardiff 6-1 in the first leg of the final. A fight-strewn second-leg a week later saw Coventry battle under pressure to win the game 5-4; securing their first trophy of the season, 11-5 on aggregate. As Cardiff faltered, the league eventually became a two-horse race between Coventry and Belfast. Blaze eventually they had the chance to wrap up the title with three games to go in front of a new record crowd at the Skydome, Coventry dispatched of London Knights
London Knights
The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League.-Early days–1968:...
5-1 and secured their place as the number one team in Britain.
Now the bid was on to add the Playoff crown to their trophy cabinet. After qualifying from their playoff group for their first finals weekend, a Jody Lehman shutout helped Blaze beat Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
3-0 in their semi-final. The Playoff Final against the home-town Nottingham Panthers was tight and eventually went into sudden-death overtime tied at 1-1. But just over three minutes into the extra session, captain Ashley Tait scored the game-winner, securing Coventry Blaze’s place in British Ice Hockey history as winners of the elusive Grand-Slam.
2005/06 season
In the 2005/06 season, Coventry Blaze faced the enormity of trying to emulate their grand slam success, but before it had even begun they had suffered losses, with their entire first line and netminder moving on, as well as three key players retiring. With replacements acquired, the team began slowly, edging into the Challenge Cup semis whilst trying to keep with the early pace-setters in the league. The season high came when Blaze were British representatives in the Continental Cup group stages, winning and drawing their opening two games before falling to French hosts GrenobleBrûleurs de loups
The Brûleurs de loups are a professional ice hockey team that resides in Grenoble, France.-History:The name comes from an event recorded by Cardinal LeCamus in 1672 at St Christophe en Oisans, see the book from Thomas Pfeiffer, Le Brûleur de loups, Lyon, 2004, and Sur les traces des brûleurs de...
in the final, deciding game. Blaze took a three-goal lead in a repeat of the previous year’s Challenge Cup final against Cardiff, but could not defend this in the second leg. The Devils wiped out the advantage, with the final goal 20 seconds from time, and were the only team to score in the deciding penalty shootout to win the competition.
The remaining months offered little success as the team finished fourth and then failed to make the playoff semis. Their last chance at success came in the final of the newly created British Knockout Cup
British Knockout Cup
The British Knockout Cup is an Elite Ice Hockey League competition originally created to fill the void left by the demise of the London Racers in the 2005-06 season. The first winners of the cup were the Sheffield Steelers who defeated the Coventry Blaze on penalty shots in the final.The format was...
in front of a new record Skydome crowd, but resulted in another shootout loss.
2006/07 season
With a wholesale revamp of the team, the 2006/07 season saw Coventry taking to the ice vastly more experienced for the challenge from back to front. League All-Star Trevor KoenigTrevor Koenig
Trevor Koenig, born 10 December 1974, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada is a professional ice hockey goaltender. He currently plays for the Storhamar Dragons in Norway.-Newcastle Vipers:...
to goal proved to be the team’s key signing, and the partnership of the Grand-Slam year was reformed as Adam Calder and Dan Carlson both returned. They were combined with proven past winners like Sylvain Cloutier
Sylvain Cloutier
Sylvain Richard Cloutier is the player coach of the Hull Stingrays of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
, Samy Nasreddine, former NHL player Rumun Ndur
Rumun Ndur
Rumun Ndur is a Nigerian-born Canadian professional ice hockey player.- Career :He has played in the NHL for the Buffalo Sabres, the New York Rangers, and the Atlanta Thrashers. Ndur is also the first Nigerian-born player ever to play in the NHL...
, Reid Simonton and Danny Stewart.
Despite reigning champions Belfast pulling away at the top of the league, Blaze quietly qualified for both cup finals without defeat and maintained a steady pace behind the Giants. Come early February, Blaze had cut the 11 point lead Belfast held at Christmas, and when the two met at the Skydome, an 8-0 win in Coventry’s favour proved a massive turning point. They were ran close, but a home win against Edinburgh with a few games remaining secured Blaze’s second Elite League championship in three years. A week later a second trophy was in the cabinet – a 5-1 win in Sheffield brought the Challenge Cup back to Coventry. The other two trophies eluded them thanks to the Cardiff Devils, with a 3-0 shutout on SkyDome ice in the Knockout Cup final followed up by a 3-2 success in the playoff semi-finals.
2007/08 season
Blaze entered the 2007 season with the majority of the Championship team retained. Captain Ashley Tait departed after a five-year stay and was replaced by fellow British international Jonathan WeaverJonathan Weaver
Jonathan Weaver is a British professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League .- Playing career :...
in the team’s big transfer story, while sniper Curtis Huppe
Curtis Huppe
Curtis Huppe is a Canadian ice hockey forward currently playing for the Guildford Flames in the English Premier Ice Hockey League.- Career :...
arrived from Belfast and past-servants of the club, Russ Cowley and Matt Soderstrom, returned to Coventry for the 2007/08 season. Despite relinquishing the Challenge Cup early on with failure to escape their group and make the semis, Blaze started strong in the league and kept going throughout the season. They were the British representatives in the Continental Cup once more, this time in Aalborg
Aalborg
-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, and although they ultimately missed out on a place in the next round, they produced one of the greatest results in the club’s history – a 3-2 overtime comeback win against Austrian champians Red Bull Salzburg. Domestically, Adam Calder, ably assisted again by partner Dan Carlson, proved to be Blaze's main weapon. The Canadian scorer had a career season, hitting 58 goals and 125 points in Elite League competitions as he ended the year the club’s and the league’s MVP.
Blaze held off their challengers to finally seal a second successive, and third overall, Elite League title. By this time Coventry had also reached the Knockout Cup final against Basingstoke, but they needed a four-goal burst in the final period of the second leg to seal a second trophy of the season – one which had proved elusive on two previous occasions. In the playoffs Blaze reached the final against league runners-up Sheffield, but a 2-0 shutout backstopped by Blaze's grand-slam goalie Jody Lehman eluded them of another treble.
2008/09 season
2008-09 season resulted in the club winning no major silverware for the first time in three years.The club reacted to losing key members of their team, in All-Stars Trevor Koenig and Neal Martin and captain Sylvain Cloutier, by building a young, mobile roster designed to last the distance. However, they lacked consistency in key areas and went through periods of poor form. All of Head Coach, Paul Thompson's new signings were familiar to British hockey bar two - Scott Kelman and Corey LeClair - who both arrived from the East Coast league
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
.
The first half of the season saw good progress, with the club taking the Charity Shield in overtime against Sheffield and qualifying for the Challenge Cup semi finals. A third representation by the club at the Continental Cup saw a winner-takes-all final game against hosts Bolzano, where a disallowed Coventry goal proved the major turning point in an eliminating 1-0 defeat.
Come January 2009 though Blaze started to falter - Kelman and LeClair were replaced after failing to adapt to the British league and the Knockout Cup was relinquished against Belfast over two legs. The changes in personnel failed to bring enough of a change in fortunes, with Coventry falling over two legs to the Giants again in the Challenge Cup semis before finishing 11 points behind Sheffield to take second in the Elite League title race. The last hope of a trophy came in the playoffs, but Nottingham provided a final devastation with a 6-2 defeat.
2009/10 season
Coventry Blaze celebrated their 10th anniversary season in 2009-10 with a third Elite League title in four seasons, making it 10 trophies in 10 seasons since the move to the city in the summer of 2000.Coach Paul Thompson’s new signings were key as Coventry recovered from being runners-up the previous year to title winners again. Peter Hirsch
Peter Hirsch (ice hockey)
For the UK materials scientist, see Peter Hirsch.Peter Hirsch is a Danish professional ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League .-Playing career:...
was added as netminder, Brian Lee was installed on the blue-line, whilst Greg Chambers
Greg Chambers
Greg Chambers is a Canadian ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Guildford Flames of the English Premier Ice Hockey League....
and Luke Fulghum
Luke Fulghum
Luke Fulghum is an American professional ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League.-Playing career:...
brought goals up front.
The season started with a Challenge Cup run that fell at the group stage, but the Elite League’s newly created 20-20 hockey tournament proved more of a success and Blaze were losing finalists to the Sheffield Steelers. With the cups removed from the priority list, the league became Coventry’s main focus for six months, and the race for its title was to become one of the closest fought for years, going all the way to the final weekend.
To avoid a final day showdown with second-placed Belfast, Coventry as narrow leaders needed to win their penultimate game in Edinburgh. Blaze gained a two-goal lead, but with a minute to go found themselves a goal down and the big title-decider against the Giants looked likely. But Captain Adam Calder tied the scores with only 28 seconds remaining and took the game to OT, before his hat-trick goal sealed the comeback and the league championship. However, despite making the Playoff Semi-Finals for a fourth year running, they were well-beaten in Nottingham by the Cardiff Devils.
2010/11 season
The 2010/11 season resulted in no silverware for the Blaze.There were not many changes from the team that won the league championship the previous season. Brett Jaeger replaced Peter Hirsh in goal whilst Canadian blueliners Brad Zanon and Jeff Smith were signed in place of long-time defenceman Tom Watkins, who moved to Telford Tigers
Telford Tigers
The Telford Tigers are an English Premier League ice hockey team that formed in 2001 under the name Telford Wild Foxes.A previous Telford Tigers team had existed between 1985 and 1999.- Early history :...
as player-coach, and the retiring Jason Robinson. Up-front Owen Fussey was signed from rivals Edinburgh Capitals
Edinburgh Capitals
The Edinburgh Capitals are a Scottish ice hockey club, playing in the UK-wide Elite Ice Hockey League.They are based in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh...
to replace the teams highest goal scorer Adam Calder.
The season did not start well with four consecutive defeats against Belfast and Nottingham leaving the Blaze at the bottom of the league table, but even a club record 12 game unbeaten run between the end of September and middle of November did not help them catch up with the leaders. From then on Blaze lost more games than they won and the result was 6th in the league standings - Coventry's worst finish in their 11 year history. Injuries were blamed for the downturn, particularly to key imports, with defenceman Jeff Smith, Brian Lee and Jonathan Weaver all requiring lengthy lay-offs which resulted in Blaze calling up inexperienced players from their ENL team as well as bringing back Jason Robinson from retirement in America to help plug the gaps on the blueline. The situation was just as bad in attack with goalscorer Owen Fussey sidelined after 34 games with a knee injury and Brad Cruikshank forced to serve a lengthy ban for his involvement in a bench clearance against rivals Nottingham in a game at the SkyDome.
Away from the league there was just as little success. A strong start in the Challenge Cup soon faltered and Blaze failed to progress from the group stage, and in the playoffs the team failed to reach the finals weekend in Nottingham after suffereing a 3-4 overtime loss against Belfast in the quarter finals. As defending league champions Blaze once again were Britain's representatives in the Continental Cup, and made a strong bid to reach the superfinals of the competition with 6-1 victories in their first two group games before falling 3-7 to the hosts in Rouen.
2011/12 season
2011–12 will be the 9th season for the Coventry Blaze in the Elite Ice Hockey League.Club roster 2011-12
The Coventry Blaze roster for the 2011-12 season.
| Netminders | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Nat. | |Player | Catches | Date of birth | Place of birth | Acquired | ||||
| 31 | Brandon Stones Brandon Stones Brandon Stones is a British ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League .- Playing career :... |
R | 7 February 1993 (age 18) | Nottingham Nottingham Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
2011 | |||||
| 84 |  |
Peter Hirsch Peter Hirsch (ice hockey) For the UK materials scientist, see Peter Hirsch.Peter Hirsch is a Danish professional ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League .-Playing career:... |
R | 6 March 1976 (age 35) | Copenhagen Copenhagen Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region... , Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
2011 | ||||
| Defencemen | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Nat. | |Player | Shoots | Date of birth | Place of birth | Acquired | ||||
| 2 |  |
Jerramie Domish Jerramie Domish Jerramie Domish is an American professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League .- Playing career :... (A) |
R | 19 August 1979 (age 32) | Collegeville, Pennsylvania Collegeville, Pennsylvania Collegeville is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia on the Perkiomen Creek. Collegeville was incorporated in 1896. It is the seat of Ursinus College, opened in 1869... , U.S.A. |
2011 | ||||
| 5 |  |
Dustin Wood Dustin Wood Dustin Wood is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League .His nickname is "The Machine".-Playing career:... |
L | 21 May 1981 (age 30) | Scarborough Scarborough, Ontario Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River... , Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
2011 | ||||
| 13 | David Phillips Dave Phillips (ice hockey) David Phillips is a British professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League .-Playing career:... (A) |
R | 14 August 1987 (age 24) | Beverley Beverley Beverley is a market town, civil parish and the county town of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, located between the River Hull and the Westwood. The town is noted for Beverley Minster and architecturally-significant religious buildings along New Walk and other areas, as well as the Beverley... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
2011 | |||||
| 14 | Jonathan Weaver Jonathan Weaver Jonathan Weaver is a British professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League .- Playing career :... (C Captain (ice hockey) In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey... ) |
L | 20 January 1977 (age 35) | Sunderland, England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
2007 | |||||
| 15 | James Griffin James Griffin (ice hockey) James Griffin is a British professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League .- Playing career :... |
R | 8 April 1993 (age 18) | Swindon Swindon Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
2011 | |||||
| 17 | Russell Cowley Russell Cowley Russell Cowley is a British ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League .- Playing career :... |
L | 12 August 1983 (age 28) | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
2007 | |||||
| 77 |  |
Mathias Söderström | L | 17 January 1977 (age 35) | Hallstavik Hallstavik Hallstavik is a locality situated in Norrtälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 4,530 inhabitants in 2005. The town is famous for its paper-factory and the Speedway team Rospiggarna.- The modern Hallstavik :... , Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
2007 | ||||
| Forwards | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Nat. | |Player | Shoots | Position | Date of birth | Place of birth | Acquired | |||
| 9 | Greg Owen | R | C | 19 June 1981 (age 30) | Northampton Northampton Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
2009 | ||||
| 10 | Robert Farmer | L | LW | 21 March 1991 (age 20) | Nottingham Nottingham Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
2010 | ||||
| 11 | |
Shea Guthrie Shea Guthrie Shea Guthrie is a Canadian Ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the Elite Ice Hockey League .He was selected 76th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders.... |
R | RW | 30 July 1987 (age 24) | Carleton Place, Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
2011 | |||
| 21 | Ross Venus | L | C | 28 April 1994 (age 17) | Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
2010 | ||||
| 23 | |
Owen Fussey Owen Fussey Owen Fussey is a Canadian ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League.He was selected 90th overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals.... (A) |
L | LW | 2 April 1983 (age 28) | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
2010 | |||
| 24 | |
Mike McLean Mike McLean (ice hockey) Mike McLean is a Canadian ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Coventry Blaze in the Elite Ice Hockey League .... |
L | C | 6 January 1986 (age 26) | Oshawa Oshawa Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most... , Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
2011 | |||
| 27 | |
Luke Fulghum Luke Fulghum Luke Fulghum is an American professional ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League.-Playing career:... (A) |
R | RW | 16 October 1980 (age 31) | Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... , U.S.A. |
2009 | |||
| 36 |  |
Park Woo-sang Park Woo-sang Park Woo-sang is a Korean professional ice hockey center. He played for the South Korean national team at the 2007 Asian Winter Games, and scored 4 goals. He played three seasons for Anyang Halla of ALIH. In November 1, 2011 Park signed 1-yeal deal with Coventry Blaze of EIHL... |
R | RW | 30 May 1980 (age 31) | Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
2011 | |||
| 48 | |
Bryan Jurynec Bryan Jurynec Bryan Jurynec is an American professional ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League.-Junior:... |
L | LW | 17 December 1983 (age 28) | Orland Park, Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... , U.S.A. |
2011 | |||
| 55 | Frantisek Bakrlik | L | RW | 2 June 1983 (age 28) | Litvínov Litvínov Litvínov is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. The largest oil refinery in the Czech Republic is located there. Models Eva Herzigová and Iva Frühlingová come from Litvínov. The HC Litvínov ice hockey club is based in the town.... , Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest.... |
2011 | ||||
| 83 |  |
Matic Kralj Matic Kralj Matic Kralj is a Slovenian Ice hockey player, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the Elite Ice Hockey League .- Playing career :... |
L | LW | 15 January 1983 (age 29) | Ljubljana Ljubljana Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants... , Slovenia Slovenia Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of... |
2011 | |||
Season-by-season record
| Coventry Blaze season-by-season record | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEWLIN> | ||||||||||
| Season | League | GP | W | L | T | OTL | PTS | GF | GA | League Position |
| 2000-01 | British League | 36 | 26 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 53 | 215 | 111 | 4th |
| 2001-02 | British League | 44 | 33 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 68 | 227 | 118 | 2nd |
| 2002-03 | British League | 36 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 62 | 173 | 69 | 1st |
| 2003-04 2003-04 EIHL season The 2003–04 Elite Ice Hockey League season was the inaugural season of the Elite League. The season ran from September 12, 2003 until April 4, 2004.... |
Elite Ice Hockey League Elite Ice Hockey League Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other... |
56 | 29 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 65 | 186 | 156 | 3rd |
| 2004-05 | Elite Ice Hockey League | 50 | 33 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 77 | 181 | 104 | 1st |
| 2005-06 2005-06 EIHL season The 2005–06 Elite Ice Hockey League season ran from September 9, 2005, through April 9, 2006. The Edinburgh Capitals and Newcastle Vipers joined the Elite League from the British National League while the Manchester Phoenix did not participate for a second season due to a lack of suitable ice... |
Elite Ice Hockey League | 42 | 23 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 53 | 150 | 107 | 4th |
| 2006-07 2006-07 EIHL season The 2006–07 Elite Ice Hockey League season commenced on September 9, 2006 and concluded on April 8, 2007. It was the Elite League's fourth season of competition.... |
Elite Ice Hockey League | 54 | 36 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 75 | 186 | 129 | 1st |
| 2007-08 | Elite Ice Hockey League | 54 | 41 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 84 | 217 | 127 | 1st |
| 2008-09 | Elite Ice Hockey League | 54 | 38 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 78 | 228 | 151 | 2nd |
| 2009-10 | Elite Ice Hockey League | 56 | 38 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 228 | 174 | 1st |
| 2010-11 2010-11 EIHL season The 2010-11 Elite Ice Hockey League season started on August 25, 2010, with the annual Charity Shield match between Coventry Blaze and Belfast Giants. The League proper started on September 4. Two new teams joined for the 2010-11 season- the Braehead Clan and the Dundee Stars... |
Elite Ice Hockey League | 54 | 23 | 27 | 0 | 4 | 50 | 198 | 185 | 6th |
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime Losses; PTS = Points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against
Honours
Below is a list of all the major titles and honours for the Solihull/Coventry Blaze since 1996.English Division One North Champions
- 1997–98 (as Solihull)
English National League Champions
- 1997–98 (as Solihull)
English National League Play Off Champions
- 1997–98 (as Solihull)
English Premier League Champions
- 1998–99 (as Solihull)
English Premier League Play Off Champions
- 1998–99 (as Solihull)
British National League Champions
- 2002–03
British National League Play Off Champions
- 2002–03
Elite Ice Hockey League Champions
- 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10
Elite Ice Hockey League Play Off Champions
British Championship
The British Championship is the most prestigious ice hockey cup competition in the United Kingdom, and also the longest established ice hockey competition. It has been run under various formats and titles since 1930 and contested annually since 1966...
- 2004–05
Elite Ice Hockey League Challenge Cup Champions
- 2004–05, 2006–07
Elite Ice Hockey League British Knockout Cup Champions
British Knockout Cup
The British Knockout Cup is an Elite Ice Hockey League competition originally created to fill the void left by the demise of the London Racers in the 2005-06 season. The first winners of the cup were the Sheffield Steelers who defeated the Coventry Blaze on penalty shots in the final.The format was...
- 2007–08
Elite Ice Hockey League Charity Shield Champions
- 2008–09
Elite Ice Hockey League First Team All-Stars
EIHL All-Star Team
The All-Star Teams for the British Elite Ice Hockey League are voted for by members of Ice Hockey Journalists UK to honour the best players at the end of each season.- 2003-2004 :First Team...
- 2004–05 Jody Lehman, Neal MartinNeal MartinNeal Martin , is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman.He played for the Coventry Blaze in the British Elite Ice Hockey League. In the 2004–05 season he led the team to a British Grand Slam as the League MVP. In 2006–07, he helped the Blaze retain the Elite League and Challenge Cup titles...
, Doug Schueller, Adam Calder - 2005–06 Neal MartinNeal MartinNeal Martin , is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman.He played for the Coventry Blaze in the British Elite Ice Hockey League. In the 2004–05 season he led the team to a British Grand Slam as the League MVP. In 2006–07, he helped the Blaze retain the Elite League and Challenge Cup titles...
, Evan Cheverie - 2006–07 Trevor Koenig, Neal MartinNeal MartinNeal Martin , is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman.He played for the Coventry Blaze in the British Elite Ice Hockey League. In the 2004–05 season he led the team to a British Grand Slam as the League MVP. In 2006–07, he helped the Blaze retain the Elite League and Challenge Cup titles...
, Adam Calder - 2007–08 Trevor Koenig, Neal MartinNeal MartinNeal Martin , is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman.He played for the Coventry Blaze in the British Elite Ice Hockey League. In the 2004–05 season he led the team to a British Grand Slam as the League MVP. In 2006–07, he helped the Blaze retain the Elite League and Challenge Cup titles...
, Jonathan WeaverJonathan WeaverJonathan Weaver is a British professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League .- Playing career :...
, Adam Calder - 2009–10 Luke FulghumLuke FulghumLuke Fulghum is an American professional ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, Jonathan WeaverJonathan WeaverJonathan Weaver is a British professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League .- Playing career :...
Elite Ice Hockey League Second Team All-Stars
EIHL All-Star Team
The All-Star Teams for the British Elite Ice Hockey League are voted for by members of Ice Hockey Journalists UK to honour the best players at the end of each season.- 2003-2004 :First Team...
- 2003–04 Steve O'Brien, Steve Gallace
- 2004–05 Wade BelakWade BelakWade Belak was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and defenceman. He was drafted 12th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft...
, Ashley Tait - 2006–07 Dan Carlson
- 2007–08 Dan Carlson
- 2008–09 Jonathan WeaverJonathan WeaverJonathan Weaver is a British professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League .- Playing career :...
, Adam Calder - 2009–10 Peter HirschPeter HirschSir Peter Bernhard Hirsch FRS is a leading figure in British materials science who has made fundamental contributions to the application of transmission electron microscopy to metals....
, Greg ChambersGreg ChambersGreg Chambers is a Canadian ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Guildford Flames of the English Premier Ice Hockey League.... - 2010–11 Luke FulghumLuke FulghumLuke Fulghum is an American professional ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite Ice Hockey League.-Playing career:...