Nottingham Panthers
Encyclopedia
The Nottingham Panthers are a British
professional ice hockey
club based in Nottingham
, England
. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League
. The team is officially known as the GMB Nottingham Panthers due to a sponsorship agreement with the GMB union
.
The Panthers have won three league championships (two English National League
titles and one British National League title), three Championships
, six Autumn Cups and four Challenge Cups
during their history. They are the only team to have played in every season where a British league championship
has been contested and are the only founding member of the Premier Division
in 1983 to have continually participated in the top flight league. The Panthers have 16 members enshrined in the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame and have had 34 players represent Great Britain at the World Championships and in Olympic qualifying.
The club was founded in 1946 after earlier attempts to establish a team were postponed due to World War II
. During their first eight seasons the Panthers played in the English National League. They joined the newly formed British National League in 1954, which they competed in until its disbandment in 1960. With no league to play in the club also ceased operations. In 1980, players and officials from the Sheffield Lancers
relocated to Nottingham and reformed the Panthers. Both the original and modern Nottingham Panthers played their home games at the Ice Stadium
until 2000 when the team moved into the National Ice Centre.
The Panthers have one of the largest fanbases in British ice hockey. Their supporters have shared a number of rivalries with other teams during their history. Currently the Panthers have a fierce rivalry with the Sheffield Steelers
. The two sides have played over 160 games, including ten major finals, since 1992.
team to Nottingham
was made in 1939 following the completion of the Ice Stadium
in Nottingham City Centre
. A team was assembled and brought to the United Kingdom from Canada to compete in the 1939–40 English National League
season but were promptly sent home having not played a single game due to the outbreak of World War II
. Seven years later, after the war had ended, a second effort to bring ice hockey to the city was begun. With a team of Canadians largely from Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, the Nottingham Panthers played their first competitive game on 22 November 1946 with a 3–2 home victory over the Wembley Monarchs
.
The Panthers struggled during their early years and only once during their first four seasons did they finish in the upper half of the league table. The club's first coach, Alex Archer
, left Nottingham after two seasons and was replaced by Archie Stinchcombe
who would coach the team until 1955. Despite a lack of success in their formative years the team had a number of players who would become local heroes including forwards
Les Strongman
and Chick Zamick. Zamick became one of the most prolific scorers in the league and won the Nottingham Sportsman of the Year award on two occasions, defeating sportsmen such as the Notts County
and England
international footballer
Tommy Lawton
.
The club's first major title came in the 1950–51 season. After finishing fourth in the Autumn Cup the Panthers won 18 of their 30 league games and clinched the league championship. The team also ended the campaign having scored the most goals and conceded the least. The following season Nottingham lost Chick Zamick to injury and fell to the bottom of the rankings. Success returned in 1953–54 when, after a last place finish in the Autumn Cup, the Panthers secured their second English League title by one point over Streatham
.
In the close season of 1954 the English League and the Scottish League
were merged to form a British League
. The Panthers finished second to the Harringay Racers
in the eleven team competition. After one season all the Scottish teams, with the exception of the Paisley Pirates
, withdrew from the British League and left it with only five members. The close season of 1955 also saw the departure of Stinchcombe who was replaced as coach by Zamick. The 1955–56 season proved to be one of the club's most successful. Nottingham won the Autumn Cup at the beginning of the season before clinching their third league title on goal average ahead of the Wembley Lions
. They also traveled to Sweden
where they won the Ahearne Cup
. This was the last occasion that the original club would win silverware and is, to date, the last season in which a Nottingham Panthers team were league champions
.
Over the next four years Nottingham alternated between bottom and second place in the league standings. After finishing runner-up in 1959–60, the Panthers took part in the first British Championship
final in thirty years where they faced the Brighton Tigers
. Nottingham were defeated 3–2 in the first leg but won the second in regulation time by the same scoreline forcing overtime
. The Tigers clinched the tie 6–5 after six minutes and 32 seconds of the extra session. During the close season of 1960 the British National League collapsed and the Nottingham Panthers were disbanded. Ice hockey would not return to Nottingham for the next two decades.
, a team Keward helped to run, were relocated to Nottingham taking the name of the team that had occupied the same building 20 years earlier. On 20 September 1980 the modern Panthers took to the ice for the first time defeating the Solihull Barons
7–4 at the Ice Stadium.
During their first three seasons the Panthers played in regional leagues, first in the English League South and then in Section B of the British Hockey League
. In 1983 the British Hockey League reconstituted itself into the first truly national ice hockey league for 23 years and Nottingham became one of nine founder members of the league's Premier Division. The Panthers were one of the best supported teams in the league with games regularly selling out but success on the ice eluded them as the team struggled against more established opponents such as the Durham Wasps
and the Murrayfield Racers
. It was not until the appointment of Alex Dampier
as coach in 1985 that the team's fortunes began to change. In his first season Dampier led Nottingham to the playoffs for the first time since reforming. The Panthers lost all four of their quarter final group games and failed to advance to the finals at Wembley Arena
.
In 1986 Nottingham secured their first trophy since reforming and their first overall in thirty years when they defeated the Fife Flyers
5–4 in overtime
to win the Norwich Union Trophy at the NEC
in Birmingham
in front of a crowd of . Layton Eratt scored the winning goal after one minute and 53 seconds of the extra session in a game that had seen both the Panthers and the Flyers lead twice. In the league Nottingham again succeeded in qualifying for the playoffs but again failed to register a point. The team repeated this in the Championships
the following season bringing the number of consecutive playoff defeats to twelve.
In 1988–89 the Panthers enjoyed one of their most successful seasons. They finished third in the league and were not only able to register their first win in the playoffs but also advance to the finals at Wembley for the first time. Nottingham met Whitley Warriors in the semi final, winning the match 8–6. In the final the following day the Panthers defeated the Ayr Bruins
6–3, clinching their first Championship
title. Another Autumn Cup followed in 1991 but Dampier left the club during the 1992–93 season to join the newly formed Sheffield Steelers
. He was replaced by Kevin Murphy who coached the team for the remainder of the campaign. Murphy was in turn replaced by Mike Blaisdell
during the close season of 1993.
Blaisdell assembled a strong team for the 1994–95 season and led the Panthers to the Benson & Hedges Cup with a 7–2 victory over the Cardiff Devils
in the final. Nottingham opened their league campaign with a 21 game unbeaten run but four defeats over the final two weekends of the regular season, including an 8–6 home defeat to nearest rivals and eventual champions Sheffield, denied the club their first league championship in 39 years. During the 1995–96 season the Panthers made it to both the Benson & Hedges Cup and playoff finals, but they were defeated on each occasion by the Steelers.
In 1996 the Panthers became a founder member of the new Ice Hockey Superleague
. The new league abolished the wage cap
and restrictions on the number of non-British trained players a club was allowed. Many of Nottingham's British players, who had risen through the ranks of the club's youth development system, were dropped in favour of North American imports. Of Nottingham's locally trained contingent only Randall Weber
, Ashley Tait and Simon Hunt were retained. The Panthers began the season by qualifying for the Benson & Hedges Cup final for a third straight year following a 6–3 aggregate victory over arch rival Sheffield at the semi final stage. In the final they defeated the Ayr Scottish Eagles
5–3, taking the lead 29 seconds into the game and never relinquishing it. The Panthers finished fourth in the league and qualified for the last four in the playoffs after finishing top of their group with five wins and one overtime loss from six games. Their semi final against the Ayr Scottish Eagles became the longest game in British ice hockey history. The scores were level at 5–5 after regulation time and each of the following five periods of ten minute overtime ended goalless. Only in the sixth period of overtime, with the two hour mark of the match nearing, did Jeff Hoad finally score a shorthanded winner for Nottingham ending the game after 115 minutes and 49 seconds. In the final the Panthers met Sheffield where they were defeated 3–1 after taking an early lead.
In 1997 the Panthers franchise was sold after directors revealed the club was in considerable debt. A buyer was found in London
based businessman Neil Black and his sports management company. The 1998–99 season saw the Panthers sign one of their strongest ever line-ups. After finishing third in their Benson & Hedges Cup group, the Panthers eliminated the Slough Jets
and Newcastle Riverkings
before defeating the Manchester Storm
in the semi final despite being depleted by injuries and facing a full strength Storm side. The final saw the Panthers taking on the Ayr Scottish Eagles
in a repeat of the 1996 final. Here Nottingham came from behind to defeat the Eagles 2–1 with Finn
Pekka Virta scoring both goals. In the league the Panthers finished in third place, twelve points behind champions Manchester. Nottingham also qualified for the finals of the Challenge Cup
and the playoffs but the team were defeated by the Sheffield Steelers and Cardiff Devils respectively. During the course of the season Paul Adey
and Greg Hadden scored 141 points
between them, four players scored more than 20 goals
, six players earned more than 30 assists
and seven players achieved 30 or more points.
The 1999–00 season was the club's final year at the Ice Stadium before moving to the National Ice Centre. The budget for players was limited by the club chairman so that the Panthers would be able to break even the following season. Players were asked to take a wage cut, leading to the departure of Trevor Robins, Mike Bishop, Mark Kolesar
, Eric Dubios and record goalscorer Paul Adey
. This frustrated Mike Blaisdell who left the club in November to become head coach of the Sheffield Steelers. He was replaced by former coach Alex Dampier
. Lacking the spending power of many of their rivals, Nottingham finished sixth in the eight team league. The club fared better in the Challenge Cup where it made the final for the second successive year but the team was defeated 2–1 at London Arena
by Mike Blaisdell's Steelers. On 22 March 2000 the Panthers hosted Newcastle in their final game at the Ice Stadium. Jamie Leach
scored Nottingham's last goal at their home of 54 years but the club was defeated 2–1 in overtime.
at the semi final stage of the Benson & Hedges Cup by the Steelers
and suffered a dire first half to the regular season. By Christmas
the team faced the prospect of not qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 1985. Form improved during the second half of the season with the team winning five of their first seven home games during 2001, including a 6–4 victory over the Sheffield Steelers marred by a violent bench clearing brawl. The Panthers still lay in ninth and last place going into their final game of the regular season, three points behind their opponents Newcastle Jesters
. Nottingham required a regulation time win to claim the eighth and final playoff berth, something they had not done away from their home ice all season. The Jesters needed only to tie. With 10.1 seconds to go, the game was locked at 2–2, but with an extra attacker
the Panthers won a faceoff
next to the Newcastle goal and Robert Nordmark
scored with 4.4 seconds remaining to take them into the playoffs and eliminate the Jesters. In the playoffs a 5–0 win over a financially troubled Sheffield Steelers was their only victory of the post season.
In 2003 the Superleague
collapsed after financial problems; it was left with only five members and faced the prospect of having only three. After uncertainty over which league the Panthers would be taking part in and even uncertainty over the future of the club itself, Nottingham became a founding member of the new Elite Ice Hockey League
. Changes to the rules regarding the number of non-British trained players a club was allowed to sign and a new wage cap
saw the Panthers make substantial changes to their squad. After finishing second in the league, their highest finish in twelve years, Panthers qualified for the Challenge Cup final. Their opponent in the two-legged final was arch rival Sheffield Steelers, a team that Nottingham had failed to beat in each of the six finals the two club's had contested. The first leg ended in a 1–1 tie in Nottingham
. In the second leg at Sheffield Arena the Panthers raced to an early 3–1 aggregate lead. However, Sheffield pulled a goal back late in the second period and equalised with ten minutes remaining, forcing overtime. After 53 seconds of the extra session Kim Ahlroos scored the winning goal, ending an eight year wait for the Panthers to beat the Steelers in a showpiece final and securing the club's first silverware since 1998. The Panthers followed up their trophy win with a strong playoff campaign, but after a 6–1 win over the Manchester Phoenix
in the semi final, the Steelers avenged their Challenge Cup defeat with a narrow 2–1 win in the final.
The 2004–05 season saw the club take part in the Continental Cup. The Panthers were placed into a group
with host team Gothiques d'Amiens, Italian side Milano Vipers and Slovenia
n side Olimpija Ljubljana
. Nottingham tied their first game against Milan before recording 1–0 and 3–1 victories over the Slovenians and French, narrowly missing out on a place in the second round of the competition due to Milan's better goal difference. Domestically the team struggled for much of season and only during the end of season playoffs did the Panthers replicate the form they showed in Europe where, despite being depleted by injuries, they qualified for the a second successive playoff final, losing 2–1 in overtime to eventual Grand Slam winners Coventry Blaze
.
Mike Blaisdell
briefly returned to the club as coach for the 2005–06 season, before being succeeded by Mike Ellis. Ellis made numerous changes to the playing staff and led the Panthers to a fifth place league finish. In the playoffs Nottingham eliminated the Sheffield Steelers and Belfast Giants before defeating the Cardiff Devils to clinch their first playoff title in 18 years. All three ties were decided on penalty shots
with goaltender Rastislav Rovnianek saving all seven shots he faced during the course of the competition. The following season
the Panthers won a second Challenge Cup
title, defeating the Sheffield Steelers 9–7 on aggregate in the final. This was the first time that the Panthers had won major honours in successive seasons.
Ellis departed the club following the 2007–08 season, to be replaced by Corey Neilson. For the 2008-09 season Corey Neilson brought in Bruce Richardson
as player/assistant coach. After a third place finish in the 2008–09 season, the Panthers mounted a title challenge during 2009–10, remaining in contention for the championship until the final stages of the season. They eventually finished third for a third successive season. The Panthers also won the Challenge Cup for the second time in three seasons, defeating the Cardiff Devils 8–7 on aggregate in the final.
during World War II
. However, there is no evidence to suggest that such a squadron existed and records indicate that the name was coined before these events could have taken place. A souvenir brochure produced to mark of the opening of the Ice Stadium in April 1939 stated that the venue's new team would be known as the Nottingham Panthers. It does not, however, explain the rationale behind the name. Three games were played by teams using the name Nottingham Panthers during the winter of 1939–40 before the name was revived in 1946.
During the original era the Panthers did not have a logo, instead using stylised lettering on the front of their shirts. The club's current logo was adopted in 2003 and is the fifth to be used since the Panthers were reformed. The first was used between 1980 and 1994 and was the silhouette of a Panthers' head in a red circle. The second logo, adopted in 1994, was similar to the first but used a more detailed Panthers' head. The third logo, introduced in 1998, featured a keyhole shaped like the head of a cat with a Panther reaching through it. The fourth logo was adopted following the move to the National Ice Centre and was similar to the logo of German side Augsburger Panther
. The stylised lettering used during the original era was used again on special shirts made to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the club in 2006.
The colours used by the original Panthers were black and white. Home shirts were black with a black and white striped lining on the shoulders. When the club reformed in 1980, the black and white colours were also revived, with a gold lining also being added to the jerseys. In 1996 red was added to the colour scheme of the shirts. In 2001–02 the club's colour scheme was changed to black and gold. Home jerseys are gold with a black lining with away jerseys being the reverse. In 2007–08, the Panthers brought out a predominantly white third jersey for the Challenge Cup
.
. Built by Sims, Sons and Cooke Ltd, the Ice Stadium was based on the Harringay Arena
design and officially opened on 10 April 1939. The building hosted its first game two days later with the Harringay Greyhounds
defeating the Harringay Racers
10–6 in a challenge game in front of a crowd of spectators. Though a team playing under the name Nottingham Panthers would play three games during the winter of 1939–40, it would be 1946 before the venue would host a competitive match. During World War II
the Ice Stadium served as a makeshift munitions store and morgue. The building reopened on 31 August 1946 and hosted another game between the Greyhounds and Racers before the Panthers made their competitive debut on 22 November, defeating the Wembley Monarchs
3–2. The venue became the home of the team between 1946 and 1960 and again from the club's reformation in 1980 to 2000.
The Ice Stadium held a capacity of spectators and had an ice pad measuring 185 feet (56.4 m) by 85 feet (25.9 m). After the club's reformation a second ice pad was installed in 1983. In October 1996 plans were announced by Nottingham City Council to replace the ageing building with a twin-rinked National Ice Centre. Work began on the capacity arena section of the facility in the summer of 1998 and was completed in the spring of 2000. The Panthers played their final game at the Ice Stadium on 22 March 2000. After the game supporters were allowed to dismantle anything easily removable from the interior of the building to take home as souvenirs. The Ice Stadium was demolished soon afterwards to allow for the completion of the new Ice Centre.
The new National Ice Centre was designed by Nottingham City Council officials and was built by John Laing plc. The building cost £40 million to construct, of which £22.5 million was awarded by the National Lottery
. The arena half of the facility was opened on 1 April 2000, with the second public skating pad opening a year later. Both rinks are Olympic sized ice pads measuring 196 feet (59.7 m) by 97 feet (29.6 m). The Panthers played their first game at their new home on 2 September 2000 when the team hosted the London Knights
in the Benson & Hedges Cup. Barry Nieckar
scored the club's first goal in a 2–1 Panthers victory played to a crowd of .
Chick Zamick comes second, having appeared 624 times between 1947 and 1958.
Canadian forward
Paul Adey
is the club's all time leader in goals
, assists
and points
. He scored 828 goals and 781 assists for a total of points in 609 appearance between 1988 and 1999. Zamick is in second place having scored 774 goals and 638 assists for 1412 points. He is the only other player to have amassed more than points for the Panthers. Adey also holds the record for the most goals scored by a Panthers player in a single season with 120 during the 1994–95 season. During the same season Rick Brebant
set club records for the most assists and most points in a single season with 156 and 241 respectively.
British
forward Simon Hunt holds the club record for the most penalty minutes
, serving minutes in 524 appearances between 1988 and 1999. During 2000–01 Barry Nieckar
earned 352 penalty minutes, the highest number for a player in a single season.
The club's record win came on 31 October 1981 when the Panthers defeated the Southampton Vikings
31–2 at the Ice Stadium
. A few weeks earlier, on 4 October, the Panthers had recorded their record away victory with a 23–1 win over the same opposition. The team's heaviest defeat came on 20 March 1988 with a 23–1 away defeat at the Whitley Warriors
. Nottingham's largest home defeat was a 14–2 loss to the Dundee Rockets
on 25 February 1984.
The Nottingham Panthers have held continuous membership of British ice hockey's highest division since the foundation of the Premier League
in 1983 and are the only team to have this distinction. The club are one of the oldest in the Elite Ice Hockey League
having been founded eight years after the Fife Flyers
, but forty years before the Cardiff Devils
.
Gary Rippingale was retired following his death at the age of eighteen in 1992. Randall Weber
, who spent his entire seventeen year career at the Panthers, had his number 10 retired following his final game for the club in 2002. The number 11 of forward Greg Hadden and the number 22 of the club's all time leading goal
, assist
and point scorer
Paul Adey
were retired in 2003.
Sixteen people who have been associated with the Panthers are members of British
ice hockey's Hall of Fame. As a member of the Great Britain
team that won gold
at the 1936 Winter Olympics
, Panthers coach
Archie Stinchcombe
was inducted in 1951. The club's first coach, Alex Archer
was posthumously elected to the Hall of Fame as a member of the Olympic winning team in 1993. Forward
Chick Zamick, who played for the Panthers between 1947 and 1958 and holds the original club's records for most goals and most appearances, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951 while fellow forward and team mate Les Strongman
who went on to serve as the modern club's coach, secretary and as a club director was inducted in 1987. Coaches Alex Dampier
and Mike Blaisdell
were inducted in 1995 and 2004 respectively while Paul Adey was inducted in 2006. Former players George Beach, Rick Brebant
, Johnny Carlyle, Stephen Cooper, Jack Dryburgh
,
Art Hodgins
, Chris Kelland
, Jimmy Spence and Mike Urquhart
are also members of the Hall of Fame. Zamick is the only person associated with the Nottingham Panthers to have membership of another Hall of Fame, having been inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1995.
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...
professional ice hockey
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...
club based in 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...
. They are members of the 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...
. The team is officially known as the GMB Nottingham Panthers due to a sponsorship agreement with the GMB union
GMB Union
The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom, and has more than 600,000 members. Its members are drawn from many sectors, with particular strength amongst manual workers in local government and the health service...
.
The Panthers have won three league championships (two English National League
English National League
For the current league see English National Ice Hockey LeagueThe English National League was an early ice hockey league in England. It was founded in 1935 by most of the teams who had previously competed in the English League. It was suspended during the Second World War, but returned in 1946...
titles and one British National League title), three Championships
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...
, six Autumn Cups and four Challenge Cups
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...
during their history. They are the only team to have played in every season where a British league championship
British ice hockey league champions
The British ice hockey league champions are the winners of the highest ice hockey league in the United Kingdom, currently the Elite Ice Hockey League...
has been contested and are the only founding member of the Premier Division
British Hockey League
The British Hockey League was the top-flight ice hockey league in the United Kingdom from 1982 until 1996, when it was replaced by the Ice Hockey Superleague and the British National League...
in 1983 to have continually participated in the top flight league. The Panthers have 16 members enshrined in the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame and have had 34 players represent Great Britain at the World Championships and in Olympic qualifying.
The club was founded in 1946 after earlier attempts to establish a team were postponed due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During their first eight seasons the Panthers played in the English National League. They joined the newly formed British National League in 1954, which they competed in until its disbandment in 1960. With no league to play in the club also ceased operations. In 1980, players and officials from the Sheffield Lancers
Sheffield Lancers
The Sheffield Lancers were an ice hockey club from Sheffield, England that played at the Queens Road Ice Rink between 1970 and 1980. The Lancers initially played in the Southern League before transferring into the English League North in 1978 where they won the league's inaugrual title.In 1980 the...
relocated to Nottingham and reformed the Panthers. Both the original and modern Nottingham Panthers played their home games at the Ice Stadium
Nottingham Ice Stadium
The Nottingham Ice Stadium was an ice rink in Nottingham, England 1939 - 2000.The building was first opened in 1939 but it was quickly called upon for other purposes...
until 2000 when the team moved into the National Ice Centre.
The Panthers have one of the largest fanbases in British ice hockey. Their supporters have shared a number of rivalries with other teams during their history. Currently the Panthers have a fierce rivalry with the 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...
. The two sides have played over 160 games, including ten major finals, since 1992.
1946–60: Original era
An initial attempt to bring a professional ice hockeyIce 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 to 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...
was made in 1939 following the completion of the Ice Stadium
Nottingham Ice Stadium
The Nottingham Ice Stadium was an ice rink in Nottingham, England 1939 - 2000.The building was first opened in 1939 but it was quickly called upon for other purposes...
in Nottingham City Centre
Nottingham City Centre
Nottingham city centre is the cultural, commercial, financial and historical heart of Nottingham, England. Nottingham's city centre represents the central area of the Greater Nottingham conurbation....
. A team was assembled and brought to the United Kingdom from Canada to compete in the 1939–40 English National League
English National League
For the current league see English National Ice Hockey LeagueThe English National League was an early ice hockey league in England. It was founded in 1935 by most of the teams who had previously competed in the English League. It was suspended during the Second World War, but returned in 1946...
season but were promptly sent home having not played a single game due to the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Seven years later, after the war had ended, a second effort to bring ice hockey to the city was begun. With a team of Canadians largely from Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, the Nottingham Panthers played their first competitive game on 22 November 1946 with a 3–2 home victory over the Wembley Monarchs
Wembley Monarchs
The Wembley Monarchs were an ice hockey team in the United Kingdom. They were founded in 1929 as the Grosvenor House Canadians, transferred to Wembley Canadians for the 1934-35 season and became the Monarchs in 1936...
.
Alex Archer
Alexander "Sandy" Archer was an ice hockey right winger who played in the English National League for the Wembley Lions...
, left Nottingham after two seasons and was replaced by Archie Stinchcombe
Archibald Stinchcombe
Archibald "Archie" Stinchcombe was a British ice hockey player from Cudworth near Barnsley, Yorkshire. The right-winger is best known for representing Britain at the international level, including at the 1936 and 1948 Winter Olympics...
who would coach the team until 1955. Despite a lack of success in their formative years the team had a number of players who would become local heroes including forwards
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
Les Strongman
Les Strongman
Les Strongman is a retired Canadian ice hockey player. Strongman played professional hockey in Europe between 1946 to 1968 with Malmo FF , Zurich SC and British National League teams Nottingham Panthers and Wembley Lions.Strongman was one of the most prolific scorers in European post-war ice...
and Chick Zamick. Zamick became one of the most prolific scorers in the league and won the Nottingham Sportsman of the Year award on two occasions, defeating sportsmen such as the Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
and England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
international footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
Tommy Lawton
Tommy Lawton
Thomas "Tommy" Lawton was an English association footballer who rose to fame a short time before the outbreak of the Second World War and enjoyed a successful career which lasted until well into the 1950s....
.
The club's first major title came in the 1950–51 season. After finishing fourth in the Autumn Cup the Panthers won 18 of their 30 league games and clinched the league championship. The team also ended the campaign having scored the most goals and conceded the least. The following season Nottingham lost Chick Zamick to injury and fell to the bottom of the rankings. Success returned in 1953–54 when, after a last place finish in the Autumn Cup, the Panthers secured their second English League title by one point over Streatham
Streatham Redskins
The Streatham Redskins are a British ice hockey club based in Streatham, London, England. Amongst the oldest British ice hockey teams still in existence, they were oginally founded in 1932 as Streatham, and added the name Redskins in 1974. During the 1980s, the club were one of the leading teams in...
.
In the close season of 1954 the English League and the Scottish League
Scottish National League (1932 - 1954)
The Scottish National League was the first ice hockey league in Scotland. It was founded in 1932 by five teams from a single ice rink in Glasgow. The league gradually expanded to encompass teams from many areas of Scotland. It was suspended during the Second World War, but returned in 1946, and...
were merged to form a British League
British National League (1954 - 1960)
The British National League was a professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1954 by the merger of the English National League and the Scottish National League, due to a declining number of teams, as many ice rinks previously fielding several sides chose to cut...
. The Panthers finished second to the Harringay Racers
Harringay Racers
Harringay Racers was a British ice hockey club based in Harringay, England.The side was founded in 1936 and initially played alongside Harringay Greyhounds at the Harringay Arena. Both sides entered the English National League, which Racers won in 1937/8. After a break during World War II, the...
in the eleven team competition. After one season all the Scottish teams, with the exception of the Paisley Pirates
Paisley Pirates
The Paisley Pirates were founded in 1946 and are one of the oldest ice hockey clubs in Scotland and the UK . The Pirates were the epitome of the game in Scotland during the 1950s...
, withdrew from the British League and left it with only five members. The close season of 1955 also saw the departure of Stinchcombe who was replaced as coach by Zamick. The 1955–56 season proved to be one of the club's most successful. Nottingham won the Autumn Cup at the beginning of the season before clinching their third league title on goal average ahead of the Wembley Lions
Wembley Lions
The Wembley Lions were an English ice hockey team.The team were founded in 1934 but showed a continuity with the London Lions team which had played at various venues since 1924. The Wembley team were based at the newly built Empire Pool which they shared with the Wembley Monarchs until 1950.The...
. They also traveled to 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....
where they won the Ahearne Cup
Ahearne Cup
Ahearne Cup is the name of two ice hockey tournaments, the first played from 1952 to 1977 and the second created in 2001. Both are named after British ice hockey promoter, J. F...
. This was the last occasion that the original club would win silverware and is, to date, the last season in which a Nottingham Panthers team were league champions
British ice hockey league champions
The British ice hockey league champions are the winners of the highest ice hockey league in the United Kingdom, currently the Elite Ice Hockey League...
.
Over the next four years Nottingham alternated between bottom and second place in the league standings. After finishing runner-up in 1959–60, the Panthers took part in the first British Championship
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...
final in thirty years where they faced the Brighton Tigers
Brighton Tigers
The Brighton Tigers were an English ice hockey club based in Brighton. The team existed from 1935 until 1965 and were one of the United Kingdom's most successful sides during that period...
. Nottingham were defeated 3–2 in the first leg but won the second in regulation time by the same scoreline forcing overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
. The Tigers clinched the tie 6–5 after six minutes and 32 seconds of the extra session. During the close season of 1960 the British National League collapsed and the Nottingham Panthers were disbanded. Ice hockey would not return to Nottingham for the next two decades.
Ice Stadium years
The Nottingham Panthers were revived largely thanks to the efforts of Gary Keward. In 1980 the Ice Stadium directors, led by Charles Walker, agreed to a request by Keward to give ice hockey another chance. The Sheffield LancersSheffield Lancers
The Sheffield Lancers were an ice hockey club from Sheffield, England that played at the Queens Road Ice Rink between 1970 and 1980. The Lancers initially played in the Southern League before transferring into the English League North in 1978 where they won the league's inaugrual title.In 1980 the...
, a team Keward helped to run, were relocated to Nottingham taking the name of the team that had occupied the same building 20 years earlier. On 20 September 1980 the modern Panthers took to the ice for the first time defeating 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...
7–4 at the Ice Stadium.
During their first three seasons the Panthers played in regional leagues, first in the English League South and then in Section B of the British Hockey League
British Hockey League
The British Hockey League was the top-flight ice hockey league in the United Kingdom from 1982 until 1996, when it was replaced by the Ice Hockey Superleague and the British National League...
. In 1983 the British Hockey League reconstituted itself into the first truly national ice hockey league for 23 years and Nottingham became one of nine founder members of the league's Premier Division. The Panthers were one of the best supported teams in the league with games regularly selling out but success on the ice eluded them as the team struggled against more established opponents such as the Durham Wasps
Durham Wasps
The Durham Wasps was an ice hockey team located in Durham and was one of England's most well-known names in ice hockey. The team was bought by Sir John Hall and moved to the neighbouring city of Newcastle Upon Tyne in August 1996...
and the Murrayfield Racers
Murrayfield Racers
The Murrayfield Racers were an ice hockey team in Edinburgh, Scotland, founded in 1952 changing their name to the Racers in 1966. The team won the British Championship 4 times in 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972...
. It was not until the appointment of Alex Dampier
Alex Dampier
Alex "Damps" Dampier is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.-Playing career:...
as coach in 1985 that the team's fortunes began to change. In his first season Dampier led Nottingham to the playoffs for the first time since reforming. The Panthers lost all four of their quarter final group games and failed to advance to the finals at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
.
In 1986 Nottingham secured their first trophy since reforming and their first overall in thirty years when they defeated the 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...
5–4 in overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
to win the Norwich Union Trophy at the NEC
National Exhibition Centre
The National Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre in Birmingham, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It has 20 interconnected halls, set in grounds of 628 acres making it the...
in 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...
in front of a crowd of . Layton Eratt scored the winning goal after one minute and 53 seconds of the extra session in a game that had seen both the Panthers and the Flyers lead twice. In the league Nottingham again succeeded in qualifying for the playoffs but again failed to register a point. The team repeated this in the Championships
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...
the following season bringing the number of consecutive playoff defeats to twelve.
In 1988–89 the Panthers enjoyed one of their most successful seasons. They finished third in the league and were not only able to register their first win in the playoffs but also advance to the finals at Wembley for the first time. Nottingham met Whitley Warriors in the semi final, winning the match 8–6. In the final the following day the Panthers defeated the Ayr Bruins
Ayr Bruins
The Ayr Bruins were an ice hockey club based in Ayr, Scotland between 1966 and 1992. The club played their home games at the Ayr Ice Rink between 1966 and 1972 and at Limekiln Road Ice Rink between 1974 and 1991....
6–3, clinching their first Championship
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...
title. Another Autumn Cup followed in 1991 but Dampier left the club during the 1992–93 season to join the newly formed 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...
. He was replaced by Kevin Murphy who coached the team for the remainder of the campaign. Murphy was in turn replaced by Mike Blaisdell
Mike Blaisdell
Michael Walter "Wally" Blaisdell is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played in the NHL and later in the BHL. He was the 1st round draft pick in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft of the Detroit Red Wings...
during the close season of 1993.
Blaisdell assembled a strong team for the 1994–95 season and led the Panthers to the Benson & Hedges Cup with a 7–2 victory over the 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...
in the final. Nottingham opened their league campaign with a 21 game unbeaten run but four defeats over the final two weekends of the regular season, including an 8–6 home defeat to nearest rivals and eventual champions Sheffield, denied the club their first league championship in 39 years. During the 1995–96 season the Panthers made it to both the Benson & Hedges Cup and playoff finals, but they were defeated on each occasion by the Steelers.
In 1996 the Panthers became a founder member of the new 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...
. The new league abolished the wage cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
and restrictions on the number of non-British trained players a club was allowed. Many of Nottingham's British players, who had risen through the ranks of the club's youth development system, were dropped in favour of North American imports. Of Nottingham's locally trained contingent only Randall Weber
Randall Weber
Randall Weber is a retired ice hockey centre. He moved to Nottingham in the early 1980s and made his debut for the Nottingham Panthers at the age of seventeen in 1985...
, Ashley Tait and Simon Hunt were retained. The Panthers began the season by qualifying for the Benson & Hedges Cup final for a third straight year following a 6–3 aggregate victory over arch rival Sheffield at the semi final stage. In the final they defeated the Ayr Scottish Eagles
Ayr Scottish Eagles
The Ayr Scottish Eagles were a professional Scottish ice hockey club, from Ayr, Scotland. They were formed in 1996 and played their home games at the Centrum Arena. The team competed in the Ice Hockey Superleague and the club's main sponsor was Barr Construction...
5–3, taking the lead 29 seconds into the game and never relinquishing it. The Panthers finished fourth in the league and qualified for the last four in the playoffs after finishing top of their group with five wins and one overtime loss from six games. Their semi final against the Ayr Scottish Eagles became the longest game in British ice hockey history. The scores were level at 5–5 after regulation time and each of the following five periods of ten minute overtime ended goalless. Only in the sixth period of overtime, with the two hour mark of the match nearing, did Jeff Hoad finally score a shorthanded winner for Nottingham ending the game after 115 minutes and 49 seconds. In the final the Panthers met Sheffield where they were defeated 3–1 after taking an early lead.
In 1997 the Panthers franchise was sold after directors revealed the club was in considerable debt. A buyer was found in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
based businessman Neil Black and his sports management company. The 1998–99 season saw the Panthers sign one of their strongest ever line-ups. After finishing third in their Benson & Hedges Cup group, the Panthers eliminated the Slough Jets
Slough Jets
Slough Jets are an ice hockey team from Slough, Berkshire, England. They are the current English Premier Ice Hockey League Cup champions for the 2010–11 season. 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 who...
and Newcastle Riverkings
Newcastle Jesters
The Newcastle Jesters were an ice hockey franchise based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. The team were members of the Ice Hockey Superleague and played their home games at the Telewest Arena .-Single Season of Jesters :...
before defeating the Manchester Storm
Manchester Storm
The Manchester Storm were an ice hockey team from Manchester, England. The team formed in 1995, playing their home games at the then newly built Nynex Arena . Storm won the British Hockey League Division One in their first season, watched by an average crowd of 6,342...
in the semi final despite being depleted by injuries and facing a full strength Storm side. The final saw the Panthers taking on the Ayr Scottish Eagles
Ayr Scottish Eagles
The Ayr Scottish Eagles were a professional Scottish ice hockey club, from Ayr, Scotland. They were formed in 1996 and played their home games at the Centrum Arena. The team competed in the Ice Hockey Superleague and the club's main sponsor was Barr Construction...
in a repeat of the 1996 final. Here Nottingham came from behind to defeat the Eagles 2–1 with Finn
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Pekka Virta scoring both goals. In the league the Panthers finished in third place, twelve points behind champions Manchester. Nottingham also qualified for the 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...
and the playoffs but the team were defeated by the Sheffield Steelers and Cardiff Devils respectively. During the course of the season Paul Adey
Paul Adey
Paul Adey is the head coach of Renon Ritten Sport Hockey in the Italian Serie A. Adey enjoyed a notable playing career in British ice hockey, playing 11 seasons for the Nottingham Panthers between 1988 and 1999 and 29 games for the Sheffield Steelers during the 2000–01 season...
and Greg Hadden scored 141 points
Point (ice hockey)
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...
between them, four players scored more than 20 goals
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...
, six players earned more than 30 assists
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...
and seven players achieved 30 or more points.
The 1999–00 season was the club's final year at the Ice Stadium before moving to the National Ice Centre. The budget for players was limited by the club chairman so that the Panthers would be able to break even the following season. Players were asked to take a wage cut, leading to the departure of Trevor Robins, Mike Bishop, Mark Kolesar
Mark Kolesar
Mark Timothy Kolesar is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played two seasons in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs.-Playing career:...
, Eric Dubios and record goalscorer Paul Adey
Paul Adey
Paul Adey is the head coach of Renon Ritten Sport Hockey in the Italian Serie A. Adey enjoyed a notable playing career in British ice hockey, playing 11 seasons for the Nottingham Panthers between 1988 and 1999 and 29 games for the Sheffield Steelers during the 2000–01 season...
. This frustrated Mike Blaisdell who left the club in November to become head coach of the Sheffield Steelers. He was replaced by former coach Alex Dampier
Alex Dampier
Alex "Damps" Dampier is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.-Playing career:...
. Lacking the spending power of many of their rivals, Nottingham finished sixth in the eight team league. The club fared better in the Challenge Cup where it made the final for the second successive year but the team was defeated 2–1 at London Arena
London Arena
The London Arena was an indoor arena and exhibition centre, on the Isle of Dogs, in East London, England...
by Mike Blaisdell's Steelers. On 22 March 2000 the Panthers hosted Newcastle in their final game at the Ice Stadium. Jamie Leach
Jamie Leach
William "Jamie" Leach is a former National Hockey League player from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He is the son of former NHLer Reggie Leach...
scored Nottingham's last goal at their home of 54 years but the club was defeated 2–1 in overtime.
Move to the National Ice Centre
The Panthers moved to the new National Ice Centre in September 2000. The new building held more than double the capacity of their old rink and attendance levels increased by 72 percent. The team endured a terrible first season in their new home. They were knocked outSingle-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
at the semi final stage of the Benson & Hedges Cup by the 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...
and suffered a dire first half to the regular season. By Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
the team faced the prospect of not qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 1985. Form improved during the second half of the season with the team winning five of their first seven home games during 2001, including a 6–4 victory over the Sheffield Steelers marred by a violent bench clearing brawl. The Panthers still lay in ninth and last place going into their final game of the regular season, three points behind their opponents Newcastle Jesters
Newcastle Jesters
The Newcastle Jesters were an ice hockey franchise based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. The team were members of the Ice Hockey Superleague and played their home games at the Telewest Arena .-Single Season of Jesters :...
. Nottingham required a regulation time win to claim the eighth and final playoff berth, something they had not done away from their home ice all season. The Jesters needed only to tie. With 10.1 seconds to go, the game was locked at 2–2, but with an extra attacker
Extra attacker
An extra attacker in ice hockey is a forward or, less commonly, a defenceman who has been substituted in place of the goaltender. The purpose of this substitution is to gain an offensive advantage to score a goal...
the Panthers won a faceoff
Faceoff
A face-off is the method used to begin play in ice hockey and some other sports. The two teams line up in opposition to each other, and the opposing centres attempt to gain control of the puck after it is dropped between their sticks by an official. One of the referees drops the puck at centre ice...
next to the Newcastle goal and Robert Nordmark
Robert Nordmark
Robert Ingemar Nordmark is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player. He was the headcoach for Almtuna IS in Allsvenskan in the 2007/2008 season, but he was replaced by Leif Boork in November 2007 because of poor results...
scored with 4.4 seconds remaining to take them into the playoffs and eliminate the Jesters. In the playoffs a 5–0 win over a financially troubled Sheffield Steelers was their only victory of the post season.
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...
collapsed after financial problems; it was left with only five members and faced the prospect of having only three. After uncertainty over which league the Panthers would be taking part in and even uncertainty over the future of the club itself, Nottingham became a founding member of the new 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...
. Changes to the rules regarding the number of non-British trained players a club was allowed to sign and a new wage cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
saw the Panthers make substantial changes to their squad. After finishing second in the league, their highest finish in twelve years, Panthers qualified for the Challenge Cup final. Their opponent in the two-legged final was arch rival Sheffield Steelers, a team that Nottingham had failed to beat in each of the six finals the two club's had contested. The first leg ended in a 1–1 tie in 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...
. In the second leg at Sheffield Arena the Panthers raced to an early 3–1 aggregate lead. However, Sheffield pulled a goal back late in the second period and equalised with ten minutes remaining, forcing overtime. After 53 seconds of the extra session Kim Ahlroos scored the winning goal, ending an eight year wait for the Panthers to beat the Steelers in a showpiece final and securing the club's first silverware since 1998. The Panthers followed up their trophy win with a strong playoff campaign, but after a 6–1 win over the 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 the semi final, the Steelers avenged their Challenge Cup defeat with a narrow 2–1 win in the final.
IIHF Continental Cup 2005
The Continental Cup 2004-2005 was the 8th edition of the IIHF Continental Cup. The season started on September 24, 2004, and finished on January 9, 2005.The tournament was won by HKm Zvolen, who led the final group.-Group A:...
with host team Gothiques d'Amiens, Italian side Milano Vipers and 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...
n side Olimpija Ljubljana
NK Olimpija Ljubljana (1911)
NK Olimpija Ljubljana was a Slovenian association football club based in Ljubljana. The club had traced its origin back to 1911 when it was originally founded as SK Ilirija. It had gone through a series of mergers in the first half of the 20th century before adopting the name Olimpija in 1962...
. Nottingham tied their first game against Milan before recording 1–0 and 3–1 victories over the Slovenians and French, narrowly missing out on a place in the second round of the competition due to Milan's better goal difference. Domestically the team struggled for much of season and only during the end of season playoffs did the Panthers replicate the form they showed in Europe where, despite being depleted by injuries, they qualified for the a second successive playoff final, losing 2–1 in overtime to eventual Grand Slam winners Coventry Blaze
Coventry Blaze
Coventry Blaze are an ice hockey team based in Coventry, England. They currently compete in the British Elite Ice Hockey League .-Club history:...
.
Mike Blaisdell
Mike Blaisdell
Michael Walter "Wally" Blaisdell is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played in the NHL and later in the BHL. He was the 1st round draft pick in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft of the Detroit Red Wings...
briefly returned to the club as coach for the 2005–06 season, before being succeeded by Mike Ellis. Ellis made numerous changes to the playing staff and led the Panthers to a fifth place league finish. In the playoffs Nottingham eliminated the Sheffield Steelers and Belfast Giants before defeating the Cardiff Devils to clinch their first playoff title in 18 years. All three ties were decided on penalty shots
Penalty shootout
The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...
with goaltender Rastislav Rovnianek saving all seven shots he faced during the course of the competition. The following season
2007–08 EIHL season
The 2007–08 Elite Ice Hockey League season began September 5, 2007 and ran until April 6, 2008. It was the fifth season of Elite League competition.The defending league champions were the Coventry Blaze, who were also the holders of the Challenge Cup...
the Panthers won a second 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...
title, defeating the Sheffield Steelers 9–7 on aggregate in the final. This was the first time that the Panthers had won major honours in successive seasons.
Ellis departed the club following the 2007–08 season, to be replaced by Corey Neilson. For the 2008-09 season Corey Neilson brought in Bruce Richardson
Bruce Richardson
Bruce Richardson is a former professional ice hockey player best known for his time playing for Braehead Clan and the Nottingham Panthers in the British Elite Ice Hockey League and for the Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League...
as player/assistant coach. After a third place finish in the 2008–09 season, the Panthers mounted a title challenge during 2009–10, remaining in contention for the championship until the final stages of the season. They eventually finished third for a third successive season. The Panthers also won the Challenge Cup for the second time in three seasons, defeating the Cardiff Devils 8–7 on aggregate in the final.
Name origins, logos and colours
The origin of the name Panthers is uncertain. One of the most widely known theories is that the club were named for a squadron of Canadian airmen based near NottinghamNottingham
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...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. However, there is no evidence to suggest that such a squadron existed and records indicate that the name was coined before these events could have taken place. A souvenir brochure produced to mark of the opening of the Ice Stadium in April 1939 stated that the venue's new team would be known as the Nottingham Panthers. It does not, however, explain the rationale behind the name. Three games were played by teams using the name Nottingham Panthers during the winter of 1939–40 before the name was revived in 1946.
During the original era the Panthers did not have a logo, instead using stylised lettering on the front of their shirts. The club's current logo was adopted in 2003 and is the fifth to be used since the Panthers were reformed. The first was used between 1980 and 1994 and was the silhouette of a Panthers' head in a red circle. The second logo, adopted in 1994, was similar to the first but used a more detailed Panthers' head. The third logo, introduced in 1998, featured a keyhole shaped like the head of a cat with a Panther reaching through it. The fourth logo was adopted following the move to the National Ice Centre and was similar to the logo of German side Augsburger Panther
Augsburger Panther
The Augsburger Panther are a professional ice hockey team in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The team is based in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany. They play their home games at the Curt Frenzel Stadion....
. The stylised lettering used during the original era was used again on special shirts made to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the club in 2006.
The colours used by the original Panthers were black and white. Home shirts were black with a black and white striped lining on the shoulders. When the club reformed in 1980, the black and white colours were also revived, with a gold lining also being added to the jerseys. In 1996 red was added to the colour scheme of the shirts. In 2001–02 the club's colour scheme was changed to black and gold. Home jerseys are gold with a black lining with away jerseys being the reverse. In 2007–08, the Panthers brought out a predominantly white third jersey for 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...
.
Stadiums
The original home of the Panthers was the Ice StadiumNottingham Ice Stadium
The Nottingham Ice Stadium was an ice rink in Nottingham, England 1939 - 2000.The building was first opened in 1939 but it was quickly called upon for other purposes...
. Built by Sims, Sons and Cooke Ltd, the Ice Stadium was based on the Harringay Arena
Harringay Arena
Harringay Arena was a sporting and events venue on Green Lanes in Harringay, North London, England. Built in 1936, it lasted as a venue until 1958.-Construction:...
design and officially opened on 10 April 1939. The building hosted its first game two days later with the Harringay Greyhounds
Harringay Greyhounds
Harringay Greyhounds were a British ice hockey club based in Harringay, England.The side was founded in 1936 and initially played alongside Harringay Racers at the Harringay Arena. Both sides entered the English National League, which Greyhounds won in 1938/9 and again in 1939/40...
defeating the Harringay Racers
Harringay Racers
Harringay Racers was a British ice hockey club based in Harringay, England.The side was founded in 1936 and initially played alongside Harringay Greyhounds at the Harringay Arena. Both sides entered the English National League, which Racers won in 1937/8. After a break during World War II, the...
10–6 in a challenge game in front of a crowd of spectators. Though a team playing under the name Nottingham Panthers would play three games during the winter of 1939–40, it would be 1946 before the venue would host a competitive match. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Ice Stadium served as a makeshift munitions store and morgue. The building reopened on 31 August 1946 and hosted another game between the Greyhounds and Racers before the Panthers made their competitive debut on 22 November, defeating the Wembley Monarchs
Wembley Monarchs
The Wembley Monarchs were an ice hockey team in the United Kingdom. They were founded in 1929 as the Grosvenor House Canadians, transferred to Wembley Canadians for the 1934-35 season and became the Monarchs in 1936...
3–2. The venue became the home of the team between 1946 and 1960 and again from the club's reformation in 1980 to 2000.
The new National Ice Centre was designed by Nottingham City Council officials and was built by John Laing plc. The building cost £40 million to construct, of which £22.5 million was awarded by the National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
. The arena half of the facility was opened on 1 April 2000, with the second public skating pad opening a year later. Both rinks are Olympic sized ice pads measuring 196 feet (59.7 m) by 97 feet (29.6 m). The Panthers played their first game at their new home on 2 September 2000 when the team hosted the London Knights
London Knights (UK)
London Knights were an English ice hockey team based in London. They first played in the UK's Ice Hockey Superleague in September 1998 and finally folded in April 2003....
in the Benson & Hedges Cup. Barry Nieckar
Barry Nieckar
Barry Glenn Nieckar is a retired Canadian ice hockey player who played eight games in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim between 1992 and 1998...
scored the club's first goal in a 2–1 Panthers victory played to a crowd of .
Records and statistics
Randall Weber holds the record for Nottingham Panthers appearances, having played for the club 845 times between 1985 and 2002. CentreCentre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
Chick Zamick comes second, having appeared 624 times between 1947 and 1958.
Canadian forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
Paul Adey
Paul Adey
Paul Adey is the head coach of Renon Ritten Sport Hockey in the Italian Serie A. Adey enjoyed a notable playing career in British ice hockey, playing 11 seasons for the Nottingham Panthers between 1988 and 1999 and 29 games for the Sheffield Steelers during the 2000–01 season...
is the club's all time leader in goals
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...
, assists
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...
and points
Point (ice hockey)
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...
. He scored 828 goals and 781 assists for a total of points in 609 appearance between 1988 and 1999. Zamick is in second place having scored 774 goals and 638 assists for 1412 points. He is the only other player to have amassed more than points for the Panthers. Adey also holds the record for the most goals scored by a Panthers player in a single season with 120 during the 1994–95 season. During the same season Rick Brebant
Rick Brebant
Richard Joseph "Rick" Brebant is a retired ice hockey player who played mainly in Great Britain. He is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.-Club:...
set club records for the most assists and most points in a single season with 156 and 241 respectively.
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...
forward Simon Hunt holds the club record for the most penalty minutes
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...
, serving minutes in 524 appearances between 1988 and 1999. During 2000–01 Barry Nieckar
Barry Nieckar
Barry Glenn Nieckar is a retired Canadian ice hockey player who played eight games in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim between 1992 and 1998...
earned 352 penalty minutes, the highest number for a player in a single season.
The club's record win came on 31 October 1981 when the Panthers defeated the Southampton Vikings
Southampton Vikings
The Southampton Vikings were an ice hockey team from Southampton, England. Their home venue was Southampton Ice Rink.The Vikings were established following the collapse of French side Club Francais Volants. The name 'Vikings' was adopted due to the new team using the shirts of the old French club...
31–2 at the Ice Stadium
Nottingham Ice Stadium
The Nottingham Ice Stadium was an ice rink in Nottingham, England 1939 - 2000.The building was first opened in 1939 but it was quickly called upon for other purposes...
. A few weeks earlier, on 4 October, the Panthers had recorded their record away victory with a 23–1 win over the same opposition. The team's heaviest defeat came on 20 March 1988 with a 23–1 away defeat at the Whitley Warriors
Whitley Bay Warriors
Whitley Warriors are an ice hockey team based in Whitley Bay in the north east of England. Founded in 1955 as the Bees, they changed their name to the Braves and then finally the Warriors. They currently play in the English National Hockey League...
. Nottingham's largest home defeat was a 14–2 loss to the Dundee Rockets
Dundee Rockets
The Dundee Rockets were an ice hockey club based in Dundee, Scotland. Founded in 1963, the club were founder members of the Northern League in 1967 and the British Hockey League in 1982. The club won eight titles before closing in 1987....
on 25 February 1984.
The Nottingham Panthers have held continuous membership of British ice hockey's highest division since the foundation of the Premier League
British Hockey League
The British Hockey League was the top-flight ice hockey league in the United Kingdom from 1982 until 1996, when it was replaced by the Ice Hockey Superleague and the British National League...
in 1983 and are the only team to have this distinction. The club are one of the oldest in the 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...
having been founded eight years after the 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...
, but forty years before the 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...
.
Current roster
2011–12 EIHL season2011–12 EIHL season
The 2011-12 Elite Ice Hockey League Season will feature 10 teams. It started on September 3, 2011.-Teams:-League Table:GP=Games PlayedW=Win,L=Lose,OTL=Over Time Loses,SL=Shoot Out Loses,PTS=Points,PCT=,GF=Goals For,GA=Goals Against,STK=Streak,...
| Goaltender Goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring... s |
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| Number | Player | Catches | Acquired | Place of Birth | Club last season | |
| 33 |  |
Craig Kowalski Craig Kowalski Craig Kowalski is an American professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL.-Playing career:... |
L | 2010 | Clinton Township, Michigan Clinton Charter Township, Michigan The Charter Township of Clinton, usually referred to as Clinton Township, is a charter township of Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a part of Metro Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the township had a total population of 96,796, and is Michigan's most populous township... , U.S.A. |
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... , EIHL |
| 34 | Dan Green | L | 2010 | Leamington Spa Leamington Spa Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe... , 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... |
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... , EIHL |
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| Defencemen Defenceman (ice hockey) Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring... |
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| Number | Player | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth | Club last season | |
| 6 | Marcus Maynard | R | 2011 | 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... |
Nottingham Lions Nottingham Lions The Nottingham Lions are an ice hockey team from Nottingham, England that compete in the English National League's northern section. The Lions are the senior team of the Nottingham Ice Hockey Club and one of two senior teams based in Nottingham, the other being the professional Nottingham Panthers... , ENIHL |
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| 19 | Danny Meyers | R | 2006 | Ascot Ascot, Berkshire Ascot is a village within the civil parish of Sunninghill and Ascot, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. It is most notable as the location of Ascot Racecourse, home of the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting... , 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... |
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... , EIHL |
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| 25 | |
Brock Wilson | L | 2011 | Des Peres, Missouri Des Peres, Missouri Des Peres is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,373 at the 2010 census.-History:The first inhabitants of Des Peres were the Cahokia, the Kaskaskia, the Michigamea, the Moingwena, and the Tamaora Native American tribes.... , USA |
Utah Grizzlies Utah Grizzlies The Utah Grizzlies are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play out of West Valley City, Utah, United States, with their home games at the Maverik Center.- Franchise history :... , ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... |
| 28 |  |
Guillaume Lepine | L | 2010 | Montreal, Quebec, 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... |
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... , EIHL |
| 45 | Stephen Lee | R | 2009 | Kingston Upon Hull Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of... , 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... |
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... , EIHL |
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| 77 | |
Corey Neilson | L | 2006 | Oromocto, New Brunswick Oromocto, New Brunswick Oromocto is a Canadian town in Sunbury County, New Brunswick.The town is located on the west bank of the St. John River at the mouth of the Oromocto River, approximately 20 kilometres southeast of Fredericton... , 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... |
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... , EIHL |
| Forwards Forward (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in... |
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| Number | Player | Shoots | Position | Acquired | Place of Birth | Club last season | |
| 5 | David Clarke | L | RW | 2008 | Peterborough Peterborough Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea... , 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... |
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... , EIHL |
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| 7 | Robert Lachowicz | L | LW | 2010 | 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... |
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... , EIHL |
|
| 8 | Matthew Myers | R | C | 2010 | Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... , Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... |
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... , EIHL |
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| 9 | |
David-Alexandre Beauregard David-Alexandre Beauregard David-Alexandre Beauregard is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, currently playing for the Nottingham Panthers of the Elite Ice Hockey League. Beauregard has had a remarkable 14-year professional career in the minor leagues.-Early years:From a very young age Beauregard had been a scorer... |
L | LW | 2010 | Montreal, Quebec, 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... |
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... , EIHL |
| 15 | |
Scott Champagne | L | LW | 2011 | Cornwall, Ontario Cornwall, Ontario Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St... , 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... |
Crimmitschau ETC, 2nd Bundesliga 2nd Bundesliga 2nd Bundesliga can stand for:*Bundesliga , the name for the premier league of any sport in Germany or Austria*2. Fußball-Bundesliga, the 2nd Division in German football... |
| 16 | Marc Levers | R | RW | 2007 | Derby Derby Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407... , 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... |
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... , EIHL |
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| 17 | |
Matt Francis | R | RW | 2011 | Surrey, British Columbia Surrey, British Columbia Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District... , 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... |
Gwinnett Gladiators Gwinnett Gladiators The Gwinnett Gladiators are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Duluth, Georgia. The Gladiators play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Gladiators play their home games at the Arena at Gwinnett Center.... , ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... |
| 18 | |
Jeff Heerema Jeff Heerema Jeff Heerema is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently plays for the Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL. He was drafted in the first round, 11th overall, by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft... |
R | RW | 2010 | Thunder Bay, Ontario Thunder Bay, Ontario Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario, and the second most populous in Northern Ontario after Greater Sudbury... , 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... |
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... , EIHL |
| 26 | |
Brandon Benedict | L | C | 2011 | Halifax, Nova Scotia, 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... |
Belfast Giants 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.... , EIHL |
| 44 | |
Jordan Fox | L | C | 2011 | Kirkwood, Missouri Kirkwood, Missouri Kirkwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,540. Founded in 1853, the city is named for James Pugh Kirkwood, builder of the Pacific Railroad through that town. It was the first planned suburb located west... , U.S.A |
Wheeling Nailers Wheeling Nailers The Wheeling Nailers are an ECHL ice hockey team based in Wheeling, West Virginia. They are the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL.... , ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... |
| LAST SEASONS PLAYERS Forward (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in... |
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| Players confirmed not returning Forward (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in... |
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| Number | |Player | Shoots | Position | Acquired | Reason | ||
| 2 | Tom Norton | L | D | 2007 | 2 way deal with Milton Keynes Lightning Milton Keynes Lightning The Milton Keynes Lightning is an ice hockey team from Milton Keynes, England, currently playing in the semi-professional English Premier Ice Hockey League... (EPIHL) |
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| 13 | |
Jade Galbraith Jade Galbraith Jade Galbraith is a Canadian ice hockey player born on March 2, 1982 in Hinton, Alberta.He is a winger and is primarily known for his vision and soft hands which have proved effective throughout his time in the Minors and Europe.-Junior career:... |
R | RW | 2008 | Mutual Agreement, Moved to Braehead Clan Braehead Clan Braehead Clan are a Scottish professional ice hockey team. They were formed in 2010 as the UK Elite Ice Hockey League expanded into the Glasgow and West of Scotland market, and are based at the 4,000 capacity Braehead Arena in Renfrewshire, around two miles outside the Glasgow City limits... , (EIHL) |
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| 14 | |
Billy Ryan | L | C | 2010 | Couldn't Agree Terms, Moved to South Carolina Stingrays South Carolina Stingrays The South Carolina Stingrays are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in North Charleston, South Carolina. The Stingrays play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games at the North Charleston Coliseum. The Carolina Ice Palace, also located in... (ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... ) |
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| 15 | |
Jeremy Van Hoof Jeremy Van Hoof Jeremy Van Hoof is an Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for Nottingham Panthers of the Elite Ice Hockey League-Juniors:... |
L | D | 2011 | Released, signed for Akwesasne Warriors Akwesasne Warriors The Akwesasne Warriors are a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Federal Hockey League that began play in the 2010-11 season. Based in Akwesasne, Ontario, the Warriors play at the A`nowara`ko:wa Arena.-External links:*... , (FHL) |
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| 20 | |
Daniel Tkaczuk Daniel Tkaczuk Daniel Tkaczuk is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who currently plays for Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL. Tkaczuk is a Canadian who is of Polish origin.-Playing career:... |
L | C | 2011 | Not offered new contact | |
| 21 |  |
Angel Nikolov | L | D | 2010 | Moved to Gothiques d'Amiens Gothiques d'Amiens Hockey Club Amiens Somme is a French ice hockey team based in Amiens playing in the Ligue Magnus. The team is also known as "Gothiques d'Amiens" .The team was founded in 1967 and plays home games at the Coliséum.-Former players:... , (Ligue Magnus Ligue Magnus -Former Teams:*Bisons de Neuilly-sur-Marne*Orques d'Anglet*Sangliers Arvernes*Corsaires de Dunkerque*Albatros de Brest*Jets de Viry-Essonne-Defunct Teams:*Diables Noirs de Tours*Hockey Club de Mulhouse*Séquanes de Besançon*Flammes Bleues de Reims... ) |
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| 27 | |
Rob Bellamy Rob Bellamy Rob Bellamy is an American professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Nottingham Panthers of the Elite Ice Hockey League . He is the brother of Kacey Bellamy.-Career statistics:-External links:... |
R | RW | 2010 | Couldn't Agree Terms, Moved to Elmira Jackals Elmira Jackals The Elmira Jackals are an ice hockey team that play in the ECHL. Their home games are played in First Arena in Elmira, New York and they refer to themselves as "the beasts of the east"... , (ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... ) |
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| 71 | Josh Ward | R | RW | 2009 | 2 way deal with 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... (EPIHL) |
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Honoured members
The Panthers have retired the numbers of four players since reforming: The number 3 of defencemanDefenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
Gary Rippingale was retired following his death at the age of eighteen in 1992. Randall Weber
Randall Weber
Randall Weber is a retired ice hockey centre. He moved to Nottingham in the early 1980s and made his debut for the Nottingham Panthers at the age of seventeen in 1985...
, who spent his entire seventeen year career at the Panthers, had his number 10 retired following his final game for the club in 2002. The number 11 of forward Greg Hadden and the number 22 of the club's all time leading goal
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...
, assist
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...
and point scorer
Point (ice hockey)
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...
Paul Adey
Paul Adey
Paul Adey is the head coach of Renon Ritten Sport Hockey in the Italian Serie A. Adey enjoyed a notable playing career in British ice hockey, playing 11 seasons for the Nottingham Panthers between 1988 and 1999 and 29 games for the Sheffield Steelers during the 2000–01 season...
were retired in 2003.
Sixteen people who have been associated with the Panthers are members of 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...
ice hockey's Hall of Fame. As a member of the Great Britain
British national ice hockey team
The British men's national ice hockey team is the name of the national ice hockey Team for the United Kingdom...
team that won gold
Ice hockey at the 1936 Winter Olympics
At the 1936 Winter Olympics, Great Britain won the men's ice hockey competition. While only one player on the team was born in Canada, nine of the thirteen players on the roster grew up in Canada, and eleven had played previously in Canada.-Medalists:...
at the 1936 Winter Olympics
1936 Winter Olympics
The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. Germany also hosted the Summer Olympics the same year in Berlin...
, Panthers coach
Coach (ice hockey)
Coach in ice hockey is the person responsible for directing the team during games and practices, prepares strategy and decides which players will participate in games....
Archie Stinchcombe
Archibald Stinchcombe
Archibald "Archie" Stinchcombe was a British ice hockey player from Cudworth near Barnsley, Yorkshire. The right-winger is best known for representing Britain at the international level, including at the 1936 and 1948 Winter Olympics...
was inducted in 1951. The club's first coach, Alex Archer
Alex Archer
Alexander "Sandy" Archer was an ice hockey right winger who played in the English National League for the Wembley Lions...
was posthumously elected to the Hall of Fame as a member of the Olympic winning team in 1993. Forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
Chick Zamick, who played for the Panthers between 1947 and 1958 and holds the original club's records for most goals and most appearances, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951 while fellow forward and team mate Les Strongman
Les Strongman
Les Strongman is a retired Canadian ice hockey player. Strongman played professional hockey in Europe between 1946 to 1968 with Malmo FF , Zurich SC and British National League teams Nottingham Panthers and Wembley Lions.Strongman was one of the most prolific scorers in European post-war ice...
who went on to serve as the modern club's coach, secretary and as a club director was inducted in 1987. Coaches Alex Dampier
Alex Dampier
Alex "Damps" Dampier is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.-Playing career:...
and Mike Blaisdell
Mike Blaisdell
Michael Walter "Wally" Blaisdell is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played in the NHL and later in the BHL. He was the 1st round draft pick in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft of the Detroit Red Wings...
were inducted in 1995 and 2004 respectively while Paul Adey was inducted in 2006. Former players George Beach, Rick Brebant
Rick Brebant
Richard Joseph "Rick" Brebant is a retired ice hockey player who played mainly in Great Britain. He is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.-Club:...
, Johnny Carlyle, Stephen Cooper, Jack Dryburgh
Jack Dryburgh
Jack "Jackie" Dryburgh is a retired British ice hockey player and coach and administrator. He played for various clubs in Scotland and England during the 1950s and 1960s as well as coaching in Aviemore and Solihull...
,
Art Hodgins
Art Hodgins
Arthur "Art" Hodgins , also known as The Timmins Tiger and Husky Hodgins, was a Canadian ice hockey player who was born in Timmins, Ontario, Canada of Irish ancestry...
, Chris Kelland
Chris Kelland
Chris Kelland is a retired Canadian ice hockey defender who played his entire professional career in the United Kingdom. He also played for the Great Britain national team between 1991 and 1994. He was inducted into the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002...
, Jimmy Spence and Mike Urquhart
Mike Urquhart
Mike Urquhart is a retired Canadian ice hockey player, coach and General Manager. He played for the Nottingham Panthers, Oxford City Stars, Chelmsford Chieftains, Guildford Flames, Bracknell Bees and Milton Keynes Kings during the 1980s and 1990s. He was inducted to the British Ice Hockey Hall of...
are also members of the Hall of Fame. Zamick is the only person associated with the Nottingham Panthers to have membership of another Hall of Fame, having been inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1985 when the first honoured members were named and plaques were erected in their honour. The first group of inductees was large in order to recognize the accomplishments of Manitoba players, coaches, builders and teams at the...
in 1995.