Sinupret Ice Tigers
Encyclopedia
The Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers Nürnberg are a professional ice hockey
club located in Nuremberg
, Germany
. They play in the country's premier league, the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
, that folded in spring of 1980 after years of financial trouble. Today's team was founded in 1980 as EHC Nürnberg 1980 e.V., as a non-profit organization. Play started in 1980–81 in the Bavaria
n state ice-hockey league . After a single season, the team moved up to the Southern Regional league , and was promoted again after just one season in 1983 to the 3rd tier German Ice Hockey league .
By 1987, EHC Nürnberg 1980 moved up to the 2nd Bundesliga
. In the early 90's, financial uncertainty around German professional ice-hockey lead to the foundation of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga – DEL. The DEL was modeled after the NHL, with hopes of providing financial stability through licensing and franchising of teams.
EHC Nürnberg 1980 was admitted to the DEL as a founding member on June 13, 1994, one of 6 teams from the 2nd Bundesliga. As the DEL replaced the 1st Bundesliga and now represents the highest level of German professional ice-hockey, this in effect resulted in a promotion. In the first DEL season, the EHC 80 Nürnberg finished the regular season on the 12th place, only to be eliminated in the first playoff round.
For the next season, the professional team was broken out of the non-profit organization and incorporated as the Nürnberg Ice Tigers, with the youth and amateurs keeping the old name. The 1998–99 DEL season has brought the greatest success so for the for the Tigers; 1st place in the regular season, only to lose in the playoff finals to the Adler Mannheim
, who dominated German Ice Hockey in the late 1990s.
In 2006, the Ice Tigers and Bionorica AG, signed a three year agreement giving Bionorica the naming rights to the team. Starting with the 2006–07 DEL season, the team was renamed to Sinupret Ice Tigers, after a Bionorica product.
During the 2008–09 season it became obvious that the Ice Tigers were in a dire financial situation. On November 25, 2008, preliminary insolvency was filed and on December 30, 2008, declared. This led to the corporate sponsor Bionorica pulling their support in March 2009. An investor group led by local jeweler Thomas Sabo intervened on April 3, 2009, pre-empting bankruptcy proceedings and ensuring participation in the 2009–10 season. The team is now known as the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers.
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 located in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. They play in the country's premier league, the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
History
The roots of the team can be traced back to the "SG Nürnberg", a club that played since 1958/59 in 2nd Bundesliga2nd Bundesliga (ice hockey)
The 2nd Eishockey-Bundesliga is the second tier of Ice hockey in Germany. It is organised by the DEB, the German Ice Hockey Federation. In the 2007-08 season, it features 14 teams.- History of the 2nd Ice Hockey Bundesliga :...
, that folded in spring of 1980 after years of financial trouble. Today's team was founded in 1980 as EHC Nürnberg 1980 e.V., as a non-profit organization. Play started in 1980–81 in the Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n state ice-hockey league . After a single season, the team moved up to the Southern Regional league , and was promoted again after just one season in 1983 to the 3rd tier German Ice Hockey league .
By 1987, EHC Nürnberg 1980 moved up to the 2nd Bundesliga
2nd Bundesliga (ice hockey)
The 2nd Eishockey-Bundesliga is the second tier of Ice hockey in Germany. It is organised by the DEB, the German Ice Hockey Federation. In the 2007-08 season, it features 14 teams.- History of the 2nd Ice Hockey Bundesliga :...
. In the early 90's, financial uncertainty around German professional ice-hockey lead to the foundation of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga – DEL. The DEL was modeled after the NHL, with hopes of providing financial stability through licensing and franchising of teams.
EHC Nürnberg 1980 was admitted to the DEL as a founding member on June 13, 1994, one of 6 teams from the 2nd Bundesliga. As the DEL replaced the 1st Bundesliga and now represents the highest level of German professional ice-hockey, this in effect resulted in a promotion. In the first DEL season, the EHC 80 Nürnberg finished the regular season on the 12th place, only to be eliminated in the first playoff round.
For the next season, the professional team was broken out of the non-profit organization and incorporated as the Nürnberg Ice Tigers, with the youth and amateurs keeping the old name. The 1998–99 DEL season has brought the greatest success so for the for the Tigers; 1st place in the regular season, only to lose in the playoff finals to the Adler Mannheim
Adler Mannheim
Adler Mannheim are an ice hockey team of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the highest ice hockey league in Germany. The team is from Mannheim, a city in the north of Baden-Wurttemberg...
, who dominated German Ice Hockey in the late 1990s.
In 2006, the Ice Tigers and Bionorica AG, signed a three year agreement giving Bionorica the naming rights to the team. Starting with the 2006–07 DEL season, the team was renamed to Sinupret Ice Tigers, after a Bionorica product.
During the 2008–09 season it became obvious that the Ice Tigers were in a dire financial situation. On November 25, 2008, preliminary insolvency was filed and on December 30, 2008, declared. This led to the corporate sponsor Bionorica pulling their support in March 2009. An investor group led by local jeweler Thomas Sabo intervened on April 3, 2009, pre-empting bankruptcy proceedings and ensuring participation in the 2009–10 season. The team is now known as the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers.
Former coaches
- 1994–95 coach Jozef GolonkaJozef GolonkaJozef Golonka is an ice hockey player who played in the Czechoslovak Extraliga. He won two bronze medals in three Olympics. He was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 1998....
- 1995–97 coach Jan Eysselt
- 1997–98 coach Vladimir Vasiliev
- 1998–00 coach Peter IhnačákPeter IhnacakPeter Ihnačák is a former Slovak ice hockey centre.- Draft :He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1982 NHL Entry draft as their 3rd choice, 25th overall.- Career :...
- 2000–02 coach Bob Murdoch
- 2002–03 coach Mike Schmidt
- 2003–05 coach Greg Poss
- 2005–08 coach Benoît Laporte
- 2008–09 coach Andreas Brockmann
All-time records
- The most DEL games for the club: 492 Martin Jiranek
- The most DEL goals for the club: 173 Martin Jiranek
- The most DEL penalty minutes for the club: 576 John CraigheadJohn CraigheadJohn Craighead is a retired professional ice hockey right winger. He played five games for the Toronto Maple Leafs during 1996–97 season.Some sources claim that he was born in Richmond, Virginia...