Frankfurt Lions
- German Champion 2004
The Frankfurt Lions are a former ice hockey club from Frankfurt am Main, which is currently in an ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. 1991 Founded as the " Frankfurt Lions Hockey GmbH" as Frankfurter ESC " The Lion". The Company is the successor to the existing since 1959 Hockey Department of Eintracht Frankfurt and founding member of the German Ice Hockey League, in which the Lions from 1994 to 2010 played continuously. The original club for the game operation of the women's and youth teams is the still existing Young Lions Hockey Frankfurt eV
The greatest success of the club that fought out its home games at the ice rink at Ratsweg, was winning the German Cup 2003/04 season, when the Lions penetrated in four games in the final against the Polar Bears Berlin. The club colors of the club were red, white and black.
- 2.1 champion team 2003/ 04
- 2.2 Members of the Hockey Hall of Fame Germany
- 2.3 Internal club records
- 2.4 Other important (former) players
- 2.5 Participation of players on the All- Star Game
History
Prehistory
Hockey is played in Frankfurt since at least the 1930s. 1959 Hockey Department of Eintracht Frankfurt was founded. After its dissolution, the Frankfurter ESC " The Lion" founded. 25 March 1994 German Ice Hockey League, the Frankfurt Lions Hockey GmbH was founded on the introduction of the professional league.
Frankfurt Lions of the DEL
The Lions played in the 1994/95 season in the German top flight. In Frankfurt team played international stars such as Robert Reichel, who was brought to Frankfurt due to an NHL - strikes, and Jiří Lála, who was the most successful player again this season. In the first DEL season, the Lions reached the 1995 Play-Offs and failed here after five games at the Kassel Huskies ( 1:4 wins). In 1996, the club reached the play-offs once again, but then failed on the Huskies ( 0-3 ).
1997, however, could only avoid relegation now almost finnish embossed team. The play-offs were not achieved. The audience fell. The economic impact was the year significant. On January 31, Gerd Schröder took over the Frankfurt Lions Hockey GmbH with all proportions and liabilities, on August 7, Bernd Kress was appointed Managing Director. With the change of leadership to new premises, a new logo, new team colors and new staff arrived. Bernie Johnston was hired as manager and brought 17 new players, including eleven Canadians. The Lions reached in the 1997/98 season, the DEL semifinals and failed due to the eventual champions Adler Mannheim. With the second place after the first round you qualified for the European Hockey League and celebrated the biggest success so far of the club's history.
The 1998/99 season proved to be turbulent: Coach Bob Manno left as early as 17 October 1998 requested the club. Manager Bernie Johnston became a coach. The Frankfurt Lions were from mid November 1998 to end of January 1999 the leader of the DEL at times with eleven points ahead of second place in the table. However, after a losing streak of eight games with only one win the play-off participation fell still in danger. Johnston was replaced as coach, but remained manager. Under the new coach Rick Alexander they reached the play-offs, beat in the quarterfinals and a penalty shootout in the fifth game, the Kölner Haie and then defeated in the semifinals after three games the Nuremberg Ice Tigers.
In the season 1999/2000 was reached after despite many injuries and after the exchange of coaches and managers but yet the play-offs. It was defeated by eventual champions Munich Barons after five hard-fought games in the quarterfinals. The year 2001 was marked by a renewed dismissal of coach and assistant coach. Later, Rick Alexander resigned as manager. Despite an increase under new coach BJ McDonald end of the season they missed the play-off participation. In the 2001 / 02 season, McDonald was released after only eight games. Assistant coach Doug Bradley took over the top job, but also had to go in January 2002 after an unsatisfactory course of the season. The Lions were 11 and thus did not reach the play-offs.
After a disastrous 2002/2003 season, the Lions reached only the second to last place in the table ( 13th place) and had to compete against the Schwenningen Wild Wings in the play- downs. Here they lost in six games and went from sporty. Because the enemy was insolvent and thus was allowed to resume operation after the DEL match league regulations in the coming season, not again, the Lions remained still in the DEL.
2004 proved to be a terrific year for the club. On April 16, the Frankfurt Lions won the fourth game, the German Cup Final after they had just occupied the fifth place in the main round. Lions striker Pat Lebeau was selected not only the most successful scorer of the main round (23 T 46 A), but also the most valuable player in the league (MVP). The 2004/05 season was initially very successful, they moved but as the leader after the first round in the play-offs one. But then the Lions lost by five games in the semi-final against the Adler Mannheim and therefore had to give up the hope for a title defense. The season was marked by the lockout in the NHL and so many guest players that increased the level of the league. Frankfurt itself was the defender Stephane Robidas of the Chicago Blackhawks and later the star striker of the St. Louis Blues, Doug Weight, call their own for at least this one season.
In the 2005/06 season, you could not build on the strong performances from previous years, and missed the play-offs in ninth. The reasons were of an aging team, new items that did not meet the expectations and a bad luck with injuries, of which one was spared in previous years. Among other top scorer Patrick Lebeau fell out long. For the season 2006/ 07 they had set itself the goal to stand at the end of the season in the top six teams. This target was narrowly missed, after a temporarily strong, sometimes also weak main round, certainly due to the great injury woes of many (key) players throughout the season, the Lions placed after 52 games to rank eight and had thus in the pre make playoffs proved that they were playoff -capable. There, they met the reigning German champions, the Polar Bears Berlin. In a best of three series, the Lions prevailed 2-1 wins and thus qualified for the playoff quarterfinals. There, they met their arch-rivals and title favorites, the Adler Mannheim. In a somewhat controversial series, the Eagles put in five games with 4-1 victories against by the Lions who thus were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
In August 2008, died co-founder and principal owner Gerd Schröder at the age of 49 years after he had suffered a stroke in the spring of 2008 and for months in a coma. After initial concerns the future of the Lions, however, was declared secured. Jürgen Arnold, partner of ERC Ingolstadt, took over Schroeder's post as Chairman of the German Ice Hockey League.
On 30 June 2010, the Frankfurt Lions, the license for the DEL Season 2010/11 revoked and set the play mode of the Lions. The original club sets under the name Frankfurt Lions continued the operation of gambling in the Regionalliga West.
Placements
For the season 1994 /95, the German Ice Hockey League was formed, the Frankfurt Lions since members continuously as a founding member. The highlight was the German championship in 2004, low point of the relegation in 2003, when they remained only by the insolvency of the Schwenningen Wild Wings in the league.
Player
Champion team 2003/ 04
The crew of the Frankfurt Lions in the season 2003/ 04 was able to secure a united team performance, the German championship. In the play-off final, the team defeated favorites from Berlin. Outstanding players of that team was Canadian Pat Lebeau, who was not only the best points scorer on the team, but was voted the MVP at the end of the season.
Members of the Hockey Hall of Fame Germany
In the "Hall of Fame" of the German Ice Hockey Museum personalities are included who have rendered outstanding services to the sport of ice hockey in Germany. From the recorded actors acted in Frankfurt:
( Team membership and position in brackets)
- Günther herald (1966-1989, official )
- Ladislav Olejnik (1989-1991, trainer)
- Michael Rumrich (1990-1991, storm)
- Manfred Wolf (1991-1994, storm)
Internal club records
Among the most successful players in the club's history is one of the Canadians Patrick Lebeau, who holds the respective record in three different statistics.
(All statistics are on the level at the end of the season 2007/ 08)
Other important (former) players
( Team membership and position in brackets)
- Jukka Tammi (1996-1999, Tor)
- Jerzy Potz (1982-1989, defense)
- Michael Bresagk (since 1997, defense)
- Stéphane Robidas (2004 - 2005, defense)
- Chris Snell (1998-2000, 2001-2002, defense)
- Paul Stanton (2002-2004, defense)
- John Chabot (1997-2000, storm)
- Uli Egen (1987-1990, storm)
- Trevor Erhardt (1983-1988, 1991-1993, storm)
- Markus Jocher (2003-2006, storm)
- Jiří Lála (1989-1991, 1994-1996, storm)
- Patrick Lebeau (2002-2007, storm)
- Peter Obresa (1993-1994, storm)
- Len Barrie (1997-1999, storm)
- Robert Reichel (1994, 1995 to 1996 storm )
- Roger Nicholas (1989-1991, 1992-1994, storm)
- Charlie Simmer (1988-1989, storm)
- Ilya Vorobyov (1993-1999, 2007-2010, storm)
- Doug Weight (2004-2005, storm)
- Daniel " Dany " hero (1987-1991, storm)
Participation of players in the All -Star Game
Some players of the Frankfurt Lions were nominated for the DEL All- Star game, a friendly match, which takes place every year since 1998 and compete in the most outstanding player of the German Ice Hockey League against each other.
Coach
- 2003-2010: Rich Chernomaz
- 2002/ 03: Lance Nethery
- 2001/ 02 ( as of January 2002): Bernie Johnston
- 2001/ 02 ( October 2001): Doug Bradley
- 2001/ 02: Blair J. MacDonald
- 2000/ 01 ( as of January 2001 ): Blair J. MacDonald
- 2000/ 01: Peter Obresa
Venue
→ Main article: Ice Rink Frankfurt
The ice rink at Ratsweg was opened on December 19, 1981 and was long considered one of the most modern buildings of its kind in Germany. In addition to the main ice the size of a hockey field, which is surrounded by 7,000 spectators, of which about 3500 seats and 3500 standing places, the plant has a smaller ice rink closed and a large 400 -meter outdoor ring. Another of a tent roof over -stressed Hockey field is converted in the summer to tennis courts.
( Indicated is the total utilization of the whole season. Brackets in the main round / finals are listed separately.)