Guildford Flames
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| Guildford Flames | ||
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| League: | EPIHL | |
| Founded: | 1992 | |
| Home Ice: | Guildford Spectrum | |
| Capacity: | 2200 | |
| Ice Size: | 197ft x 98ft | |
| City: | ||
| Colours: |
Blue, White, and Red |
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| Head Coach: | ||
| Ownership: |
Unknown |
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| Website: | ||
The Guildford Flames are an ice hockey team based in Guildford, Surrey. They play at the Guildford Spectrum.
Founded in October 1992, the team played for many years in the British National League. Following its dissolution at the end of the 2004/5 season, they have transferred to the English Premier Ice Hockey League for the 2005/2006 season and clinched the league title in February 2006 after defeating reigning champions Milton Keynes Lightning on their own ice. The team's Head Coach is Stan Marple, a Canadian who played hockey at the University of Alberta before playing in England for a number of professional clubs. Notable current Guildford players include Marian Smerciak, an Olympian with Team Slovakia in 1994, and fellow Slovakian and NHL draft pick, Jozef Kohut. Canadian stars David Oliver and Jamie Mclennan were both signed to Guildford during the 04/05 NHL lockout.
The team logo is very similar to that of the Calgary Flames of the NHL.
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[edit] Club history
The Flames' inaugural season began in October 1992; they began in the English League Division One, which at the time was the starting place for all new names. With the Guildford Spectrum not yet completed, the team had to train at Slough with kind permission of Gary Stefan. The Flames played their "home" games at Alexandra Palace until their new home ice was ready and played their for the first time on 23rd of January 1993.
The team was initially owned by Barry Dow, an American who already owned the Basketball team Guildford Kings, he owned the team along with Bill Hurley and the two were both new to the sport of Ice Hockey. The owners brought in Mike Urquhart as Coach and Darrin Zinger as captain.
Key players signed for the first season included Canadians Sean Murphy and Dave McGahan who had been transferred due to their high scoring at Solent Vikings. In addition a number of British players including Goaltender Mike Kellond, Forward Danny O'Hanlon and Defender Gary Shearer.
When the 23rd of January 1993 finally arrived and the Guildford Spectrum opened, the event was a big one. Local newspaper the Surrey Advertiser described the local council's £28million arena as "Awesome". Guildford's first game at their new home showing a convincing win with Andy Sparks scoring the first goal at the Spectrum. The team went to the top of the Conference due to that game, a position they were in for the whole season.
Unfortunately in their first season many of the defence men and Goaltender Kellond ran into injury problems, these were poorly timed occurring just before the start of the play-offs; however despite this Guildford still managed to gain a promotion for the following season.
The team was very popular in their first season, with the average attendance being over 2000 (capacity was 2200); and because of this positive reaction the team attracted local insurance company Cornhill as a sponsor along with Pepsi Cola as the shirt sponsor; the latter prompting a temporary name change to the Pepsi Guildford Flames between February and November 1993.
In their second season in the higher league was a lot tougher for the team. By march of the 1993/94 season the true impact of the clubs financial problems was revealed, with players threatening to strike over unpaid wages; eventually a deal was completed allowing the club to complete its season fixtures. The team finished mid table, missing out on both promotion and relegation.
The 1994/95 season saw the club being taken over by new owners SportFact Ltd. led by banker John Hepburn, they installed Ron Charbonneau as general manager and assigned him the task of taking the club to the Premier within three seasons. The clubs roster was changed radically leaving only five players from the previous season.
Among highpoints of the third season was a draw with the Cardiff Devils at the time the most successful club in British Ice Hockey; however the club was alleged to have broken wage-capping rules, Flames subsequently won their case against this but the negative reputation of being a "Rich Club" has never been shifted.
The fourth season saw the team go from strength to strength, Guildford appointed Ivan Brown (former Winnipeg Jets coach) as a new non-player coach.
The 1996/97 season was a major change in British Ice Hockey with the launch of the ISL. The Flames had advised setting up the new top league and then controversially at the time, didn't play in it; instead they played in the second tier British National League. Unfortunately the season that began with optimism turned out not to be as successful with the Flames securing only third place after the play-offs.
The 1997/98 season after three seasons of failing to live up to their potential Flames’ were half way through their 5-year plan and crunch time was approaching. For the second season in a row the management trekked up the M4 in search of a coach, this time welcoming Stan Marple, fresh from his all conquering season with the Swindon IceLords.
With major changes in the team winning became common place for the team, not only successful in the national league, they also showed the ISL - BNL gap was one that could be bridged with Challenge game wins over Basingstoke Bison and Nottingham Panthers; being the first ever defeats of Superleague teams from a British team not in the league.
The season also represented the Flames first testimonial match with Darrin Zinger retiring from the club in a full time role.
The 1998/99 season was rocked by injury and various players leaving the club. The teams grip on the British National League slipped every game with more and more points being dropped. One of the reasons that the team was suffering so badly was the injury of Goaltender Jamey Organ which occurred during a Christmas Cup clash with Peterborough Pirates.
The 1999/00 season represented high spending for the club, but not much in the way of results; the team signed Team GB captain Ian Cooper from ISL side London Knights. This season had a number of milestones Pete Kasowski and Derek DeCosty scored their 100th goals; Stan Marple coached his 100th game.
The 2000/01 season had a change of uniform and colours for the team. The team claimed the Baker Tilly Shield beating the superleague's Bracknell Bees; and the team went on to compete in the last ever Benson & Hedges Plate final where they lost out to the Basingstoke Bison. The team went on the win the ntl: Cup beating Fife Flyers in the two leg final. The Flames were victorious in their home arena in front of a capacity crowd of screaming Bison and Flames fans in this finale to the British National League, which could not have been better scripted; Guildford won the game and the league.
The 2003/04 season represented a change in the recruiting process; rather than a club with lots of North American players, Stan Marple brought in more British and Slovakian players. The team won the British National League play-offs.
The 2005/06 season has currently seen them win most games, with a twenty game winning streak in the first two months of the season, before finally being defeated by Swindon Wildcats away from home in their first meeting of the year. They went on to clinch the EPL Championship when they defeated the Milton Keynes Lightning on Saturday 11th February 2006 at the Planet Ice Arena.
The 2006/07 season saw the Surrey based club crowned EPL Cup winners after they defeated the Milton Keynes Lightning 7-5 on aggregate. The first leg was held at the Guildford Spectrum on Wednesday 28th February 2007 in front of 1,232 spectators and the Flames won the game 3-2. The second leg was played on Thursday 8th March 2007 and the Flames won another close encounter 3-4 in front of 1,026 spectators at the Planet Ice Arena to secure the win and Premier Cup bragging rights for 2006-2007.
[edit] Club Honours
- Season 2006/07
- English Premier Cup
- Season 2005/06
- English Premier League Champions
- Season 2003/04
- British National League Play-off Champions
- Season 2000/01
- Christmas Cup Winners
- British National League Champions
- British National League Play-off Champions
- Season 1998/99
- Benson & Hedges Plate Winners
- Season 1997/98
- British National League Southern Conference Winners
- British National League Winners
- British National League Play-off Champions
- Season 1996/97
- Benson & Hedges Plate Winners
[edit] Team Roster
GOALTENDERS 30Joe Watkins 31
FORWARDS 8Milos Melicherik 25
Vaclav Zavoral 34
DEFENDERS 4
[edit] External links
| English Premier Ice Hockey League |
| Bracknell | Chelmsford | Guildford | Milton Keynes | Peterborough | Romford Sheffield | Slough | Solihull | Swindon | Telford | Wightlink |
