Guildford Flames

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Guildford Flames
2021–22 Guildford Flames season
Guilford Flames Logo.png
CityGuildford, Surrey
LeagueElite Ice Hockey League
Founded1992
Home arenaGuildford Spectrum
ColorsMaroon blue
Owner(s)Sportfact Ltd
Head coachUnited Kingdom Paul Dixon
CaptainTBC
AffiliatesGuildford Phoenix
Championships
Regular season titles6 (97/98, 00/01, 05/06, 07/08, 11/12 & 12/13)
Challenge Cups5 (06/07, 09/10, 11/12, 12/13 & 15/16)

The Guildford Flames are an ice hockey team based in Guildford, Surrey and they play their home games in the Guildford Spectrum. They compete in the top-tier of hockey in the United Kingdom, the Elite Ice Hockey League.

Founded in October 1992, the Flames originally played in the second tier leagues of British hockey, first the British National League until 2004, and subsequently the English Premier Ice Hockey League until 2017. On 24 February 2017 it was announced that the Flames would become the 12th Elite Ice Hockey League team, joining from the 2017–18 season.

The team's head coach is Paul Dixon, who took over after Stan Marple retired in 2007.

Formation[]

Barry Dow, an American who sponsored and owned the basketball team Guildford Kings and Bill Hurley established and owned the team as management – the two were new to the sport of ice hockey, and brought in Mike Urquhart as coach and Darrin Zinger as captain.[citation needed]

Key players signed for the first season included Canadians Sean Murphy and Dave McGahan 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.[citation needed]

The Flames' inaugural season began in October 1992; they began, unseeded, in the English League Division One. With the Guildford Spectrum not yet completed, the team had to train at Slough's facility. The Flames played their home games at Alexandra Palace until their new home ice was ready and played there for the first time on 23 January 1993.[citation needed]

When 23 January 1993 finally arrived and the Guildford Spectrum opened, the event was a big one. The area's paid-for newspaper The Surrey Advertiser described the local council's £28 million arena as "awesome".[citation needed] Guildford's first game at their new home showed 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 held onto for the whole season.[citation needed]

Elite League[]

The Guildford Flames were confirmed as an Elite League expansion team in February 2017, stepping up from the English Premier Ice Hockey League (EPIHL), and began play in the UK's top division at the start of the 2017–18 EIHL season this was a promotion form the lower league.[1]

The Flames finished in sixth in their first season (2017–18), followed by a fifth placed finish in 2018–19 - a campaign in which they finished runners-up to the Belfast Giants in the Challenge Cup final.[2]

Guildford were again in sixth when the 2019–20 EIHL season's remaining matches were cancelled in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The play-offs were cancelled with only the Challenge Cup seeing a winner (the Sheffield Steelers) crowned.[3]

Then, the 2020–21 Elite League season - originally scheduled for a revised start date of 5 December - was suspended on 15 September 2020 because of ongoing coronavirus pandemic restrictions. The EIHL board determined that the season was non-viable without supporters being permitted to attend matches and unanimously agreed to a suspension.[4] The season was cancelled completely in February 2021.[5]

Club honours[]

  • Season 2018/19
    • Patton Conference Champions
    • 2018–19 EIHL All-Stars Second Team: Calle Ackered, Jesse Craige
  • Season 2017/18
    • 2017–18 EIHL All-Stars First Team: Jesse Craige
    • 2017–18 EIHL All-Stars Second Team: Calle Ackered, John Dunbar
  • Season 2015/16
    • English Premier Cup
    • English Premier League Playoff Winners
  • Season 2012/13
    • English Premier League Champions
    • English Premier Cup
  • Season 2011/12
    • English Premier League Champions
    • English Premier Cup
  • Season 2010/11
    • English Premier League Playoff Winners
  • Season 2009/10
    • English Premier Cup
  • Season 2007/08
    • English Premier League Champions
  • Season 2006/07
    • English Premier Cup
  • Season 2005/06
    • English Premier League Champions
  • Season 2003/04
  • Season 2000/01
  • Season 1998/99
    • Benson & Hedges Plate Winners
  • Season 1997/98
  • Season 1996/97
    • Benson & Hedges Plate Winners

Team logo and jersey[]

The current team jerseys, for both away and home.

The team logo is very similar to that of the Calgary Flames of the NHL. The team jerseys mirror those used by a former NHL team, Atlanta Thrashers from 1999 to 2006 (with logos replaced and advertisements added).

Current squad[]

Squad for 2021-22 Elite League season[6][7]

  • * Denotes two-way deal with Raiders IHC of the NIHL
Netminders
No. Player Catches Acquired Place of Birth Joined from Press Release
30 England Adam Long L 2021 Crewe, England Haringey Huskies, NIHL2 [8]
47 Sweden Kevin Lindskoug L 2021 Trelleborg, Sweden Bodens HF, Hockeyettan [9]
Defencemen
No. Player Shoots Acquired Place of Birth Joined from Press Release
6 Canada Kyle Locke R 2021 Aurora, Ontario, Canada Ontario Tech Ridgebacks, U Sports [10]
12 England Samuel Cooper* R 2021 Portsmouth, England Raiders IHC, NIHL [11]
19 United States Jake Bolton L 2021 Ellington, Connecticut, USA Bodens HF, Hockeyettan [12]
24 Canada Alex Yuill L 2021 Wellington, Ontario, Canada Ontario Tech Ridgebacks, U Sports [13]
42 Canada Jamal Watson R 2021 Calgary, Alberta, Canada Pensacola Ice Flyers, SPHL [14]
91 Sweden Jesper Alasaari L 2021 Karlskoga, Sweden BIK Karlskoga, HockeyAllsvenskan [15]
Forwards
No. Player Position Acquired Place of Birth Joined from Press Release
7 United Kingdom Robert Lachowicz LW 2021 Nottingham, England Nottingham Panthers, EIHL [16]
13 Canada Tristan Frei C/RW 2021 Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada Regina Cougars, U Sports [17]
14 Scotland Jordan Cownie C 2021 Dundee, Scotland Dundee Stars, EIHL [18]
17 England Mac Howlett C 2021 Woking, England Coventry Blaze, EIHL [19]
18 Canada Brett Ferguson LW/C 2021 Vibank, Saskatchewan, Canada HC 07 Detva, Slovak Extraliga [20]
27 Canada Ian Watters LW 2017 Pickering, Ontario, Canada Reading Royals, ECHL [21]
50 Canada Levi Cable LW 2021 Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan, Canada Leroy Braves, LLHL [22]
51 Canada Ian McNulty C 2021 Airdrie, Alberta, Canada Tulsa Oilers, ECHL [23]
77 Wales Owen Griffiths C 2021 Cardiff, Wales Nottingham Panthers, EIHL [24]
88 Canada Chris Gerrie C 2021 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Wichita Thunder, ECHL [25]
90 Canada John Dunbar F 2021 Calgary, Alberta, Canada Rostock Piranhas, Oberliga [26]
On Loan
No. Player Position Acquired Place of Birth Playing For Press Release
Team Staff
No. Name Position Place of Birth Joined from Press Release
N/A United Kingdom Paul Dixon Head coach/GM Sunderland, England Appointed in 2007 [1]
Recent departures
No. Player Position Acquired Leaving For Press Release
19 Canada Jamie Crooks LW 2018 Glasgow Clan, EIHL [2]

Retired numbers[]

The retired numbers at the Guildford Flames are:

Team captains[]

  • 1992–94 – Darren Zinger
  • 1994–99 – Paul Thompson
  • 1999-00 – Karry Biette
  • 2000–01 – Wayne Crawford
  • 2001–07 – Paul Dixon
  • 2007–09 – Ricky Plant
  • 2009–10 – Rob Lamey
  • 2010–15 – David Longstaff
  • 2015–17 – Jeremy Lundin
  • 2017–20 – Jesse Craige

References[]

  1. ^ https://www.coventryblaze.co.uk/news/guildford-flames-to-join-elite-league-20170224#:~:text=Guildford%20Flames%20will%20become%20the,Keynes%20Lightning%20as%20new%20additions.
  2. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/ice-hockey/47517874#:~:text=Belfast%20Giants%20have%20retained%20the,successes%20for%20Adam%20Keefe's%20men.
  3. ^ https://www.eliteleague.co.uk/article/731-eihl-cancels-all-matches-for-rest-of-season#:~:text=Bosses%20at%20the%20ten%20Elite,all%20matches%20with%20immediate%20effect.&text=League%20bosses%20staged%20an%20emergency,announcement%20on%20the%20coronavirus%20outbreak.
  4. ^ https://www.eliteleague.co.uk/article/927-eihl-board-suspend-2020-21-season
  5. ^ https://www.eliteleague.co.uk/article/986-no-elite-league-season-2020-21
  6. ^ "Guildford Flames at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  7. ^ https://guildfordflames.com/team
  8. ^ "Adam Long completes netminding duo". Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Lindskoug takes Flames net". Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Defensive group adds Locke". Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Two way deal for Sam Cooper". Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  12. ^ "Bolton signs on". Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Yuill To Debut With Flames". Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Watson joins blueline group". Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Roster grows with Alasaari". Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  16. ^ "Lachowicz transfers to Flames". Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  17. ^ "Tristan Frei joins Flames". Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  18. ^ "Jordan Cownie lines up with Flames". Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  19. ^ "Howlett Comes Home". Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Ferguson returns". Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  21. ^ "Watters returns". Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  22. ^ "Cable signs up for 21-22". Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  23. ^ "Forward McNulty added to roster". Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  24. ^ "Griffiths sticks with Flames". Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  25. ^ "Latest recruit Chris Gerrie". Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  26. ^ "Dunbar resumes for 21-22". Retrieved 2 June 2021.

External links[]

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