Sydney Bears
| Sydney Bears | |
|---|---|
 2014 AIHL season |
|
 |
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| City | Jamisontown, New South Wales |
| League | Australian Ice Hockey League |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Home arena | Penrith Ice Palace |
| Colours | |
| General manager | Wayne Hellyer |
| Head coach |  Vladimir Rubes |
| Captain | Michael Schlamp |
| Website | Bearsden.com.au |
| Franchise history | |
| 1982–1997 | Macquarie Bears |
| 1997–2007 | Sydney Bears |
| 2007–2009 | AIHL Bears |
| 2010– | Sydney Bears |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 2 (2002, 2008) |
| Conference Championships | 0 |
| Goodall Cups | 2 (2002, 2007) |
The Sydney Bears are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, who are members of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). They have won two Goodall Cup championships since their founding in 2000, most recently in 2007. The Bears are one of the original three teams that founded the AIHL in 2000, along with the Adelaide Avalanche, and Canberra Knights. The Bears play out of the Penrith Ice Palace, having previously played at the Sydney Ice Arena.
Contents
Team history[edit]
The Bears were founded in 1982 and were originally known as the Macquarie Bears.[1] Due to the upcoming formation of a national league the team changed its name to the Sydney Bears in 1997.[1] In 2007 the team separated away from its junior club operations and were renamed the AIHL Bears. After the split the team remained affiliated with the junior club, which kept the name of the Sydney Bears Ice Hockey Club.[1] In 2010 the AIHL Bears were reverted to their old name, Sydney Bears.
The Bears are two-time winners of the Goodall Cup and won the AIHL championship in 2002 and 2007. The Bears were one of three teams that founded the AIHL in 2000, along with the Adelaide Avalanche and Canberra Knights. Although the Bears did not win the championship in either year, they won the Goodall Cup tournament in 2001 in Newcastle, the last time the Cup was awarded independently of the AIHL.
In 2002, the Bears defeated the Avalanche in the Goodall Cup final for their second consecutive Cup and their first and only AIHL championship to date. Four members of the Bears - Tyler Lovering, Brett Nelson-Bond, Vladimir Rubes and Murray Wand - were named to the Mighty Roos roster for the 2006 Division II World Championships in New Zealand. In 2007 the team announced they would move to Penrith for the 2007 AIHL season at which time, dropping "Sydney" to become The Bears, or AIHL Bears. For the start of the 2010 season the Bears reverted to their previous name of Sydney Bears.[2]
2011 Season[edit]
The Bears commenced the 2011 season on 16 April with a home opener against the newest addition to the AIHL, The Mustangs. Bears rookie forward Lucian Hackett scored the first goal of the season on his debut. Other Bears players making their debut were Laurie Mock, and import Kurtis Dulle.[3] The Bears struggled to record a win in their first five games, however their roster was not yet at full strength. The Bears were missing goaltender Sheldon Baerg, forward Tony Demelinne who was representing Netherlands at the IIHF World Championship Division I,[4] and defenceman Jordan Hale who was competing in the Royal Bank Cup with the Camrose Kodiaks.[5]
With the 2011 Roster finally at full strength with the arrival and clearance of their import players, the Bears made their way to Melbourne. The Bears showed signs of improvement in their game against the Melbourne Ice, losing 3-4 to them in the shootout.[6] The Bears also lost import Jordan Hale to a season ending lower body injury. The Bears then went on to record their first win of the season against the The Mustangs in a thrilling 5-3 victory, with newly acquired import Tony Demelinne displaying some of his puck handling skills and recording 4 points during the game.[7]
However The Bears game seemingly unravelled, experiencing huge losses to the Knights, BlueTongues and Ice. However bouncing back in June recording a win against the Newcastle North Stars, ending their winning streak and starting a 3 game win streak of their own. The month of June saw the Bears 3-2-0, and they reached a peak position of 7th in the standings.
2012 season to current[edit]
In February 2012 the Sydney Bears announced that they were leaving the Penrith Ice Palace as their home arena and were returning to play their games at the Sydney Ice Arena in Baulkham Hills where they had previously played from 2003 to 2006.[8] In January 2015 the Bears announced that they were moving back to the Penrith Ice Palace for the upcoming 2015 AIHL season.[9][10] The move comes after the Sydney Ice Arena's land was approved for redevelopment.[9]
Season-by-season record[edit]
| Season | GP | W | T1 | SOW | SOL | L | GF | GA | PTS | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 16 | 7 | 1 | - | - | 8 | 70 | 74 | 15 | 2nd | Lost Goodall Cup final, 7–10 (Adelaide Avalanche) |
| 2002 | 15 | 12 | 1 | - | - | 2 | 90 | 54 | 25 | 1st | Won Goodall Cup final vs. Adelaide Avalanche |
| 2003 | 6 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 23 | 34 | 2 | 5th | Did not qualify |
| 2004 | 29 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 68 | 71 | 31 | 3rd | Lost in Semifinals, 4-5 (West Sydney Ice Dogs) |
| 2005 | 26 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 96 | 100 | 38 | 4th | Lost in Semifinals, (Adelaide Avalanche) |
| 2006 | 28 | 15 | - | 1 | 1 | 11 | 133 | 101 | 48 | 5th | Did not qualify |
| 2007 | 28 | 14 | - | 4 | 2 | 8 | 112 | 84 | 49* | 4th | Won Semifinals 4-5 (Adelaide Avalanche) Won Goodall Cup, 4-3 in OT (Newcastle North Stars) |
| 2008 | 28 | 20 | - | 0 | 1 | 7 | 134 | 118 | 61 | 1st | Lost in Semifinal, 7-5 (Newcastle North Stars) |
| 2009 | 24 | 1 | - | 3 | 0 | 20 | 66 | 140 | 9 | 7th | Did not qualify |
| 2010 | 24 | 12 | - | 8 | 1 | 3 | 41 | 83 | 92 | 3rd | Lost Semifinal, 1-2 (Melbourne Ice) |
| 2011 | 28 | 2 | - | 2 | 3 | 21 | 83 | 151 | 13 | 8th | Did not qualify |
| 2012 | 24 | 9 | - | 2 | 1 | 12 | 92 | 93 | 32 | 3rd, Bauer | Did not qualify |
| 2013 | 28 | 7 | - | 0 | 1 | 20 | 73 | 120 | 22 | 7th | Did not qualify |
| 2014 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 68 | 125 | 22 | 8th | Did not qualify |
- 1 As of the 2006 AIHL season, all games will have a winner. In 2014 due to the cancellation of a game the AIHL declared the result a tie.
- * The Bears were penalised 3 competition points for icing players that had not been officially cleared to play by the IIHF and IHA.
Championships[edit]
- V.I.P. Cup: 2008
Players[edit]
Roster[edit]
Team roster for the 2014 AIHL season[11]
| # | Nat | Name | Pos | Date of Birth | Acquired | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | |
Steven Adams | D | 23 June 1979 | 2009 | Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| 91 | |
Saxon Air | F | 25 March 1995 | 2011 | Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia |
| 47 | |
Spencer Austin | D | 5 March 1992 | 2011 | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
|
Brendan Ayton | F | 25 July 1991 | 2014 | Gosford, New South Wales, Australia | |
|
Matthew Ayton | F | 3 March 1989 | 2014 | Gosford, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 5 | |
Jan Bejcek | F | 24 February 1977 | 2013 | Litvinov, Czechoslovakia |
| 17 | |
Paul Bond | D | 16 December 1983 | 2013 | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| 25 | |
Slavomir Boris | D | 31 May 1988 | 2012 | Hriňová, Czechoslovakia |
| 34 | |
Stuart Clemie | G | 12 May 1991 | 2014 | Southampton, England, United Kingdom |
| 96 |  |
Ben DiMarco | F | 14 September 1987 | 2014 | Galveston, Texas, United States |
| 84 | |
Esposito, AdrianAdrian Esposito | F | 1 February 1985 | 2004 | |
|
Adam Kimbley | F | 15 August 1988 | 2014 | Wingham, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 9 | |
Dane Ludolph | F | 28 March 1986 | 2014 | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| 12 | |
Lukas Manco | D | 26 October 1992 | 2009 | Dolný Kubín, Czechoslovakia |
|
Riley Major | D | 19 January 1996 | 2014 | Yamba, New South Wales, Australia | |
|
Joel McFadden | F | 17 July 1991 | 2014 | ||
| 19 | |
Nelson-Bond, BrettBrett Nelson-Bond | F | 25 June 1983 | 2000 | |
| 17 | |
Tim Newmark | D | 11 October 1993 | 2014 | |
| 1 |  |
Daniel Palmkvist | G | 12 January 1989 | 2014 | Västerås, Sweden |
| 15 | |
Robert Pasminka | D | 10 February 1977 | 2013 | |
| 37 | |
Luke Read | G | 7 July 1984 | 2013 | Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia |
| 11 | |
Schlamp, MichaelMichael Schlamp (C) | F | 30 January 1981 | 2007 | Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| 23 | |
Jarrod Smith | D | 16 August 1994 | 2014 | |
| 81 |  |
Sean Hamilton Steen | F | 5 March 1991 | 2014 | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| 67 | |
Alec Stephenson | F | 8 December 1993 | 2014 | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| 94 | |
Branden Stobbs | F | 27 January 1990 | 2012 | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada |
| 4 | |
Todd, CameronCameron Todd | F | 21 July 1994 | 2012 | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| 90 | |
Lee Turner | F | 4 July 1990 | 2013 | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
|
Rob Willis | D | 2014 | |||
| 8 | |
Jim Zvonicek | F | 21 August 1988 | 2010 | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Notable players[edit]
Franchise scoring leaders[edit]
Top 10 franchise All-Time points scorers [12]
Note: GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; TP = Points; * = current Bears player
| Player | GP | G | A | TP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vladimir Rubes* | 193 | 129 | 210 | 339 |
| Vladan Stransky | 137 | 100 | 149 | 249 |
| Murray Wand | 170 | 70 | 75 | 145 |
| Roberto Franchini | 85 | 42 | 53 | 95 |
| Michael Schlamp* | 83 | 36 | 56 | 92 |
| Brett Nelson-Bond* | 184 | 41 | 50 | 91 |
| Andy Luhovy | 46 | 31 | 40 | 71 |
| Tomas Landa | 25 | 20 | 42 | 62 |
| Paul Shumak | 162 | 32 | 29 | 61 |
| Joshua Gribben | 42 | 20 | 26 | 46 |
Top 5 franchise All-time Points Per Game
Note: GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; TP = Points; PPG= Point-Per Game * = current Bears player
| Player | GP | G | A | TP | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vit Stransky | 15 | 22 | 18 | 40 | 2.667 |
| Tony Demelinne* | 14 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 2.571 |
| Tomas Landa | 25 | 20 | 42 | 62 | 2.489 |
| Vladan Stransky | 137 | 100 | 149 | 249 | 1.818 |
| Vladimir Rubes* | 193 | 129 | 210 | 339 | 1.756 |
Current Staff[edit]
- President/General Manager – Wayne Hellyer
- Team Manager – Neil McFadden
- Assistant Team Manager - Robert Palmer
- Head coach – Vladimir Rubes
- Bench coach – Steve Austin
- Secretary – Laurie Mock
- Treasurer – Lorelle Cross
- Game Day Ticketing -
- Time Keepers – Marichu Liddicoat & Warwick Griffith
Arena[edit]
Home games are played at the Penrith Ice Palace in Penrith, on the western outskirts of Sydney, New South Wales. The team previously played at the Sydney Ice Arena in Baulkham Hills, but announced they would move to Penrith for the 2007 AIHL season.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "The History of The Sydney Bears Ice Hockey Club". The Sydney Bears Ice Hockey Club. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^ "2010 AIHL Regular Season". Australian Ice Hockey League. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- ^ "Buck wild night for The Bears". Game Recap 16 April 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ "Netherlands Entry List 2011". Entry List By Team 2011. IIHF World Championship DIV I Group A. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ Corbett, Graeme. "Snakes strive for RBC record book".
- ^ Australian Ice Hockey League. "Boxscores: May 14th 2011 - Sydney Bears vs Melbourne Ice". Australian Ice Hockey League Boxscores. AIHL.
- ^ Nelson-Bond, Brett. "Bears Run Over Mustangs for Win". Game Recaps.
- ^ Lambert, Peter (19 February 2012). "Bears in the Hills". Australian Ice Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
- ^ a b Brook, Eric (2015-01-08). "Sydney Bears Move To Penrith In 2015". Hewitt Sports. Archived from the original on 2015-01-10. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
- ^ "Sydney Bears Relocate to Penrith Ice Palace". Ice Hockey News Australia. 2015-01-08. Archived from the original on 2015-01-10. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
- ^ "Sydney Bears". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
- ^ "Franchise All-Time Points". Elite Hockey Prospects.
External links[edit]
- Official website of the Sydney Bears
- Sydney Bears profile on Elite Hockey Prospects
- The Official AIHL site
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