The Get Real Guide to the Coventry Blaze: Building Success from the Ground Up

Founded: 2000

Colours: Black, White, Navy, Sky Blue

Home: Skydome Arena, Coventry

The Coventry Blaze are a team that has built its self up from the very bottom to become one of the most successful teams in British ice hockey over the last 10 years. And now features many of the Great Britain team as well as being coached by national team coach Paul Thompson.

The Blaze story though begins a short distance up the road with the Solihull Barons. The Barons were themselves a famous name in the 1980's and early 1990's but the race to professionalism and lack of a larger arena combined with some money issues left the Barons behind their counterparts in Sheffield and Nottingham. And so in 1996 the Barons where bought out and became the Solihull Blaze before in the year 2000 making the short move south to the new Skydome Arena in Coventry to become the Coventry Blaze.

Their move to the Skydome also saw the club maintain their place in the British National League and in 2003 with the formation of the new Elite League the Blaze made the jump to the top flight. In that first season in the top flight the side laid out their stall early beating eventual winners Sheffield 6-1 and the Manchester Phoenix 11-0 before finishing third in the league.

The following season the Blaze had there most successful season ever winning not only the Challenge Cup for their first ever piece of silverware but added the league title and the playoff trophy for grand slam.

The Blaze went on to win 3 more titles in the next 4 seasons adding a Challenge Cup victory in 2007 as well as a Knockout Cup win in 2008.

In all the Blaze are the most successful club in the Elite League but have so far this season hit some finaincial problems. As of now the future of the Blaze is unclear beyond this season but their raise to become a powerhouse of the game in Great Britain can only benefit the club going forward.

Honours

British National League Champions

ñ2002–03

British National League Play Off Champions

ñ2002–03

Elite Ice Hockey League Champions

ñ2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10

Elite Ice Hockey League Play Off Champions

ñ2004–05

Elite Ice Hockey League Challenge Cup Champions

ñ2004–05, 2006–07

Elite Ice Hockey League British Knockout Cup Champions

ñ2007–08

Elite Ice Hockey League Charity Shield Champions

ñ2008–09

Links

Official Website

http://www.coventryblaze.co.uk/

Fans Forum

http://www.fireandiceforum.co.uk/index.php

Neil Tucker

www.bluelinehockeyblog.wordpress.com

Coventry Blaze Face Tough Money Problems - British Ice Hockey in Shock

The Elite League and British ice hockey were shocked to learn that the Coventry Blaze were struggling with money. The club announced that they hit financial problems and may not be able to continue beyond the end of the season.

The news shocked everyone associated with British ice hockey as the Blaze were not only seen as one of the most successful teams in the Elite League era but as something of a model of how to run and build a hockey club. Since moving to Coventry the Blaze have become had success in the old British National League and then in the Elite League and had built a strong fan base.

This season has however been seen the Blaze off the pace in the title race for the second successive season and that fan base has not been as numerous has it has been in the past. The club in a statement did not give any specific reasons for the down turn in revenue but cited the financial crises as a theme to the problems.

Since that statement fans and ex players have been pledging their support with some even buying standing tickets for Saturdays game even though they cannot attend the game.

This news has come on the back of the club releasing Luke Fulgham suddenly on Thursday and there could be more ramifications on the way for the Blaze if new investment is not found. On a wider scale there could be more changes and problems for the league with the Blaze joining a lengthening list of Elite League sides that have expressed problems with money.

It is of course not the first time that successful sides have encountered money problems. In 2001 the former Superleague winners the Cardiff Devils dropped out of the Superleague and in 2002 both the Manchester Storm and the Scottish Eagles failed to complete the season as did the London Racers in 2005. In more recent times clubs in Manchester, Basingstoke and Newcastle have all dropped out of the Elite League with the latter going out of existence.

Neil Tucker

www.bluelinehockeyblog.wordpress.com