Sydney Bears | |
---|---|
City | Macquarie Park, New South Wales |
League | Australian Ice Hockey League |
Founded | 1982 |
Home arena | Macquarie Ice Rink |
Colours | Red, black, white |
General manager | Nathan Graham |
Head coach | Ron Kuprowsky |
Captain | Brian Funes |
Affiliates | Sydney Bears IHC (IHNSW) Penrith Raptors (ECSL) Sydney Sting (ECSL) Sydney Bombers (ECSL) Reach Rebels (ECSL) |
Website | bearsden |
Franchise history | |
1982–1997 | Macquarie Bears |
1997–2007 | Sydney Bears |
2007–2009 | AIHL Bears |
2010–present | Sydney Bears |
Championships | |
H Newman Reid Trophies | 3 (2000, 2002, 2008) |
Goodall Cups | 3 (2002, 2007, 2019) |
Current season |
The Sydney Bears (formerly Macquarie Bears) is an Australian semi-professional ice hockey team from Sydney, New South Wales. Established in 1982, the Bears are the only remaining founding member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) still operating. The Bears are based at Macquarie Ice Rink, within the Macquarie Centre, in the northern suburbs of Sydney. The Sydney Bears have claimed three Goodall Cups in 2002, 2003 and 2019.
The Sydney Bears was founded on 1 July 1982 as the Macquarie Bears Ice Hockey Club Incorporated. The team was formed concurrently to the non-incorporated local ice hockey club sharing the same name. [1] The Bears were based out of the Macquarie Ice Rink. The club competed in the NSW Super League (NSWSL) and then the East Coast Super League (ECSL). [2] In 1989 the Bears claimed the NSWSL championship with star defenceman Glen Foll claiming top points scorer for the season. [3] In 1997 the club decided to change its name to the Sydney Bears Ice Hockey Club in preparation for a new national competition. [4] In September 1999, the Bears won the East Coast Super League after defeating the Canberra Knights in a two match grand final series held at Phillip Ice Skating Centre, Canberra. In game one, on 18 September, the Bears fought their way to a close a 6–5 victory over the hosts. In game two, on 19 September, Sydney's goalkeeper Alan Becken claimed a shutout as the Bears won 5–0. [5]
In 2000, the Australian Ice Hockey league (AIHL) was established. [6] The league adopted a franchise arrangement for competing teams so the Sydney Bears set up their incorporation as The Bears AIHL Inc. and were granted an AIHL licence. [7]
The Sydney Bears claimed the inaugural AIHL season premiership by finishing top of the round-robin season involving the Bears, Adelaide Avalanche and Canberra Knights. The Bears were defeated by the Avalanche, 6–5 in a shootout in the single match championship final. [8]
The Sydney Bears backed up this performance and made the championship final in 2001. They were again defeated by the Adelaide Avalanche, 10–7. [9] The Bears did find success in the Goodall Cup tournament in 2001. Held in Newcastle, it was the last Goodall Cup tournament held independently to the AIHL. [7]
In 2002, the Bears had a breakout AIHL season. The team left Macquarie and moved to the new Sydney Ice Arena in Baulkham Hills. The league doubled in size to six teams and the Bears finished the season first in the table to claim their second premiership. They faced a familiar foe, Adelaide Avalanche, in the first Goodall Cup Final for the AIHL. [6] In Blacktown Ice Arena, the Bears defeated Adelaide 5–4 in a shootout to clinch the Goodall Cup and claim their first AIHL Championship. [10]
In 2003, the AIHL adopted a new finals format that involved the top four teams from the regular season. [6] The Sydney Bears were involved in and won the one and only third place play-off in an AIHL finals weekend. The Bears continued their rivalry with Adelaide and defeated them 10–5 in the match to claim third. From 2004 the AIHL tweaked the finals format to remove this match. [11]
The Bears next found success in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, the Sydney Bears changed their name to the AIHL Bears (or simply the Bears) as the team left Sydney for Penrith. [12] The team played out of the Penrith Ice Palace. The Bears won their second championship and Goodall Cup by defeating the Newcastle North Stars 3–2 in overtime in the final. [13] The Bears also won the inaugural Wilson Cup in 2007. [14] In 2008, the Bears claimed the H Newman Reid Trophy for the first time by finishing top of the league table ahead of the Western Sydney Ice Dogs. [15] The Bears also claimed back-to-back Wilson Cups after defeating the Ice Dogs in the pre-season tournament's final 6–4. [14]
To start the new decade, in 2010, the team rebranded and changed their name back to the Sydney Bears. [12] The team switched between Penrith and Sydney Ice Arena over the course of seven seasons. [16] [17] In 2017, Macquarie Ice Rink, at a cost of $3 million, had been upgraded to AIHL standards providing the Bears the opportunity to return to their spiritual home. [1] The Bears, along with the Ice Dogs, moved into the newly renovated arena located within the Macquarie Centre. [18] The upgrade of Macquarie Ice Rink also brought back the Sydney Bears (IHNSW) club to Macquarie. Since the move in 2017, the AIHL team and the IHNSW club have increased cooperation and support between the two clubs. Ex AIHL Bear's players have been taking up coaching roles within the IHNSW club while the IHNSW Bears provides the AIHL team a pathway for local players. [19] In 2018, prior to the season starting, the Bears unveiled a new team logo to signify their return home to Macquarie. [20]
On the ice, the Bears struggled to find form. The team spent seven consecutive seasons failing to reach the AIHL finals weekend between 2011 and 2017. In 2018 the team's fortunes began to improve. The Bears finished second in the league and made their first appearance in the Goodall Cup final in eleven years. [21] They were defeated 4–3 in overtime by the CBR Brave but their display and spirit was praised. [22] In 2019, the Sydney Bears surprised many and went one better and clinched their third Goodall Cup. It was their second Cup success after finishing the regular season in fourth place. The Bears defeated the Perth Thunder, 5–2 in the final. [23]
Sydney Bears all-time record | |||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Regular season | Finals | Wilson Cup | Top points scorer | |||||||||||||||||||
P | W | T | L | OW | OL | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Finish | P | W | L | GF | GA | Result | Semi Final | Preliminary Final | Goodall Cup Final | Name | Points | ||
2000 | Information not available | 1st | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | Runner-up | – | – | Lost 5–6 (SO) (Avalanche) | – | Information not available | ||||||||||
2001 | 16 | 7 | 1 | 8 | – | – | 70 | 74 | −4 | 15 | 2nd | 1 | 1 | – | 10 | 7 | Runner-up | – | – | Lost 7–10 (Avalanche) | – | Information not available | |
2002 | 20 | 16 | 1 | 3 | – | – | 126 | 69 | +57 | 33 | 1st | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | 0 | Champion | – | – | Won 5–4 (SO) (Avalanche) | – | Murray Wand | 27 |
2003 [lower-alpha 1] | 18 | 11 | – | 7 | – | – | 74 | 64 | +10 | 22 | 3rd [lower-alpha 2] | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 12 | Third [lower-alpha 3] | Lost 4–7 (North Stars) | – | – | – | Vladimir Rubes | 14 |
2004 | 20 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 68 | 71 | −3 | 31 | 3rd | 1 | – | 1 | 4 | 5 | Semi-finalist | Lost 4–5 (Ice Dogs) | – | – | – | Trent Ulmer | 24 |
2005 | 26 | 11 | – | 12 | 2 | 1 | 96 | 100 | −4 | 38 | 4th | 1 | – | 1 | 3 | 6 | Semi-finalist | Lost 3–6 (Avalanche) | – | – | – | Andy Luhovy | 33 |
2006 | 28 | 15 | – | 11 | 1 | 1 | 133 | 101 | +32 | 48 | 5th | – | – | Vladan Stransky | 57 | ||||||||
2007 | 28 | 14 | – | 8 | 4 | 2 | 112 | 84 | +28 | 49 [lower-alpha 4] | 4th | 2 | 2 | – | 7 | 3 | Champion | Won 4–1 (Avalanche) | – | Won 3–2 (OT) (North Stars) | Winner | Tomas Landa | 62 |
2008 | 28 | 20 | – | 7 | – | 1 | 134 | 118 | +16 | 61 | 1st | 1 | – | 1 | 5 | 7 | Semi-finalist | Lost 5–7 (North Stars) | – | – | Winner | Vladan Stransky | 63 |
2009 | 24 | 1 | – | 20 | 3 | – | 66 | 140 | −74 | 9 | 7th | – | Group | Vladimir Rubes | 36 | ||||||||
2010 | 24 | 12 | – | 8 | 1 | 3 | 82 | 90 | −8 | 41 | 3rd | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 2 | Semi-finalist | Lost 1–2 (Ice) | – | – | – | Vladimir Rubes | 34 |
2011 | 28 | 2 | – | 21 | 2 | 3 | 83 | 151 | −68 | 13 | 8th | – | – | Michael Schlamp | 45 | ||||||||
2012 | 24 | 9 | – | 12 | 2 | 1 | 92 | 93 | −1 | 32 | 3rd, Bauer | – | – | Tomas Landa | 58 | ||||||||
2013 | 28 | 7 | – | 20 | – | 1 | 73 | 120 | −47 | 22 | 7th | – | – | Tomas Landa | 33 | ||||||||
2014 | 28 | 6 | 1 [lower-alpha 5] | 19 | 1 | 1 | 88 | 125 | −57 | 22 | 8th | – | Group | Hamilton Steen | 31 | ||||||||
2015 | 28 | 11 | – | 14 | 1 | 2 | 110 | 110 | +0 | 37 | 7th | – | Runner-up | Joe Harcharik | 52 | ||||||||
2016 | 28 | 5 | – | 15 | 5 | 3 | 77 | 95 | −18 | 28 | 6th | – | Winner | Tomas Landa | 33 | ||||||||
2017 | 28 | 6 | – | 14 | 3 | 3 | 101 | 121 | −20 | 33 | 6th | – | Winner | Jackson Brewer | 45 | ||||||||
2018 | 28 | 15 | – | 7 | 3 | 3 | 104 | 72 | +32 | 54 | 2nd | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | Runner-up | Won 3–0 (Thunder) | – | Lost 3–4 (OT) (Brave) | Runner-up | Charlie Adams | 54 |
2019 | 28 | 15 | – | 11 | 2 | – | 121 | 102 | +19 | 49 | 4th | 2 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 6 | Champion | Won 6–4 (Brave) | – | Won 5–2) (Thunder) | Winner | Danick Gauthier | 53 |
2020 | 2020 and 2021 AIHL seasons were cancelled and not contested | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2022 | 20 | 10 | – | 8 | 2 | – | 105 | 93 | +12 | 34 | 3rd | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 7 | Prelim-finalist | Won 7–3 (Mustangs) | Lost 3–4 (OT) (Northstars) | – | Winner | Tomas Landa | 38 |
2023 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Totals | 500 | 201 | 4 | 231 | 33 | 29 | 1915 | 1993 | -98 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 72 | 59 | |||||||||
Notes:
Notes References: [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]
Champions | Runners-up | Third place |
Team roster for the 2022 AIHL season. [29] [30]
Active Roster | Coaching staff | |||
Goaltenders Defencemen | Forwards | Head Coach Coaches Legend Statistics | ||
Last updated on: 25 June 2022 | ||||
Elite Prospects |
These are the top-ten all-time player records in franchise history for the following categories: Appearances, [31] Goals, [32] Assists, [33] Points, [34] Penalty minutes [35]
(Figures are updated after each completed AIHL regular season)
Current as of 2022 AIHL season. [36] [37] [38]
Role | Name |
---|---|
Head coach | Ron Kuprowsky |
President | Nathan Graham |
Vice President | Andrew Bourne |
Vice President | Ruby Bray |
Vice President | Hamish Davey |
Secretary | Vanessa Saros |
The Sydney Bears' current home venue is the Macquarie Ice Rink, located within the Macquarie Shopping Centre in Macquarie, Sydney. The Macquarie facility consists of an Olympic sized rink (60m x 30m) with seating for approximately 2,000 people. [39]
Macquarie is the spiritual home of the Bears, as the team called Macquarie home from foundation in 1982 till 2002. In 2002 the team moved to the recently constructed Sydney Ice Arena in Baulkham Hills, Sydney. After five years the team moved out of Sydney and into the Penrith Ice Palace, Penrith, New South Wales, out west of the city. [40] In 2012 the Bears returned to Sydney and to the Sydney Ice Arena. In late 2013 / early 2014 it was announced that the ownership of the Sydney Ice Arena, Hillsong, had lodged a development application with the NSW Government to re-develop the site into a residential complex, removing the twelve year old ice rink. [41] [42] The Bears moved back to Penrith for the 2015 and 2016 AIHL seasons. [43] In 2017 it was announced that the Bears would return home to Macquarie to play out of the newly upgraded Macquarie Ice Rink, which now met AIHL standards. [44] [45]
Stadium history | ||
---|---|---|
Rink | Location | Term |
Macquarie Ice Rink | Macquarie | 1982–01 |
Sydney Ice Arena | Baulkham Hills | 2002–06 |
Penrith Ice Palace | Penrith | 2007–11 |
Sydney Ice Arena | Baulkham Hills | 2012–14 |
Penrith Ice Palace | Penrith | 2015–16 |
Macquarie Ice Rink | Macquarie | 2017–Present |
The Bears have had six captains in the team's known history. [46]
No. | Name | Term |
---|---|---|
1 | Tyler Lovering | 2001 |
2 | Don Burke | 2002 |
3 | Tyler Lovering | 2003–04 |
4 | Murray Wand | 2005–08 |
5 | Vladimir Rubes | 2009–10 |
6 | Michael Schlamp | 2010–19 |
7 | Brian Funes | 2022–Present |
The Bears have had three head coaches in the team's known history. [53]
No. | Name | Term |
---|---|---|
1 | Vladimir Rubes | 2001–05 |
2 | Kelly Lovering | 2006 |
3 | Vladimir Rubes | 2007–15 |
4 | Ron Kuprowsky | 2016–Present |
The Bears have had two general managers/presedents in the team's known history. [53]
No. | Name | Term |
---|---|---|
1 | Wayne Hellyer | 2000–19 |
2 | Nathan Graham | 2022–Present |
Current:
Former:
The Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) is Australia's top-level men's ice hockey league. Established in 2000, the AIHL is sanctioned by Ice Hockey Australia. The AIHL is a semi-professional league that is contested by ten franchised teams in two conferences spanning six Australian states and territories. AIHL premiers are awarded the H Newman Reid Trophy and AIHL champions are awarded the Goodall Cup, the world's third oldest ice hockey trophy, having been first awarded in 1909. The most successful team in AIHL history is the Newcastle Northstars, having claimed six championship titles. The current champions, from 2023, are the Melbourne Mustangs.
The Melbourne Ice is an Australian semi-professional ice hockey team from Melbourne, Victoria, based at the Icehouse in the Docklands precinct of central Melbourne. Founded in 2000, the Ice have been a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) since 2002, and are four-time Goodall Cup champions and H Newman Reid Trophy premiers.
The Newcastle Northstars is an Australian semi-professional ice hockey team from Newcastle, New South Wales. The Northstars are a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL), joining as an expansion team in 2002. The team is based at the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium in Warners Bay, a suburb of Lake Macquarie, 15 kilometres south-west of Newcastle. The Northstars are affiliated with the ice hockey club of the same name. The team have won six Goodall Cups and five H Newman Reid Trophies, making them the most successful team in AIHL history.
The Adelaide Adrenaline is a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Adelaide, South Australia. The team is a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The team was founded in 2008 as the Adelaide A's to replace the defunct Adelaide Avalanche who folded mid-season. The team plays its home games at the IceArenA, located in the suburb of Thebarton. The Adrenaline are one time Goodall Cup champions from 2009.
The Sydney Ice Dogs is an Australian semi-professional ice hockey team from Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 2002, the Ice Dogs are a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The Ice Dogs are two time Goodall Cup champions.
The Central Coast Rhinos is a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Erina, New South Wales, Australia. The team is a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The team was founded in 2005 as an expansion AIHL team and played in the league for four seasons between 2005 and 2008 The Rhinos left the league in 2009 and joined the Australian International Ice Hockey Cup, where it competed for four seasons between 2009 and 2012. Central Coast were granted a provisional AIHL licence in 2022 to play exhibitions and were successful in re-joining the AIHL in 2023. The Rhinos home venue is the Erina Ice Arena, located within the Erina Fair Shopping Centre on the New South Wales Central Coast.
The 2007 AIHL season was the eighth season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). It ran from 14 April 2007 until 26 August 2007, with the Goodall Cup finals following on 1 and 2 September 2007. The Adelaide Avalanche won the V.I.P. Cup after finishing the regular season first in the league standings. The Bears won the Goodall Cup for the second time by defeating the Newcastle North Stars in the final.
The 2008 AIHL season was the ninth season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). It ran from 19 April 2008 until 24 August 2008, with the Goodall Cup finals following on 30 and 31 August 2008. The Bears won the H Newman Reid Trophy (backdated) after finishing the regular season first in the league standings. The Newcastle North Stars won the Goodall Cup for the fourth time by defeating the Western Sydney Ice Dogs in the final.
The 2003 AIHL season was the fourth season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). It ran from 3 May 2003 until 29 August 2003, with the Goodall Cup finals following on 6 and 7 September 2003. The Adelaide Avalanche won the Premiership after finishing the regular season first in the league standings. The Newcastle North Stars won the Goodall Cup for the first time by defeating the Western Sydney Ice Dogs in the final.
The Melbourne Mustangs is an Australian semi-professional ice hockey team from Melbourne, Victoria. Formed in 2010, the Mustangs have been a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) since 2011. The Mustangs are based at the O'Brien Icehouse in the Docklands district of Melbourne. The Mustangs are two time Goodall Cup and one time H Newman Reid Trophy winners.
The Perth Thunder is an Australian semi-professional ice hockey team from Perth, Western Australia. Founded in 2010, the Thunder have been a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) since 2012. The Thunder are based at the Perth Ice Arena, located in the suburb of Malaga. Perth are one time Goodall Cup runners-up and two time H Newman Reid Trophy runners-up.
The CBR Brave is a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Canberra, ACT. The team is a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The team was founded in 2014 to replace the defunct Canberra Knights in the AIHL. Their home venue is the Phillip Ice Skating Centre known as The Brave Cave. The Brave have claimed two Goodall Cup championships and four H Newman Reid Trophy premierships.
The 2019 AIHL season is the 20th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). It ran from 20 April 2019 until 25 August 2019, with the Goodall Cup finals following on 31 August and 1 September 2019. The CBR Brave won the H Newman Reid Trophy after finishing the regular season with the most points in league history for the second time. The Sydney Bears won the Goodall Cup for the third time by defeating the Perth Thunder in the final.
The 2020 AIHL season was going to be the 21st season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). It was originally scheduled to run from 18 April 2020 until 23 August 2020, with the Goodall Cup finals following on 29 August and 30 August 2020. However, on 12 March 2020 the league announced the postponement of the 2020 season to a to be determined date due to COVID-19. Then on 29 July 2020, the AIHL commission's return to play committee announced the official cancellation of the 2020 AIHL season due to July COVID outbreaks on the east coast as well as continued border closures for WA and SA. This marked the first time the Goodall Cup was not awarded since 1993, when the competition was cancelled as a result of financial problems.
The 2018 CBR Brave season was the Brave's 5th season in the Australian Ice Hockey League since being founded and entering the league in 2014. The season ran from 21 April 2018 to 2 September 2018 for the Brave. CBR finished first in the regular season to clinch their maiden H Newman Reid Trophy. The team set then AIHL records for most wins and points in a season. The Brave completed the double and claimed their first Goodall Cup trophy and the AIHL Championship in Melbourne in September. CBR defeated the Melbourne Mustangs in the first semi-final 5–1 before overcoming the Sydney Bears in the final 4–3 with an overtime winner scored by Trevor Gerling. The Brave became the first Canberra based ice hockey franchise to lift the Goodall Cup and the second Canberra based team overall, following the ACT representative team's victory in 1998. Canberra Brave's Dave and Jayden Lewis became the first father-son duo in Australian Ice Hockey League history to lift the Goodall Cup. American import forward, Trevor Gerling, finished equal top points scorer in the league. Canadian import goaltender, Matt Hewitt, finished top in the league goaltender standings and Australian international, Wahebe Darge, won the AIHL best local player award for 2018. Foundation player, Jordie Gavin who was instrumental in building the CBR Brave following the collapse of the Canberra Knights, retired after the 2018 AIHL final.
The 2017 CBR Brave season was the Brave's 4th season in the Australian Ice Hockey League since being founded and entering the league in 2014. The season ran from 22 April 2017 to 3 September 2017 for the Brave. CBR finished third in the regular season behind the Melbourne Ice and Perth Thunder. The Brave qualified for the AIHL Finals in Melbourne and played in semi-final two. Canberra defeated the Thunder 6–2 to qualify for the Goodall Cup Final for the second time in franchise history. The Brave were defeated in the final by the Ice 1–4, Canberra's second championship final loss in a row.
The 2016 CBR Brave season was the Brave's 3rd season in the Australian Ice Hockey League since being founded and entering the league in 2014. The season ran from 23 April 2016 to 28 August 2016 for the Brave. CBR finished fourth in the regular season behind the Melbourne Ice, Perth Thunder and Newcastle North Stars. The Brave qualified for the AIHL Finals in Melbourne and played in semi-final one. Canberra defeated the Ice 4–3 in overtime to qualify for the Goodall Cup Final for the first time in franchise history. The Brave were defeated in the final by the North Stars 1–2.
The 2014 CBR Brave season was the Brave's 1st season in the Australian Ice Hockey League since being founded in pre-season before the 2014 AIHL season. The season ran from 12 April 2014 to 30 August 2014 for the Brave. CBR finished third in their inaugural regular season behind the Melbourne Mustangs and Melbourne Ice. The Brave qualified for the AIHL Finals in Melbourne and played in semi-final two. Canberra were defeated by the Melbourne Ice, 1–6 in their semi-final match and were knocked out of the finals weekend, ending their season.
The 2022 AIHL season is the delayed 21st season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL), following the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The season will consist of 60 regular season games and is scheduled to run from 30 April to 28 August 2022, with the Goodall Cup finals, consisting of 2 semi-finals, a preliminary final and a grand final, following the regular season on 2–4 September 2022. The CBR Brave won the double and claimed the H Newman Reid Trophy for a third time and Goodall Cup for a second time in 2022 by finishing top of the regular season standings and winning the AIHL grand final. The Newcastle Northstars were runner's up to both titles and the Sydney Ice Dogs claimed the wooden spoon.
The 2023 AIHL season was the 22nd season of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The season consisted of 130 regular season games from 15 April to 13 August 2023, with the Goodall Cup finals consisting of two play-in matches, two semi-finals, and a grand final, following the regular season on 26–27 August 2023. The CBR Brave and Sydney Bears claimed the Rurak and Hellyer conference trophies for finishing top of their respective conference standings. The CBR Brave also won the Premiership and claimed the H Newman Reid Trophy for a record fourth consecutive time by finishing top of the regular season standings. The Melbourne Mustangs won the Championship and claimed the Goodall Cup for the second time in their history, defeating the Brave in the grand final. The returning Central Coast Rhinos claimed the wooden spoon.