| Diables Rouges de Valenciennes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Valenciennes, France |
| League | FFHG Division 1 |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Home arena | Patinoire de Buisson rond |
| Colors | red, black, white |
| Championships | |
| Playoff championships | FFHG Division 2: 1991 |
The Diables Rouges de Valenciennes (Valenciennes Red Devils) are a French professional ice hockey team in Valenciennes, Hauts-de-France that plays in FFHG Division 1. The team was previously known as the 'Valenciennes Hainaut Hockey Club'.
The team's foundation is uncertain as various websites list either 1970 or 1971 as the club's first year, however, FFHG lists 1971 as the inaugural season. [1] The Red Devils began play as in the second division of French ice hockey, then called the Deuxième Série (Second Series). Little information is available for the team at this time but Les Diables Rouges were forced to withdraw from competition during their first season. Two years later, the team found itself in the third division but then vanish from the record for the next four years.
By at least 1978, Valenciennes was active in the third division. They received a promotion back to the second division in 1980 and played well enough the following year to participate in the relegation round. After Valenciennes failed in their bid to reach the top level, the team took a precipitous tumble and found themselves in the fourth division (lowest tier) of French hockey in 1987. The club wallowed at the bottom for a few years but lucked into a promotion in 1990 when the second team from Amiens suspended operations. The timing could not have been better for Valenciennes as they won the league championship the very next season, earning a promotion to the second division. Unfortunately, the team was unable to accept at the time but after earning a second promotion the following year they were able to return to the second division. Their stay lasted all of one year as the Devils went winless and dropped back to the third tier.
In 1996 the team declared bankruptcy and were forced into a demotion despite finishing with one of their best seasons in years. They remained in the fourth league for most of the next 20 years when they were chosen as a replacement for the second Épinal club in 2017. After staving off relegation for a few years, as well as surviving the upheaval of the COVID-19 troubles, Valenciennes rose to the top of the league in the early 2020s. Despite their sterling record in the regular seasons, the Red Devils were twice eliminated in the quarterfinal rounds. Luckily for them, a spot opened up in FFHG Division 1 in 2023 and Valenciennes was able to afford the promotion back to the second tier.
Last five seasons.
| Season | GP | W | L | OTW | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FFHG Division 2 | |||||||||||
| 2019–20 | 18 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 68 | 96 | 8th in Poule A | postseason cancelled | |
| 2020–21 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | — | season cancelled | |
| 2021–22 | 18 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 39 | 75 | 52 | 2nd in Poule A | Quarterfinal loss | |
| 2022–23 | 18 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 46 | 121 | 52 | 2nd in Poule A | Quarterfinal loss | |
| FFHG Division 1 | |||||||||||
| 2023–24 | 26 | 3 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 75 | 146 | 14th | saved in relegation | |
As of March 25, 2025. [2]
| No. | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | Gaspard Vanwormhoudt | D | L | 17 | 2025 (Loan) | Dunkerque | Amiens |
| 5 | | Anatole De Mali | F | L | 20 | 2025 (Loan) | Enghien-les-Bains | Amiens |
| 6 |  | Maxwell Roth ( A ) | D | L | 28 | 2024 | Evanston | Valenciennes |
| 7 | | Valentin Detouteville | F | L | 20 | 2025 (Loan) | Rouen | Amiens |
| 10 | | Jules Renault  | F | R | 21 | 2024 | Charleville-Mézières | Valenciennes |
| 11 | | Mathieu Buttin ( A ) | D | L | 26 | 2024 | Grenoble | Valenciennes |
| 13 | | Clément Garrido ( A ) | RW | L | 25 | 2024 | Amiens | Valenciennes |
| 14 | | Thomas Malhouitre | D | R | 22 | 2024 | Mont-Saint-Aignan | Valenciennes |
| 16 | | Victor Breton | F | L | 27 | 2023 | Épinal | Valenciennes |
| 21 | | Ugo Tocquin | F | L | 21 | 2025 (Loan) | Amiens | Amiens |
| 22 |  | Kevin Altidor ( C ) | F | L | 32 | 2024 | Montreal | Valenciennes |
| 39 | | Tonin Caubet | G | L | 23 | 2024 | Bayonne | Valenciennes |
| 55 | | Raphaël Chateauvieux | G | L | 21 | 2025 (Loan) | Rouen | Amiens |
| 71 | | Reilly Moran | F | R | 25 | 2024 | Hingham | Valenciennes |
| 74 | | Peter Gincourt | D | L | 20 | 2024 | Sallanches | Valenciennes |
| 77 | | Lévy Raux | F | L | 25 | 2024 | Vernon | Valenciennes |
| 78 | | Arille Dupont | F | R | 21 | 2025 | Chambray-lès-Tours | Valenciennes |
| 80 |  | Marcus Karlsson | D | R | 23 | 2024 | Uppsala | Valenciennes |
| 90 |  | Risto Saarinen | RW | R | 24 | 2024 | Rauma | Valenciennes |
| 91 | | Patrik Jääskeläinen | F | L | 27 | 2024 | Jyväskylä | Valenciennes |
| 92 | | Levi Glasman | LW | L | 26 | 2025 | Minnedosa | Valenciennes |
| 93 | | Maxime Bataillé ( A ) | D | L | 25 | 2024 | Nogent-sur-Marne | Valenciennes |
| 96 | | Thomas Vandeputte | F/D | R | 20 | 2025 | Nice | Valenciennes |