Cardiff Devils
Encyclopedia
The Cardiff Devils are a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

 ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 team who play in the British Elite Ice Hockey League
Elite Ice Hockey League
Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other...

. The team currently plays in the temporary Cardiff Arena
Cardiff Arena
The Cardiff Arena, also known as Cardiff Bay Ice Arena and also known by ice hockey fans as the Big Blue Tent, is a temporary ice rink in Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, Wales. It has a capacity of 2,500 for ice hockey and is home to the Cardiff Devils after leaving the Wales National Ice Rink, in order to...

. A new 3000 seat ice rink has been cleared for construction, with completion estimated to be the end of 2011.

History

Founded in 1986, the club became the dominant force in the sport in the late 1980s and early 1990s, winning a total of 7 league titles.

The Cardiff Devils were formed during the summer of 1986 when Sports Nationwide built the Wales National Ice Rink
Wales National Ice Rink
The Wales National Ice Rink was an ice rink in Cardiff, Wales. It was the former home of the Cardiff Devils ice hockey team. The WNIR was opened in 1986 and was demolished in September 2006....

 in the centre of Cardiff City Centre. John Lawless, a 25 year old Canadian was given the responsibility of setting up a brand new team, having been a trainee assistant manager at Peterborough who were owned by the same company.

1986–87

The club entered the British Ice Hockey League Structure at the bottom in Division 2 (Midland Section) at a time when each team was only allowed a maximum of three import players. With Lawless deciding to play himself, he brought over fellow Canadians Perry Olivier and Bill Taylor to join him on the roster, with the remaining places going to British players.
With the WNIR not ready for the start of the season, the team played several games away from home to begin with.
The Cardiff Devils first ever game was a Challenge match away to the Oxford City Stars on 12 October 1986. Despite Oxford playing in the division above, the Devils won the game 9–8.

Cardiff finally got to play their first ever game at the WNIR on 30 November 1986 where a crowd of 2500 saw their new heroes destroy Ashfield Islanders 32–0.

Devils finished the league season unbeaten with 13 wins and 1 draw from 14 games to finish top of Division 2 (Midlands), 2 points clear of 'local' Welsh rivals Deeside Dragons. Promotion to Division 1 though was dependent on them winning the Division 1 Play Off Champions, which the club hosted at the WNIR.
Their semi-final against Northern winners Grimsby Buffaloes was surrounded in controversy when the game was abandoned after a 34-player bench clearance with Cardiff leading 10–4. The BIHA officials though ruled that it had been provoked by the English side and hence the score should stand as a final result.
In the other semi-final Scottish League Champions Aviemore Blackhawks beat Southern Winners Streatham Bruins(13–4) to set up an all Celtic final the following day.
Unfortunately for the Devils, despite a final period comeback after being 4 goals behind, Aviemore were able to hang on for a 10–9 win and promotion to Division 1 at the expense of Cardiff.
But in a strange twist of fate the result proved to be irrelevant. The BIHA decided the league structure needed re-organising, and as a result the Cardiff Devils were moved into Division
1 (South) for the following season.

1987–88

Following promotion to Division 1 (South) and a new Sponsorship deal, Lawless was able to strengthen his team. Key signings included netminder Jeff Smith, coach Brian Kanewischer and Canadian defenceman Shannon Hope
Shannon Hope
Shannon Hope is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defender who played for the Peterborough Pirates and the Cardiff Devils as well as for the Great Britain national team, for whom he was the captain between 1995 and 1997...

 as a replacement for Bill Taylor who was injured midway through the previous season.
The season proved to be successful with the Devils winning the Autumn Trophy in November with an 11–10 aggregrate win over the Trafford Metros.

In the league the side finished a very respectable 3rd place, although 10 points behind winners Telford Tigers
Telford Tigers
The Telford Tigers are an English Premier League ice hockey team that formed in 2001 under the name Telford Wild Foxes.A previous Telford Tigers team had existed between 1985 and 1999.- Early history :...

. The two teams had created a fierce rivalry during the season due to several controversial and violent games. During a game on 16 January in Telford, the Devils players were subjected to constant sticking offences resulted in Shannon Hope receiving a serious injury just below his eye. With the referee not calling any penalty, coach Kanewischer took his team off the ice in protest midway through the 2nd period.
After a league investigation Cardiff were eventually fined £1000 for their actions and Kanewisher banned for the rest of the season.

1988–89

Lawless and Cardiff shocked the whole of British Ice Hockey by signing 3 of the top players from the Premier Division over the summer. Canadian import Steve Moria was signed from the Fife Flyers, and then the Cooper brothers Ian
Ian Cooper (ice hockey)
Ian Edward Cooper is a retired British ice hockey player. He is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame and is the younger brother of fellow Hall of Fame member, Stephen Cooper.-Club:...

 and Steve joined from Heineken Champions Durham Wasps. It was the first time top British players were being offered good money to sign for other clubs and it led to claims that Cardiff and their "Cheque Book Hockey" would ruin the game.
The signings were crucial as the Devils finished first 1st in Division 1, just a single point ahead of Medway Bears. They also retained the Autumn Trophy they had won the previous season, beating Medway 15–8 on aggregate.

To gain promotion though they had to beat the Premier Division's bottom club – the Streatham Redskins. Cardiff destroyed their Premier Division rivals 12–1 in the first leg, and a 9–5 victory in Streatham the following weekend secured an easy aggregrate victory and a place in the Heineken Premier Division for the following season.

1989–90

With the Devils finally reaching the promised land of the Premier Division, John Lawless was able to strengthen his team with the addition of an extra import now that he himself had received his British Passport. Paul Castron was signed but pulled out just before the start of the season, but fortunately for the club Doug McEwen had been released by Peterborough at the same time and so signed for the Devils instead.
Victory in the pre-season Trafford Tournament gave an indication of the success to come, although the Devils did get knocked out of the Autumn Cup at the Semi-Final stage to Durham Wasps. In the league though they were unbeaten until December, by which time they had built up a healthy lead at the top of the table. A 14–7 victory at home to the Peterborough Pirate on 4 March 1990 clinched their first ever Premier Division League title. Unbeaten in the Playoffs Qualifying group, the Devils travelled to Wembley where they beat Fife Flyers 5–1 in the semi-final.
In the final they faced the Murrayfield Racers
Murrayfield Racers
The Murrayfield Racers were an ice hockey team in Edinburgh, Scotland, founded in 1952 changing their name to the Racers in 1966. The team won the British Championship 4 times in 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972...

 who quickly went 3–0 up. Cardiff fought back though and a Steven Cooper goal 95 seconds from the end tied the game at 6–6 and sent the game into Overtime and then a Penalty Shootout. After Doug McEwen had scored the 23rd shot, Jeff Smith saved Tony Hand's attempt and the Devils had won the Playoff Championship in one of the greatest Finals of all time, live on BBC Grandstand.

1990–91

After the previous years success, the British players were in great demand. Ian and Stephen Cooper both returned to Durham, whilst Brian Dickson and Robbie Morris also left. In came Derek King (Fife Flyers), Neil Browne (Slough Jets), Paul Heavey and Peter Smith (both Peterborough Pirates).
Despite a record breaking Europa Cup tournament which included an 11–8 victory over Rodovre and a 3rd placed group finish, the team struggled for consistency domestically. Knocked out once again at the Semi-Final stage of the Autumn Cup by Durham Wasps, they finished second to the Wasps in the league and were knocked out in the Playoff Semi-Finals by Peterborough Pirates as Durham completed the Grand Slam.

1997 – 07/08

In 1997 the club won the Superleague championship. Hardship followed and the club went broke in 2001 and a new team was soon formed which competed in the British National League
British National League
The British National League is a defunct second-level professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Although no formal promotion and relegation existed during its period of existence, it was considered to have a standard below that of the Ice Hockey Superleague and above that of the...

. The new owners massively reduced spending and effectively disbanded the Cardiff Devils, with the entire Superleague team departing. The then-owner, Bob Phillips was the subject of much scorn amongst fans due to the perceived mismanagement and effective destruction of what was then one of Britain's most established and stable teams.

The new team was formed from a handful of quickly drafted players, as well scavenging the Cardiff Devils youth teams to make up the numbers under the lower budget. Attendances at games dropped heavily, going from full arenas to typically less than fifty. During the first two seasons under Phillips large protests and demonstrations occurred outside games, with initially hundreds of supporters club members appearing outside the arena. While eventually the supporters club would reconcile with Bob Phillips and some of the old players would make goodwill appearances, the teams best years were behind them.

In 2003, the Devils became founder members of the Elite League, finishing the first season in 5th place. They were semi finalists in the end of season playoffs, losing to champions Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Rob Davison
Rob Davison
Rob Davison is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for HC Oceláři Třinec in the Czech Extraliga.-Playing career:...

 of the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 played for the Devils.

The 2004–5 season did not finish well for the Devils. As in the 03–04 season, they reached the playoff semi-finals, but were once again defeated, this time by the Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

.

During 2005, serious questions over the future of the Devils began to emerge. The Wales National Ice Rink was due for demolition in 2006 to make way for a John Lewis store and plans for a new ice arena at Sophia Gardens were progressing at an extremely slow pace. There was a very real threat that 2005–06 could have been the last season of the Cardiff Devils.

The Save Our Rink Action Committee (SORAC) formed to lead calls from the city's ice hockey clubs and fans for a temporary facility to be constructed while a more permanent building was finally built. SORAC successfully campaigned for a temporary rink in the Cardiff Bay area of the city. Planning permission was given in January 2006 and the structure was expected to be completed in time for the 2006–07 ice hockey season.

However this proved not to be the case, with construction problems delaying the opening of the Cardiff Arena
Cardiff Arena
The Cardiff Arena, also known as Cardiff Bay Ice Arena and also known by ice hockey fans as the Big Blue Tent, is a temporary ice rink in Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, Wales. It has a capacity of 2,500 for ice hockey and is home to the Cardiff Devils after leaving the Wales National Ice Rink, in order to...

 until December 2006.

The Devils won their first silverware of the EIHL era in 2006. The Devils faced arch rivals Coventry Blaze
Coventry Blaze
Coventry Blaze are an ice hockey team based in Coventry, England. They currently compete in the British Elite Ice Hockey League .-Club history:...

 in a repeat of the previous year's Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup (UK Ice Hockey)
The Challenge Cup, hosted annually by the Elite Ice Hockey League, is a cup competition for ice hockey clubs in the United Kingdom. It is one of three competitions ran each season by the Elite League, the others being the league championship and the playoff championship...

 final but were beaten 3–0 in the first leg of the final in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...

. The Devils however managed an incredible turn around in the second leg, defeating the Blaze 4–1 to tie the game on aggregate and won the cup 1–0 in the following penalty shoot-out. "Man of the Match" Nathan Rempel scored a memorable hat-trick, whilst Rejean Stringer
Rejean Stringer
Rejean Stringer is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played most of his career in the ECHL.-Early life and education:...

 scored the winning goal in the penalty shoot-out.

In January 2007 Player / Coach Ed Patterson
Ed Patterson
Edward Patterson is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, from Calgary, Alberta. His position was right wing....

 was released by the Devils in a cost cutting move. http://www.thecardiffdevils.com/Content.asp?Ref=243 Patterson was replaced as Player / Coach by Gerad Adams with Brad Voth
Brad Voth
Brad Voth is a Canadian-born Ice Hockey player. Brad started his professional career as a hockey player with the 'Medicine Hat Tigers' team in 1996 in the WHL...

 taking over from Adams as Captain.

After several games during which injured players carried out the duties of Bench Coach, former Devils player Brent Pope
Brent Pope
Brent Pope is a retired ice hockey player, and current General Manager of the Cardiff Devils in Cardiff, Wales.-Coaching career:Pope also coaches the Cardiff Devils development programme squad, helped out by current Devils players....

 was appointed to the position. Despite off-ice difficulties throughout the 2006–07 season, the Devils produced an impressive season. The Devils, including Elite League Player of the Year Mark Smith, finished 3rd in the league. The Devils also won the British Knockout Cup
British Knockout Cup
The British Knockout Cup is an Elite Ice Hockey League competition originally created to fill the void left by the demise of the London Racers in the 2005-06 season. The first winners of the cup were the Sheffield Steelers who defeated the Coventry Blaze on penalty shots in the final.The format was...

, beating rivals Coventry Blaze
Coventry Blaze
Coventry Blaze are an ice hockey team based in Coventry, England. They currently compete in the British Elite Ice Hockey League .-Club history:...

 3–0 at Coventry's Skydome.
A cup double was snatched from the Cardiff Devils when they lost 1–0 on penalties to the Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 in the 2006–07 Playoff Final, after the game finished 1–1 after overtime.

The 2007–08 season saw the Devils finish the league in 6th place. After a string of losses at the beginning of the season, they rose to an unbeaten run of games which propelled them to the top of the Elite League
Elite Ice Hockey League
Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other...

. However this was soon ended as a huge injury crisis hit the club which saw #1 Netminder Phil Osaer
Phil Osaer
Phil Osaer is an American professional ice hockey goaltender, who plays for Sparta Warriors in the Norwegian GET-ligaen.-Career:In the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Osaer was selected by St...

 out with a knee injury that required surgery, Paul Sample out for the season with a knee injury, newly signed forward Mike Prpich out for the season with yet another knee injury sustained in Belfast and goalscorer Jason Silverthorn out with a shoulder injury. Other injuries became noticed during the 2 month losing streak.
The Devils qualified for the playoff weekend by beating the Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 at the Trent FM Arena, and holding them to a 3–3 draw the following evening.
The Devils were beaten at the playoff weekend by the eventual winners, the Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

, going down 2–1. The loss capped a disappointing season.

2008/09 Season

The Devils season was mixed. The team struggled with injuries and suspensions – notably the highly controversial 11 game suspension of club captain Brad Voth
Brad Voth
Brad Voth is a Canadian-born Ice Hockey player. Brad started his professional career as a hockey player with the 'Medicine Hat Tigers' team in 1996 in the WHL...

 (which was cut to 7 on review). Two summer signings, defenceman Likit Andersson and forward Rod Hinks, were cut from the squad due to injury and performance respectively. Returning defenceman Tyson Teplitsky filled the gap left by Andersson and contributed greatly in points. Canadian Marc Fulton was drafted in to replace Hinks, however after a promising start, was sidelined by injury and did not play for the club again. Joining Fulton on the injury list were centre Lee Cowmeadow and then current top scorer Mike Prpich after having knee surgery in mid December.

The Devils lay 6th in the Elite League standings (as of 05/02/09) 30 points behind league leaders and arch rivals Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 and 20 behind 2nd placed Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

.

On 26 January 2009, the Devils announced the signing of Matt Elich
Matt Elich
Matthew Elich is an American professional ice hockey winger. He was drafted in the third round, 61st overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft...

, a former NHL player with the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...

. Elich, who was drafted 61st overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1997, had played in Europe previously in the German and Austrian/Slovenian leagues. Elich, brought in to replace the injured Derek Campbell, scored 1+1 in his debut game and continued to contribute points consistently

The Devils, although eliminated from the Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....

 got through to the British Knockout Cup final, a trophy won during the 06–07 season, after demolishing a dwindling Basingstoke Bison
Basingstoke Bison
The Basingstoke Bison are an English Ice Hockey club from Basingstoke. They currently compete in the English Premier Ice Hockey League and have previously been members of the Ice Hockey Superleague and its successor the Elite Ice Hockey League- History :...

 squad 17–1 over two legs [8–0, 9–1]. They faced and eventually lost out to the Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

.

More injuries loomed that year, much like the previous season with Lee Cowmeadow's season ended with a dislocated elbow, and Jason Silverthorn with a broken thumb, that kept him on the sidelines.

Devils captain Brad Voth
Brad Voth
Brad Voth is a Canadian-born Ice Hockey player. Brad started his professional career as a hockey player with the 'Medicine Hat Tigers' team in 1996 in the WHL...

 was given the honour of being named Captain for the South team for the 'All-Star Spectacular' in February 2009, which comprises the best players from the South of the Elite League against the best from the North. Similar in comparison to the NHL East vs West All-Star game.

The Devils scraped through to the playoff semi-finals in Nottingham after beating the Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

 with an overtime goal in the Cardiff Arena from Captain Brad Voth
Brad Voth
Brad Voth is a Canadian-born Ice Hockey player. Brad started his professional career as a hockey player with the 'Medicine Hat Tigers' team in 1996 in the WHL...

, ending the series 6–5.

The Devils then lost to the Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 5–2 in the Playoff semi-finals. Sheffield went on to win the playoffs, defeating the Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 by 2–0 in the final, completing their league and playoff double.

2009/10 Season

The Devils started their season fairly well with Big Imports such as Mark Smith and Max Birbraer returning and newly signed forward Tylor Michel becoming a fan favourite quickly.

The Devils buried their Challenge Cup Voodoo from the new arena and progressed to the Semi-Finals of the Challenge Cup for the first time in 3 years by beating the Coventry Blaze 3–2 on the 28th October 2009

On 7 December 2009 it was announced that forward Ryan Finnerty, formerly of the rival Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 had prematurely ended his contract with the Bloomington PrairieThunder and signed for Cardiff. This did not cause an immediate concern for Cardiff, as they were still one import player down, with defenceman Wes Jarvis injured. Shortly afterward, on 17 December 2009 import defenceman Scott Romfo was released, with player/coach Gerad Adams citing salary costs as the main reason. This move left many fans feeling disappointed, due to Scott's impressive performance over the preceding weeks.

Scott Romfo subsequently returned to the club on 12 January 2010, following the announcement that he was being re-drafted into the team to provide injury cover. He iced the following weekend in the home league clash against the Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

, with Gerad Adams falling back to the bench.
On 16 February 2010, leader Brad Voth
Brad Voth
Brad Voth is a Canadian-born Ice Hockey player. Brad started his professional career as a hockey player with the 'Medicine Hat Tigers' team in 1996 in the WHL...

 was relieved of the captaincy, after over 3 years, by head coach Gerad Adams. The reason being that Coach Adams felt Voth was being unfairly targeted by officials because of the image he had built up over the years as a hard-hitting enforcer, and that by releasing him of his duties, he could re-focus on his game. Also, if Voth had been ejected from one more game as Captain, he would face a lengthy ban, therefore by relinquishing the armband he could carry on playing the enforcer role. British Defenceman Mark Richardson was named new team captain in his place.

On 9 March 2010, the Devils lost 8–7 on aggregate in the final of the Challenge Cup to the Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

. The Devils in fact won the game 5–4 on the night but it was not enough to overturn the 4–2 loss suffered in the 1st leg in Cardiff the previous week.

The Devils ended the season in 4th place with 65 points. This placed them five points behind the 3rd placed Nottingham Panthers, and nine points ahead of the fifth placed Sheffield Steelers

The Devils defeated the reigning Playoff champions the Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 in the Quarter Final match up over two nights. The first leg in Cardiff saw the Devils win 4–2. The following night in Sheffield saw the Devils win again 5–3, ending the series with an aggregate score of 9–5.

On 3 April, the Devils defeated the newly crowned league champions Coventry Blaze
Coventry Blaze
Coventry Blaze are an ice hockey team based in Coventry, England. They currently compete in the British Elite Ice Hockey League .-Club history:...

 in the playoff semi-final in Nottingham by 6 goals to 3 to advance to the final. Meanwhile on the same day, the Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

 defeated the Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 after a penalty shootout to also advance.

The final was played in Nottingham on 4 April. Belfast and Cardiff were tied 2–2 after regulation time. A scoreless OT period meant the final would go to a penalty shootout. Evan Cheverie for the Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

 shot past Stevie Lyle in the second round of penalties and won the playoff title for Belfast.

The devils have recently anounced their number one fan as Rhys Ingram, who reportly cried when the devils lost the final last season

2010/2011 season

The Devils embarked on the season with an average start, with critics citing an underperforming defence. With enforcer Justin Sawyer
Justin Sawyer
Justin Sawyer is an Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Wichita Thunder in the Central Hockey League.-External links:...

 leaving the club for personal reasons in October 2010, and with iconic power forward Brad Voth out with a hand injury, things were looking bleak. On 1 November, the club announced the signing of Sawyer's replacement, ex NHL defenceman Craig Weller
Craig Weller
Craig Weller is a professional ice hockey defenseman/right wing.-Playing career:Weller was the St. Louis Blues 5th round choice, 167th overall, in the 2000 NHL Draft...

. With Weller on board and Voth back in the lineup, the club embarked on a record breaking winning streak, which ended after a penalty shootout loss in Dundee on 16 January. The club did not lose a game between 28 October 2010 and 16 January 2011. On 9 January, the Devils went to the top of the Elite Ice Hockey League
Elite Ice Hockey League
Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other...

 table with a 7–1 home win over Dundee Stars. The victory also saw first line winger Jon Pelle beat the league record for goals in a season (35), previously held by former Devils player Mike Prpich
Mike Prpich
Mike Prpich is a Canadian professional ice hockey player of Croatian ancestry. He plays both wing positions and is currently a member of the Newcastle Vipers who play in the British Elite Ice Hockey League....

. As of 15 January 2011, the club now hold the UK record for games unbeaten in all competitions (22) and most consecutive league games unbeaten (21). The Devils management have had discussions with the IIHF and Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...

 who have verified that this is in fact a World Record

Team Roster – 2011/2012

Goaltenders
Number |Player Catches Acquired Place of Birth
30  Wales Stevie Lyle
Stevie Lyle
Stevie Lyle is a British professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Cardiff Devils of the Elite Ice Hockey League and the Great Britain national ice hockey team.-Playing career:...

L 2009 Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

33 Joseph Myers
Joseph Myers
Joseph Myers is a professional ice hockey player in the British Elite Ice Hockey League. He is currently a goaltender for the Cardiff Devils and the younger brother of Nottingham Panthers' Matthew Myers....

L 2010 Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

Defencemen
Number |Player Shoots Acquired Place of Birth
5  Canada Mark Smith
Mark Smith
Mark Smith may refer to:*Mark A. Smith, professor of pathology at Case Western Reserve University*Mark S. Smith, American biblical scholar, professor at NYU*Mark Smith , designer of radio-controlled model airplanes...

R 2010 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

17 Mark Richardson
Mark Richardson
Mark Richardson may refer to:* Mark Richardson , British Olympic sprinter* Mark Richardson , New Zealand ex-cricketer, turned sports commentator and journalist* Mark Richardson , Australian rules footballer...

R 2009 Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

22  United States Chris Frank
Chris Frank
Chris Frank is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Cardiff Devils in the EIHL following a season with Elmira Jackals in the ECHL. He was selected by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 7th round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.-Career statistics:-External links:...

L 2011 Lynnwood, Washington
Lynnwood, Washington
Lynnwood is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 35,836 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest in Snohomish County and twenty-ninth largest in Washington State. The city is a mix of urban, suburban, small city, crossroads and bedroom community to many...

, U.S.A.
27  Canada Kenton Smith
Kenton Smith
Kenton Smith is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, now playing for HC Valpellice Bulldogs in the Italian Serie A.-Playing career:...

 – A
L 2010 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

41 Josh Batch L 2011 Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

55  Canada Gerad Adams L 2005 Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

Forwards
Number |Player Shoots Position Acquired Place of Birth
6 Ben Davies
Ben Davies
Benjamin or Ben Davies may refer to:*Benjamin Davies , British actor *Ben Davies , Australian rules footballer*Ben Davies , English footballer...

R C 2011 Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

8 Tim Burrows R F 2008 Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the River Aller northeast of Braunschweig , and is mainly notable as the headquarters of Volkswagen AG...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

11 Sam Smith R LW 2010 Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

12  Canada Scott Dobben L LW 2011 Drayton, Ontario
Drayton, Ontario
Drayton is a community in Wellington County, Ontario, Canada. It is a part of the township of Mapleton in North Wellington County. The village is on the corner of Wellington Road 8 and Wellington Road 11, geographically northwest of Fergus and southwest of Arthur.-Education:Drayton is in the Upper...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

15  United States Scott Matzka R C/LW 2010 Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...

, U.S.A.
18  Canada Stuart MacRae
Stuart MacRae
Stuart MacRae is a British composer.- Education and career :Stuart MacRae studied at Durham University with Philip Cashian and Michael Zev Gordon, and subsequently with Simon Bainbridge and Robert Saxton at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama...

L C 2010 Coxheath, Nova Scotia
Coxheath, Nova Scotia
Coxheath is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality on Cape Breton County. The community is home to Riverview Rural High School, a secondary school housing approximately 1000 students.-References:*...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

23  Kazakhstan Max Birbraer
Max Birbraer
Maxim "Max" Birbraer is a professional ice hockey player who currently plays for Cardiff Devils.Birbraer is Jewish....

L LW 2009 Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...

25 Phil Hill
Phil Hill
Philip Toll Hill, Jr., was a United States automobile racer and the only American-born driver to win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship. Hill was described as a "thoughtful, gentle man" and once said, "I'm in the wrong business. I don't want to beat anybody, I don't want to be the big hero...

 – A
R LW 2007 Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

26  Canada Brad Voth
Brad Voth
Brad Voth is a Canadian-born Ice Hockey player. Brad started his professional career as a hockey player with the 'Medicine Hat Tigers' team in 1996 in the WHL...

R RW 2005 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

93  United States Jeff Pierce
Jeff Pierce
Jeff Pierce is a retired American professional road bicycle racer. At the 1987 Tour de France, Pierce gained fame by becoming the third American to win a stage in the Tour de France, winning the final stage on the Champs-Élysées while riding for Team 7-Eleven.In 1991 Jeff Pierce appeared in a...

R RW 2011 Troy, Michigan
Troy, Michigan
Troy is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, and is a suburb of Detroit. The population was 80,980 at the 2010 census, making it the 11th-largest city in Michigan by population, and the largest city in Oakland County...

, U.S.A.

Retired numbers

  • 7 Doug McEwen

  • 9 John Lawless

  • 14 Brian Dickson

  • 19 Steve Moria

  • 35 Shannon Hope
    Shannon Hope
    Shannon Hope is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defender who played for the Peterborough Pirates and the Cardiff Devils as well as for the Great Britain national team, for whom he was the captain between 1995 and 1997...


Honours and awards

League Championships
British ice hockey league champions
The British ice hockey league champions are the winners of the highest ice hockey league in the United Kingdom, currently the Elite Ice Hockey League...

  • 1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1996–97


Play Off Championships
British Championship
The British Championship is the most prestigious ice hockey cup competition in the United Kingdom, and also the longest established ice hockey competition. It has been run under various formats and titles since 1930 and contested annually since 1966...

  • 1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1998–99


Autumn Cups
  • 1993–94


Challenge Cups
Challenge Cup (UK Ice Hockey)
The Challenge Cup, hosted annually by the Elite Ice Hockey League, is a cup competition for ice hockey clubs in the United Kingdom. It is one of three competitions ran each season by the Elite League, the others being the league championship and the playoff championship...

  • 2005–06


British Knockout Cups
  • 2006–07


First Team All-Stars
  • 1996–97 : Stevie Lyle, Kip Noble, Ivan Matulik, Vezio Sacratini
  • 1998–99 : Kip Noble
  • 2004–05 : Vezio Sacratini
  • 2006–07 : Mark Smith
  • 2009–10 : Wes Jarvis

Second Team All-Stars
  • 1997–98 : Kip Noble, Steve Thornton
  • 1998–99 : Ivan Matulik
  • 1999-00 : Steve Thornton
  • 2000–01 : Steve Thornton
  • 2003–04 : Jeff Burgoyne
  • 2004–05 : Jon Cullen
  • 2006–07 : Tyson Teplitsky

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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