Eisbären Berlin

Eisbären Berlin

Founded	1954 as SC Dynamo Berlin, 1990 as EHC Dynamo Berlin
Home ice	Sportforum Hohenschönhausen
Based in	Berlin, Germany
Colours	Red, white, blue.
League	Deutsche Eishockey-Liga
Head coach	Don Jackson
Owner	Philip F. Anschutz

Eisbären Berlin (English: Berlin Polar Bears) are a professional ice hockey team located in Berlin, Germany. They compete in the Deutsche Eishockey-Liga, the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and won the Championship twice in 2005 and 2006. They also captured the East German Ice Hockey Championship 15 times before reunification. The team currently plays in the Berlin borough Hohenschönhausen at the "Wellblechpalast" stadium, but will relocate to a new arena, O2 World, in autumn 2008. The official Eisbären anthem "Hey, wir wollen die Eisbären seh'n" (approximately "Yeah, We Wanna See The Polar Bears") was recorded by the veteran East German band the Puhdys in 1997.

Club history

The club was founded in 1954 within the existing SC Dynamo Berlin, the sports association of the East German Police, Volkspolizei and the secret service, MfS. The club captured their first championship in 1966. Between 1971 and 1988, Dynamo Berlin and SG Dynamo Weißwasser made up the smallest ice hockey league in the world and Berlin captured the East German championships 15 times[1]. Following the German reunification in 1990, the club was incorporated into the existing German Bundesliga, was renamed to EHC Dynamo Berlin and introduced the polar bear logo.

In that first season in reunited Germany, both EHC Dynamo Berlin and PEV Weißwasser were assigned to the 1. Bundesliga, at the time the highest level of play in German ice hockey, but many of the more talented Eisbären players signed with other Bundesliga teams. Weißwasser was relegated to the 2. Bundesliga in 1991, Berlin in 1992. In 1992 the club was renamed again, this time to "EHC Eisbären Berlin". The Eisbären were promoted back to the 1. Bundesliga after the 1992-93 season. The 1. Bundesliga was replaced by the Deutsche Eishockey-Liga in 1995.

Due to lack of publicity and econmic difficulties following the reunification, the team could not afford many high profile players and regularly finished at the bottom of the standings. Taking full advantage of the 1995 Bosman ruling, almost the entire roster was replaced with veteran European players in 1996/97 [2] and the team finished the season in third place. The following season, 1997/98 they advanced to the play-off finals, but were beaten by Adler Mannheim. However, they also participated in the Continental Cup in Tampere, Finland, and finished in second place. In 1997/98 the Eisbären participated in the European Hockey League and finished third. The Anschutz Entertainment Group acquired sole ownership of the Eisbären in 1999, ensuring financial stability[3]. In 2002/03 and 2003/04 the team finished the regular season in first place, but fell short of capturing the title. In 2005/06 and 2006/07 the Eisbären were the German representative at the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland[4].

In 2004/05, a season by characterised by the 2004-05 NHL lockout (since many NHL players signed with European teams) saw the Eisbären capture their first all-German championship. With the help of seasoned NHL veterans, such as Erik Cole, Nathan Dempsey and Olaf Kölzig, Berlin beat Mannheim in three games. They successfully defended the title in 2005/06 against the DEG Metro Stars, silencing critics who had ascribed the first championship to the presence of NHL veterans. The team did not qualify for the 2006/07 play-offs, as some key players had to be let go at the end of the previous season. In the absence of adequate replacements and growing tensions between players and head coach Pierre Gilbert Pagé, the Eisbären finished 9th. Pagé left the Eisbären at the end of the 06/07 campaign, but on 14 June, 2007 the Eisbären announced Don Jackson as new head coach[5].

Championship teams

Deutsche Eishockey-Liga 2004/05 Champions

Goaltenders: Oliver Jonas, Olaf Kölzig, Daniar Dshunussow, Youri Ziffzer, Sebastian Stefaniszin (did not play)

Defensemen: Ricard Persson, Robert Leask, Tobias Draxinger, Frank Hördler, Micki DuPont, Jens Baxmann, Derrick Walser, Shawn Heins, Derek Dinger, Hardy Gensel, Rene Kramer, Norman Martens, Nathan Dempsey

Forwards: Steve Walker, Kelly Fairchild, Rob Shearer, Sven Felski, Florian Keller, Mark Beaufait, Alexander Barta, Matthias Forster, Florian Busch, Martin Hoffmann, Denis Pederson, André Rankel, Patrick Flynn, Tom Fiedler, Stefan Ustorf, Christoph Gawlik, Kay Hurbanek, Thorben Saggau, Thomas Schenkel, Alexander Weiß, Marvin Tepper, Erik Cole, Marcus Sommerfeld, Richard Mueller

Coach: Pierre Gilbert Pagé
Assistant Coach: Hartmut Nickel
Team Manager: Peter John Lee

Deutsche Eishockey-Liga 2005/06 Champions

Goaltenders: Thomas Pöpperle, Youri Ziffzer, Daniar Dshunussow, Sebastian Stefaniszin

Defensmen: Derrick Walser, Micki DuPont, Frank Hördler, Robert Leask, Drake Berehowsky, Deron Quint, Jens Baxmann, Tobias Draxinger, René Kramer, Norman Martens, Hardy Gensel, Derek Dinger

Forwards: Steve Walker, Denis Pederson, Kelly Fairchild, Mark Beaufait, Stefan Ustorf, Sven Felski, Richard Mueller, Christoph Gawlik, Florian Busch, Patrick Jarret, Andre Rankel, Thomas Schenkel, Alexander Weiß, Marcel Müller, Jonathan Lehun, Constantin Braun, Thorben Saggau, Sean Fischer

Head Coach: Pierre Gilbert Pagé
Assistant Coach: Hartmut Nickel
Team Manager: Peter John Lee

Current Roster

As of 31 July, 2007 [6]

Goalkeepers

Number	Name	Position	Date of birth	Catches
35	Youri Ziffzer	Goalkeeper	21 August 1986	L
72	Rob Zepp	Goalkeeper	7 September 1981	L
89	Timo Pielmeier	Goalkeeper	7 July, 1989	L

Defensemen

Number	Name	Position	Date of Birth	Shoots
2	Deron Quint	Defense	12 March, 1976	L
6	Andy Roach	Defense	22 August, 1973	R
7	Frank Hördler	Defense	26 January, 1985	L
8	René Kramer	Defense	24 October, 1987	R
13	Tobias Draxinger	Defense	3 January, 1985	L
25	Brandon Smith	Defense	25 February 1973	L
29	Jens Baxmann	Defense	24 March, 1985	L
31	Derek Dinger	Defense	28 March, 1987	L
84	Thomas Felix	Defense	22 February, 1987	L
92	Gregor Stein	Defense	29 January, 1989	L

Forwards

Number	Name	Position	Date of Birth	Shoots
9	Nathan Robinson	Forward	31 December, 1981	L
10	Markus Ziesche	Forward	March 9, 1987	L
11	Sven Felski	Forward	18 November, 1974	L
12	Richard Mueller	Forward	6 March, 1982	R
14	Stefan Ustorf	Forward	3 Januar, 1974	L
16	Marius Garten	Forward	8 February, 1988	R
19	Mark Beaufait	Forward	13 May, 1970	R
20	Denis Pederson	Forward	10 September, 1975	R
24	Andre Rankel	Forward	27 August, 1985	L
26	Florian Busch	Forward	2 January, 1985	L
27	Steve Walker	Forward	12 January, 1973	L
33	Norman Martens	Forward	24 May, 1986	L
42	Patrick Flynn	Forward	8 August, 1985	L
43	Alexander Weiβ	Forward	9 January, 1987	L
51	Thomas Pielmeier	Forward	14 April, 1987	R
62	Tyson Mulock	Forward	20 January, 1983	R
82	Bruce Becker	Forward	22 January, 1988	L
87	Christoph Gawlik	Forward	10 August, 1987	L
90	Constantin Braun	Forward	11 March 1988	L
91	Elia Ostwald	Forward	17 March, 1988	L

Season Records

Year	Team	League	Record	Regular Season Finish	Playoffs
1990/91	EHC Dynamo Berlin	1. Bundesliga	8-29-7 (W-L-T)	12th	relegated to 2. Bundesliga
1991/92	EHC Dynamo Berlin	2. Bundesliga	7-5-4 (W-L-T)	5th	promoted to 1. Bundesliga
1992/93	Eisbären Berlin	1. Bundesliga	8-30-6 (W-L-T)	12th	did not qualify
1993/94	Eisbären Berlin	1. Bundesliga	11-31-2 (W-L-T)	11th	did not qualify
1994/95	Eisbären Berlin	DEL	10-32-2 (W-L-T)	18th	did not qualify
1995/96	Eisbären Berlin	DEL	11-36-3 (W-L-T)	17th	did not qualify
1996/97	Eisbären Berlin	DEL	26-19-4 (W-L-T)	4th	lost the semi finals
1997/98	Eisbären Berlin	DEL	27-14-6-1 (W-L-T-OTL)	1st	lost the final
1998/99	Eisbären Berlin	DEL	26-17-4-5 (W-L-T-OTL)	2nd	lost the semi final
1999/00	Eisbären Berlin	DEL	23-30-3 (W-L-OTL)	13th	did not qualify
2000/01	Eisbären Berlin	DEL	25-31-4 (W-L-OTL)	14th	did not qualify
2001/02	Eisbären Berlin	DEL	31-24-5 (W-L-OTL)	7th	lost the quarter final
2002/03	Eisbären Berlin	DEL	35-8-9 (W-L-T)	1st	lost the semi final
2003/04	Eisbären Berlin	DEL	34-12-6 (W-L-OTL)	1st	lost the final
2004/05	Eisbären Berlin	DEL	32-14-6 (W-L-OTL)	2nd	DEL champion
2005/06	Eisbären Berlin	DEL	32-15 (W-L)	1st	DEL champion
2006/07	Eisbären Berlin	DEL	24-21-3 (W-L-OTL)	9th	did not qualify
2007/08	Eisbären Berlin	DEL	6-1-0 (W-L-OTL)	as of 2 October 2007