Belfast Giants

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Belfast Giants
File:BelfastGiantsLogo.jpg
CityBelfast, Northern Ireland
LeagueElite Ice Hockey League
Founded2000
Home arenaSSE Arena Belfast
ColoursWhite, red & teal      
Owner(s)Odyssey Trust
Head coachCanada Adam Keefe
CaptainCanada Blair Riley
Websitewww.belfastgiants.com
Franchise history
2000–presentBelfast Giants
Championships
Regular season titles2001–02, 2005–06, 2011–12, 2013-14
Playoff championships2003, 2010
Knockout Cups2008–09
Challenge Cups2008–09, 2017-18

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 9,000-capacity SSE Arena Belfast.

They have a dedicated 'Boomerang Corner' which sits a large group of fans who generate noise and start most of the chants. It is named in memory of long time Giants fan Stewart Boone.[citation needed]

History

The Giants had originated in 2000 and played their first match against Ayr on 1 December. Initially members of the now defunct Superleague, the Giants won the championship in 2001–02 and were play-off champions in 2002–03. With the Superleague's demise, there were concerns that the Giants would not survive because of major financial problems which had developed. Running up debts of £600,000 and facing the threat of liquidation creditors voted to accept 20p in the pound allowing the club to continue. One company was believed to be owed nearly £65,000.[1]

However, with the creation of the new Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) for the 2003–04 season, the Giants survived. The Giants finished 4th in the league's first season, but failed to reach the post-season play-offs..

The Giants finished runners up in the 2004–05 season behind the Coventry Blaze but were winners of the Cross-over League Cup, which was played with teams from the BNL.

In 2005, The Giants unveiled NHL All-Star and Olympic Gold Medal winner, Theo Fleury who made his debut against the Edinburgh Capitals. The Giants won 11–2, with Fleury scoring a hat-trick. With 4 additional assists and a fight, he was named man of the match.

Besides Fleury, several other players who previously played in the NHL have played for the Giants; Paul Kruse, Jason Ruff, Paxton Schulte, and Jason Bowen, Bowen and Kruse having played almost 600 games between them. Kevin Westgarth is the latest incumbent from the NHL to don the Giants jersey, arriving from the Calgary Flames after several seasons in North America's top league.

Team culture

With an average attendance of around 4,561, the Giants are one of twelve Elite league ice hockey squads in the UK. They are the 3rd best supported team in the UK and 70th in Europe. The average attendance in the Elite Ice Hockey League is 2,678.[2]

Sectarianism had long been seen as a significant problem in some sports in Northern Ireland. When the club was established, the Belfast Giants were keen that the club not attach itself to a particular faith or community, instead wanting to represent Belfast as a whole. A number of policies were subsequently introduced to try to ensure this. Particular clothing (such as association football replica shirts), which might have displayed a person's political or religious affiliation, were banned and flags were not permitted to be brought into the arena. The national anthem of the United Kingdom, traditionally played before games at other arenas in the Elite League, is not played before Giants games. These policies have been successful and the Giants have quickly built a large and enthusiastic fanbase who did not have to fear the sectarianism that marred other sports in Northern Ireland.

Facts

Sponsors: Stena Line (Main Sponsor 2011–present)
Founded: 2000 into the British Ice Hockey Superleague
Primary Arena: SSE Arena Belfast, (capacity 8,000)
Training Arena: Dundonald International Ice Bowl
Uniform Colours: White, Red, Teal, Black
Logo Design: shows Finn McCool with a hockey stick.
Mascot: Finn McCool and Subman (Sponsorship Deal with Subway)
Motto: "In the land of the Giants, everyone is equal".

2018–19 roster

Last Updated: 13 August 2018

Netminders[3]
Number Player Place/Date of Birth Catches Acquired Joined from
31 Stephen Murphy[4] United Kingdom Dundee, Scotland
(1981-12-11) 11 December 1981 (age 42) 		L 2009 Manchester Phoenix (EIHL)
34 Tyler Beskorowany[5] Canada Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
(1990-04-28) 28 April 1990 (age 34) 		L 2018 Edinburgh Capitals (EIHL)
35 Andrew Dickson[6] Northern Ireland Ballymoney, Northern Ireland
(1987-11-02) 2 November 1987 (age 36) 		L 2011 Invicta Dynamos (ENL)
Defence[3]
Number Player Place/Date of Birth Shoots Acquired Joined from
2 Kendall McFaull[7] Canada Rosetown, Saskatchewan, Canada
(1992-04-10) 10 April 1992 (age 32) 		R 2018 Saskatchewan Huskies (U Sports)
5 Guillaume Gélinas[8] Canada Quebec, Quebec, Canada
(1993-06-13) 13 June 1993 (age 30) 		L 2018 HC '05 Banská Bystrica (Tipsport Liga)
6 Spiro Goulakos[9] Canada Montreal, Quebec, Canada
(1990-02-16) 16 February 1990 (age 34) 		L 2017 Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL)
7 Mark Garside[10] United Kingdom East Kilbride, Scotland
(1989-03-21) 21 March 1989 (age 35) 		L 2010 Edinburgh Capitals (EIHL)
9 Jim Vandermeer[11] Canada Caroline, Alberta, Canada
(1980-02-21) 21 February 1980 (age 44) 		L 2016 Kloten Flyers (NLA)
10 Curtis Leonard[12] Canada Napanee, Ontario, Canada
(1992-09-23) 23 September 1992 (age 31) 		L 2018 Fort Wayne Komets (ECHL)
23 Paul Swindlehurst[13] United Kingdom Blackrod, England
(1993-05-25) 25 May 1993 (age 30) 		L 2018 Manchester Storm (EIHL)
Forwards[3]
Number Player Place/Date of Birth Shoots Position Acquired Joined from
8 Lewis Hook[14] England Peterborough, England
(1996-08-18) 18 August 1996 (age 27) 		L LW 2018 Milton Keynes Lightning (EIHL)
12 Kyle Baun[15] Canada Toronto, Ontario, Canada
(1992-05-04) 4 May 1992 (age 32) 		R RW 2018 Toronto Marlies (AHL)
15 Darcy Murphy[16] Canada Marysville, Ontario, Canada
(1992-08-24) 24 August 1992 (age 31) 		L LW 2017 Tulsa Oilers (ECHL)
19 Colin Shields[17] A United Kingdom Glasgow, Scotland
(1980-01-27) 27 January 1980 (age 44) 		R C 2008 Newcastle Vipers (EIHL)
21 Francis Beauvillier[18] Canada Sorel, Quebec, Canada
(1993-10-22) 22 October 1993 (age 30) 		L C/LW 2018 Manitoba Moose (AHL)
24 Jonathan Ferland[19] A Canada Sainte-Marie, Quebec, Canada
(1983-02-09) 9 February 1983 (age 41) 		R RW 2017 Vienna Capitals (EBEL)
25 Blair Riley[20] C Canada Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
(1985-11-01) 1 November 1985 (age 38) 		L LW 2016 Stockton Heat (AHL)
39 Patrick Dwyer[21] United States Spokane, Washington, USA
(1983-06-22) 22 June 1983 (age 40) 		R RW 2018 SønderjyskE Ishockey (Metal Ligaen)
61 Hunter Bishop[22] United States Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
(1987-09-05) 5 September 1987 (age 36) 		L LW 2018 HC TWK Innsbruck (EBEL)
74 Matt Towe[23] United Kingdom Sheffield, England
(1988-01-07) 7 January 1988 (age 36) 		R F 2016 Guildford Flames (EPIHL)
77 Josh Roach[24] Canada Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
(1992-07-23) 23 July 1992 (age 31) 		R F 2018 Saskatchewan Huskies (U Sports)
83 Dustin Johner[25] Canada Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada
(1983-03-06) 6 March 1983 (age 41) 		R C/RW 2017 EC VSV (EBEL)
89 Jonathan Boxill[26] United Kingdom Ascot, England
(1989-04-25) 25 April 1989 (age 35) 		R C 2018 Milton Keynes Lightning (EIHL)
91 David Rutherford[27] Canada Ladner, British Columbia, Canada
(1987-04-30) 30 April 1987 (age 37) 		R RW 2016 Edinburgh Capitals (EIHL)

Retired jersey numbers

Former players

Captains

Nat Name Tenure
United Kingdom Jeff Hoad 2000-02
Canada Paul Kruse 2002-03
Canada Jason Ruff 2003-04
Canada Shane Johnson 2004-05
United States George Awada 2005-09
Scotland Colin Shields 2009-11
Austria Jeremy Rebek 2011-12
Canada Adam Keefe 2012-17
Canada Blair Riley 2017-

Head coaches

No. Nat Name Tenure
1 Canada David Whistle 2000-03
2 Canada Rob Stewart 2003-04
3 Scotland Tony Hand 2004-05
4 Canada Ed Courtenay 2005-08
5 Canada Steve Thornton 2008-10
6 United States Doug Christiansen 2010-13
7 Canada Paul Adey 2013-14
8 Canada Steve Thornton 2014-15
9 Canada Derrick Walser 2015-17
10 Canada Adam Keefe 2017-

Franchise scoring leaders

These are the Top 10 Points Scoring Leaders for the Belfast Giants:

Note: GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points

Player POS GP G A Pts
Colin Shields C/RW 370 159 297 456
George Awada RW 376 149 187 336
Craig Peacock RW 341 140 159 299
Evan Cheverie LW 239 91 183 274
Jason Ruff LW 193 100 145 245
Todd Kelman D 418 73 141 214
Shane Johnson D 491 54 145 199
Rob Sandrock D 224 49 141 190
Ed Courtenay RW 124 58 129 187
Curtis Bowen LW 219 84 103 187

Honours

Further information: Belfast Giants seasons

2000–01

2001–02

2002–03

2003–04

2004–05

2005–06

2008–09

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011–12

2012–13

2013–14

2017–18

  • EIHL Challenge Cup Champions

References

  1. ^ Giants on the rocks, BBC Sport, 22 June 2003. Retrieved 30 June 2012
  2. ^ IIHF (20 March 2018). "Attendance 2017-2018". Iihf.com. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "2013/14 Roster". Belfast Giants. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
  4. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Stephen Murphy". Belfastgiants.com. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  5. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Tyler Beskorowany". Belfastgiants.com. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  6. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Andrew Dickson". Belfastgiants.com. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  7. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Kendall McFaull". Belfastgiants.com. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  8. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Guillaume Gélinas". Belfastgiants.com. 9 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  9. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Spiro Goulakos". Belfastgiants.com. 12 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  10. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Mark Garside". Belfastgiants.com. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  11. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Jim Vandemeer". Belfastgiants.com. 24 August 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  12. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Curtis Leonard". Belfastgiants.com. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  13. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Paul Swindlehurst". Belfastgiants.com. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  14. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Lewis Hook". Belfastgiants.com. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  15. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Kyle Baun". Belfastgiants.com. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  16. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Darcy Murphy". Belfastgiants.com. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  17. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Colin Shields". Belfastgiants.com. 24 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  18. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Francis Beauvillier". Belfastgiants.com. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  19. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Jonathan Ferland". Belfastgiants.com. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  20. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Blair Riley". Belfastgiants.com. 24 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  21. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Patrick Dwyer". Belfastgiants.com. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  22. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Hunter Bishop". Belfastgiants.com. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  23. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Matt Towe". Belfastgiants.com. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  24. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Josh Roach". Belfastgiants.com. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  25. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Dustin Johner". Belfastgiants.com. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  26. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » Jonathan Boxill". Belfastgiants.com. 5 July 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  27. ^ "Stena Line Belfast Giants » David Rutherford". Belfastgiants.com. 20 November 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2018.

External links

Preceded by Superleague Champions
2001–02 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Playoff Champions
2002–03 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Elite League Champions
2005–06 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Playoff Champions
2009–10 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Elite League Champions
2013–14 		Succeeded by

Template:Belfast Giants

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