EHC Kloten
| EHC Kloten | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Kloten, Switzerland |
| League | NLA 1999-present |
| Founded | 1934 |
| Home arena | Swiss Arena |
| General manager |  Matthias Berner |
| Head coach |  Pekka Tirkkonen |
| Captain | none |
| Website | www.kloten-flyers.ch |
EHC Kloten is an ice hockey team based in the city of Kloten in Switzerland. The team participates in the National League A and is known for its promotion of young players. It has one of the best youth systems in Swiss Ice Hockey as its youth teams have won 19 championships during the last 50 years.
The team was called Kloten Flyers between 2000 and 2016.[1]
EHC Kloten won four consecutive Swiss championships from 1993 to 1996. They have never been relegated at any point in the club's history.
The team had the worst attendance of the National League A for the 2015-16 season, averaging only 4,790 spectators over their 25 regular season home games.[2]
History
EHC Kloten was founded by a group seven members, led by Emil Hegner, on December 3, 1934. During the first few years, only exhibition matches were played. The home matches were played on the frozen Nägelimoos-Weiher.
When EHC Kloten began to participate in the championship, they had to start in the lowest league, as usual. In 1941, they were promoted into the Serie B and five years later into the Serie A. One year later, in the year 1947, the EHC Kloten was promoted into the Nationalliga B. In 1962, they joined the Nationalliga A when the league expanded to 10 teams.
In 1967, they became the champions for the first time, headed by their Czech coach Vladimir Kobera.
The team has remained in the highest Swiss league since their promotion and are the longest-serving team in the NLA.
For the 1998-99 season the former Russian ice hockey player Vladimir Yurzinov was asked to become the new coach. He introduced a new playing style and encouraged the development and promotion of young players. Even though many people liked this philosophy, the team remained unsuccessful. During the 2003-2004 season, the team had to play the playoffs for the first time in their history. A year later, in the 2004-2005 playoffs, they again managed to remain in the highest league. However, this strategy is paying off today.
In October 2004, Yurzinov was released as their coach. He took on a new role as a youth promoter until the end of the season. Yurzinov's successor was former EHC Kloten defenseman Anders Eldebrink and assistant Felix Hollenstein. The new coaching duo managed to get the team back to success and are still in charge of the team.
During the 2008-2009 season, the Flyers swept both HC Geneve-Servette and EV Zug in the playoffs before losing the playoff final against HC Davos in seven games. They finished the regular season in 3rd place.
The club has a well known junior program. There’s a partnership between the Kloten Flyers and the teams of Bülach, Dielsdorf-Niederhasli and Winterthur. Since the founding of the elite-junior league, the teams have won 19 titles. The latest being in the season 2005-06.
The team's name was changed back from Kloten Flyers to EHC Kloten for the 2016–17 NLA season[3] after the club had been taken over by businessman Hans-Ulrich Lehmann who bought the organization from the owner group Avenir Sports Entertainment.[4] Pekka Tirkkonen from Finland was appointed new head coach[5] for the 2016-17 season after Sean Simpson had parted company with the club.
Honors
Champions
- NDA Championship (5): 1967, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
Players
Current roster
Honored members
- 4 Marco Klöti, defenceman 1992-2007
- 7 Peter Schlagenhauf, winger 1969-1994
- 20 Reto Pavoni, goaltender 1989-2002
- 21 Roman Wäger, winger 1971-1998
- 24 Felix Hollenstein, winger 1985-2002, assistant coach since 2006
- 26 Mikael Johansson, center 1992-1997
- 32 Anders Eldebrink, defenceman 1990-1995, head coach since 2006
NHL alumni
Notable coaches
Vladimir Kobera, champion 1967
Conny Evensson, champion 1993, 1994
Alpo Suhonen, champion 1995, 1996
References
- ^ "Aus den Flyers wird wieder der EHC Kloten". Retrieved 2016-06-26.
- ^ http://www.hockeyfans.ch/news/meldung/39997
- ^ "Back to the roots - Kloten Flyers to become EHC Kloten once again". swisshockeynews.ch. April 4, 2016. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
- ^ "Der EHC Kloten ist gerettet: Hans-Ulrich Lehmann ist der neue Investor". www.toponline.ch. Retrieved 2016-06-26.
- ^ Kloten, EHC. "Confirmed - Pekka Tirkkonen to take over EHC Kloten". Retrieved 2016-06-26.