Arguably the biggest name in British hockey, the Nottingham Panthers are the sole participant from the Elite Ice Hockey League in the Champions Hockey League. A tough challenge awaits, but with a wealth of success to boast in recent seasons, anything could happen.

by Jon Rowson

Mention the word ‘Panthers’ to any British hockey fan, one immediately conjures up the image of a raucous National Ice Centre, filled to the rafters with passionate fans clad in black and gold. The Nottingham Panthers have a tradition which has helped them sell out their 7,200 seat arena seven times in the 2013/14, making them the most supported team in the UK, and creates an intimidating atmosphere for any team to play in.

The foundations

Ice hockey has roots in Nottingham from 1939, when the first rink was constructed. The Nottingham Ice Stadium was the home of the Panthers from their creation in 1946 up until 2000. It was eventually demolished to make way for the new National Ice Centre in Nottingham, one of the only facilities in the United Kingdom to have two rinks in the same complex.

The original Panthers were created with the help of Canadian immigrants to the United Kingdom, including the likes of Les Strongman and Chick Zamick, the latter of whom scored over 1,400 points in his 11 seasons in Nottingham. The team struggled in their first few seasons, but won their first major honour in lifting the 1950/51 league championship. The team would win two more titles in the 1950s before the British National League collapsed in 1960, leaving a twenty year gap in the annals of Nottingham hockey history.

Lean years

The Panthers returned to action in 1980, formed out of the relocating Sheffield Lancers. In 1983 they returned to the top flight of British hockey, but success was often out of reach. There were a few victories in the minor trophies of British hockey, such as the Norwich Union Trophy win in 1986 and then defeating the Ayr Bruins in the 1989 Playoff Final.

Canadian forward Paul Adey was the lynchpin of this successful Panthers side, scoring 153 points in 34 games to lead the line. Adey would go on to play ten more seasons for the Panthers before leaving to go abroad. He would also go on to be head coach of the side for four seasons between 2001 and 2005, but he would be unable to bring the same success to Nottingham that he had done in his first season for the club.

The creation of a dynasty

The late 1990s and early 2000s was the Superleague era in British hockey, where budgets increased, fans flocked to the rinks and massive names came across the pond from the American professional leagues. However, the Superleague brought limited success for the Panthers, who were often in the shadow of their bitter rivals, the Sheffield Steelers. The Superleague was, however, unsustainable, and its demise in 2003 brought about the Elite Ice Hockey League, with smaller budgets, new teams and import restrictions.

In the opening years of the EIHL, the Panthers were often the bridesmaid rather than the bride, but since Corey Neilson joined the club first as a player in 2006, and then as coach from 2008, the Panthers’ fortunes have turned. Backed by team owner Neil Black and general manager Gary Moran, the Panthers have become the most successful team in British hockey in recent years. The Panthers were often the most dangerous teams in the shorter competitions, such as the Playoffs or the Challenge Cup, the latter of which the team has now won for the last five seasons.

The one thing that always eluded their grasp, however, was the EIHL League Championship. Neilson hung up his skates before the 2012/13 season to concentrate on solely being a bench coach, and this move paid dividends as the Panthers went on to complete the first ‘Grand Slam’ in British hockey since the Coventry Blaze in 2004/05. The Grand Slam in British hockey consists of winning the EIHL Championship, the Playoffs and the Challenge Cup. It was the first league championship for the Panthers since 1956.

Neilson, Black and Moran have helped create a dynasty in Nottingham. A core of British talent including the likes David Clarke, Robert Lachowicz and Stephen Lee has been supplemented by an endless supply of quality imports from North America and Europe. Since joining in 2010, Craig Kowalski has backstopped the Panthers to eight trophies, and returns for a fifth season.

Looking ahead

The team failed to retain their league title last season, but still won the Challenge Cup. The relative lack of success last season has seen the team enter a mini-rebuild, and a number of new faces have joined. Mike Berube joins fresh from captaining the Allen Americans to the CHL title, while towering forward Bruce Graham returns after scoring 37 goals for the Panthers in 2012/13.

The Panthers are also no stranger to European competition, having hosted a round of the Continental Cup last season, where they topped their group. Last season’s experience of having played against other European clubs will be a massive help for the team as they get set to welcome the Hamburg Freezers, Lukko Rauma and Luleå Hockey to the UK.

Team facts

2013/14 individual leaders

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