Alex Dampier
Encyclopedia
Alex "Damps" Dampier is a retired Canadian
professional ice hockey
player and coach
. He is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.
course in Physical Education at Lakeland University. He played for the Cape Cod Cubs
in the Eastern Hockey League
during the 1972–73 season before joining the Muskegon Mohawks in the International Hockey League the season after.
Dampier moved to the United Kingdom
in 1978 and joined the Murrayfield Racers
as a defender
. He became the Racers' player-coach
the following season and then only played intermittently for them from the beginning of the 1983–84 season until he retired from playing in 1985.
in the 1978–79, 1979–80 and 1980–81 seasons; the Northern Autumn Cup in 1979 and 1980; and the Icy Smith Cup
in 1979, 1980 and 1981. After he retired from playing he coached the Racers to the playoff finals
in 1984 and 1985.
In the sumer of 1985 Dampier joined the Nottingham Panthers
as coach. In his second season with the Panthers they won the Norwich Union Trophy in 1986 and the Autumn Cup in 1991. They also won the playoffs in 1989, made the semi-finals of the playoffs in 1990 and were losing finalists in the playoffs in 1992. Whilst with the Panthers, Dampier was twice named the British Ice Hockey Writers Association's
Coach of the Year
in 1987 and 1989.
Dampier moved to the Panthers' arch-rivals, the Sheffield Steelers
, in January 1993. Whilst with the Steelers, he guided them to promotion from the British Hockey League Division 1
and the following season, in the Premier Division, he took them to the playoff weekend at Wembley Arena
. He became the club's General Manager and hired Clyde Tuhl as the head coach. Together, Dampier and Tuyl guided the Steelers to the club's first league championship
. The following season, 1995–96, the team again won the league championship (the final one before the formation of the Ice Hockey Superleague
) as well as the playoffs and the Benson & Hedges Cup for the club's first grand slam. The Steelers again won the playoffs in 1996–97
.
At the end of the 1997–98 season
, Dampier left the Steelers for the Newcastle Riverkings
. He then rejoined the Panthers as Director of Hockey midway through the 1999–00 season and guided them to the finals of the Challenge Cup
. The following season, 2001–02
, he shared the coaching duties with Paul Adey
before he returned to the North East to join the Newcastle Vipers
for their inaugural season, 2002–03, in the British National League
, again teaming up with Clyde Tuyl.
, China
. It was an inauspicious start for his international coaching career as the GB team lost all their matches and did not take part in world competition again until 1990. However, Dampier was put in charge of the under-21 GB team between 1982 and 1988 when they won the bronze medal in Pool C twice.
In 1990 Dampier was again made coach to the senior team for the World Championships Pool D tournament in Cardiff
, Wales
. The team won all four of the games and gained promotion to Pool C. Despite high expectations in 1991, the team only finished fifth in the nine team tournament held in Copenhagen
, Denmark
. However, the following year, 1992, in Hull
, England
the team gained promotion to World Championships Pool B and, in 1993, promotion into Pool A
. However, in 1994 in Bolzano, Italy
, the team lost all their matches and were relegated back to Pool B.
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...
professional 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...
player and coach
Coach (ice hockey)
Coach in ice hockey is the person responsible for directing the team during games and practices, prepares strategy and decides which players will participate in games....
. He is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.
Playing career
Dampier combined playing ice hockey with a degreeAcademic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
course in Physical Education at Lakeland University. He played for the Cape Cod Cubs
Cape Cod Cubs
The Cape Cod Cubs and Cape Codders were a professional ice hockey team that played at the Cape Cod Coliseum in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts.-History:...
in the Eastern Hockey League
Eastern Hockey League
-Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972...
during the 1972–73 season before joining the Muskegon Mohawks in the International Hockey League the season after.
Dampier moved to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1978 and joined 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...
as a defender
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
. He became the Racers' player-coach
Player-coach
A player-coach, in sports, is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. The term can be used to refer to both players who serve as head coaches, or as assistant coaches....
the following season and then only played intermittently for them from the beginning of the 1983–84 season until he retired from playing in 1985.
Club
Whilst still playing (and coaching) the Racers, the team won the Northern LeagueNorthern League (ice hockey, 1967)
The Northern League was the top-flight ice hockey league in Scotland and initially northern England, from 1966. In 1982 it merged with the Inter-City League and the English League North to form the British Hockey League....
in the 1978–79, 1979–80 and 1980–81 seasons; the Northern Autumn Cup in 1979 and 1980; and the Icy Smith Cup
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...
in 1979, 1980 and 1981. After he retired from playing he coached the Racers to the playoff finals
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...
in 1984 and 1985.
In the sumer of 1985 Dampier joined 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...
as coach. In his second season with the Panthers they won the Norwich Union Trophy in 1986 and the Autumn Cup in 1991. They also won the playoffs in 1989, made the semi-finals of the playoffs in 1990 and were losing finalists in the playoffs in 1992. Whilst with the Panthers, Dampier was twice named the British Ice Hockey Writers Association's
Ice Hockey Journalists UK
Ice Hockey Journalists UK, abbreviated to IHJUK, is an organisation which was set up in 1984 to promote the interests of ice hockey and its writers, photographers and broadcasters...
Coach of the Year
Coach of the Year Trophy (IHJUK)
The Coach of the Year Trophy is an award given by Ice Hockey Journalists UK to the best coach in the Elite League and the English Premier League at the end of each season. In previous seasons it has been awarded to coaches in the British Hockey League's Premier and First Divisions, the Super League...
in 1987 and 1989.
Dampier moved to the Panthers' arch-rivals, 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 January 1993. Whilst with the Steelers, he guided them to promotion from the British Hockey League Division 1
British Hockey League
The British Hockey League was the top-flight ice hockey league in the United Kingdom from 1982 until 1996, when it was replaced by the Ice Hockey Superleague and the British National League...
and the following season, in the Premier Division, he took them to the playoff weekend at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
. He became the club's General Manager and hired Clyde Tuhl as the head coach. Together, Dampier and Tuyl guided the Steelers to the club's first league championship
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...
. The following season, 1995–96, the team again won the league championship (the final one before the formation of the Ice Hockey Superleague
Ice Hockey Superleague
The Ice Hockey Superleague was a professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom between 1996 and 2003. Formed in 1995, it replaced the Premier Division of the British Hockey League, it was the highest level of ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom...
) as well as the playoffs and the Benson & Hedges Cup for the club's first grand slam. The Steelers again won the playoffs in 1996–97
1996–97 ISL season
The 1996–97 Ice Hockey Superleague season was the inaugrual season of the Ice Hockey Superleague .The league was formed by the owners of the Ayr Scottish Eagles, Basingstoke Bison, Bracknell Bees, Cardiff Devils, Manchester Storm, Newcastle Cobras, Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers...
.
At the end of the 1997–98 season
1997–98 ISL season
The 1997–98 Ice Hockey Superleague season was the second season of the Ice Hockey Superleague .There were no changes in the teams taking part during the season – Ayr Scottish Eagles, Basingstoke Bison, Bracknell Bees, Cardiff Devils, Manchester Storm, Newcastle Cobras, Nottingham Panthers and...
, Dampier left the Steelers for the Newcastle Riverkings
Newcastle Jesters
The Newcastle Jesters were an ice hockey franchise based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. The team were members of the Ice Hockey Superleague and played their home games at the Telewest Arena .-Single Season of Jesters :...
. He then rejoined the Panthers as Director of Hockey midway through the 1999–00 season and guided them to the finals of the 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...
. The following season, 2001–02
2001–02 ISL season
The 2001–02 Ice Hockey Superleague season was the sixth season of the Ice Hockey Superleague .Although the league started the season as the Sekonda Ice Hockey Superleague, Sekonda withdrew their sponsorship of the league in December 2001 and the league reverted to being known simply as the...
, he shared the coaching duties with Paul Adey
Paul Adey
Paul Adey is the head coach of Renon Ritten Sport Hockey in the Italian Serie A. Adey enjoyed a notable playing career in British ice hockey, playing 11 seasons for the Nottingham Panthers between 1988 and 1999 and 29 games for the Sheffield Steelers during the 2000–01 season...
before he returned to the North East to join the Newcastle Vipers
Newcastle Vipers
The Newcastle Vipers were an ice hockey club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Former members of the Elite Ice Hockey League, the club previously held membership in the British National League.- History :...
for their inaugural season, 2002–03, 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...
, again teaming up with Clyde Tuyl.
International
Dampier's first involvement on the international scene came in 1981 when he was the coach of the Great Britain team at the World Championships Pool C tournament in PekingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It was an inauspicious start for his international coaching career as the GB team lost all their matches and did not take part in world competition again until 1990. However, Dampier was put in charge of the under-21 GB team between 1982 and 1988 when they won the bronze medal in Pool C twice.
In 1990 Dampier was again made coach to the senior team for the World Championships Pool D tournament in 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...
. The team won all four of the games and gained promotion to Pool C. Despite high expectations in 1991, the team only finished fifth in the nine team tournament held in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. However, the following year, 1992, in Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, 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...
the team gained promotion to World Championships Pool B and, in 1993, promotion into Pool A
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
. However, in 1994 in Bolzano, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the team lost all their matches and were relegated back to Pool B.
Awards and honours
- BIHWAIce Hockey Journalists UKIce Hockey Journalists UK, abbreviated to IHJUK, is an organisation which was set up in 1984 to promote the interests of ice hockey and its writers, photographers and broadcasters...
Coach of the YearCoach of the Year Trophy (IHJUK)The Coach of the Year Trophy is an award given by Ice Hockey Journalists UK to the best coach in the Elite League and the English Premier League at the end of each season. In previous seasons it has been awarded to coaches in the British Hockey League's Premier and First Divisions, the Super League...
for 1986–87 and 1988–89. - Inducted to the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995.