Irish national ice hockey team
Encyclopedia
Irish men's national ice hockey team is the National Squad run by the Irish Ice Hockey Association
. The team gained promotion to Division II of the International Ice Hockey Federation
in 2007, but after a poor performance in their Division II debut, the team has been relegated to Division III.http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/article/romania-promoted-to-div-i.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=218&cHash=9c67c34c47 The team has members from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and has a working relationship with the Belfast Giants
of the Elite Ice Hockey League
and new Irish clubs, Flyers Ice Hockey Club and Dundalk Bulls
.
in May 1996 after a nomination by Great Britain and a second by Canada. They have not had a long history of international competition, with the Ireland senior team first competing in 2004.
, Ireland is ranked 41st out of 49 as of September 2010.
Game 2. Armenia 1 Ireland 15
Game 3. Ireland 1 Iceland 7
Game 4. Turkey 7 Ireland 4
Final Result: Fourth Place, One Win, Three Losses for 2 points, 23 Goals For, 23 Goals Against
Game 2. Luxembourg 8 Ireland 4
Game 3. Ireland 4 South Africa 5
Game 4. Mexico 6 Ireland 1
Final Result: Fourth Place, One Win, Three Losses for 2 points, 32 Goals For, 20 Goals Against
Game 2. Iceland 8 Ireland 0
Game 3. Turkey 2 Ireland 2
Game 4. Ireland 3 Luxembourg 1
Final Result: Fourth Place, One Win, Two Losses, One Tie for 3 points, 5 Goals For, 17 Goals Against
Game 2. Ireland 2 New Zealand 4
Game 3. Ireland 3 South Africa 1
Game 4. Ireland 4 Luxembourg 3 [OT)
Final Result: Second Place Two Wins, One Overtime Win, One Loss for 8 points, 20 Goals For, 8 Goals Against [Team Ireland are Promoted to Division II of the IIHF World Championships]
Game 2. Ireland 4 Bulgaria 7
Game 3. Ireland 1 Belgium 9
Game 4. Ireland 1 Romania 21
Game 5. Ireland 1 Israel 7
Final Result: Sixth Place Zero Wins, Five Losses for 0 points, 8 Goals For, 57 Goals Against [Team Ireland is relegated to the 2009 IIHF World Championship Div III]
Game 2. Ireland 3 Luxembourg 8
Game 3. Ireland 5 Mongolia 0(Forfeit)
Game 4. Ireland 1 Turkey 7
Game 5. Ireland 0 New Zealand 9
Final Result: Fifth Place One Win, Four Losses for 3 points, 12 Goals For, 31 Goals Against
Game 2. Greece 1 Ireland 3
Game 3. UA Emirates 2 Ireland 8
Final Result: First Place Three Wins, Zero Losses for 9 points, 17 Goals For, 7 Goals Against
Early in 2007 Team Ireland moved their headquarters to the Dundalk Ice Dome
. It is envisaged that the Ice Dome will become a centre of excellence for ice hockey in the Republic of Ireland and it was here that Team Ireland took silver in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships Division III and gained promotion to Division II.
Irish Ice Hockey Association
The Irish Ice Hockey Association is the Official Governing Body of both ice and inline hockey sports in Ireland.-External links:*...
. The team gained promotion to Division II of the International Ice Hockey Federation
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
in 2007, but after a poor performance in their Division II debut, the team has been relegated to Division III.http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/article/romania-promoted-to-div-i.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=218&cHash=9c67c34c47 The team has members from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and has a working relationship with the Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
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 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....
of the Elite Ice Hockey League
Elite Ice Hockey League
Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other...
and new Irish clubs, Flyers Ice Hockey Club and Dundalk Bulls
Dundalk Bulls
The Dundalk Bulls are an ice hockey team from Dundalk, Ireland and compete in the Irish Ice Hockey League and the newly formed Celtic Cup League, with games being played in Ireland and Scotland...
.
History
The Republic of Ireland was accepted into the International Ice Hockey FederationInternational Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
in May 1996 after a nomination by Great Britain and a second by Canada. They have not had a long history of international competition, with the Ireland senior team first competing in 2004.
- First match: March 16, 2004: ReykjavíkReykjavíkReykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
: 8-3 Ireland - Largest victory: March 8, 2005: Mexico CityMexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
: Ireland 23-1 - Largest defeat: April 13, 2011: ZagrebZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
: 22-0 Ireland
IIHF World Ranking
In the IIHF World RankingIIHF World Ranking
The IIHF World Ranking is a ranking of the national teams of member countries of the International Ice Hockey Federation.The system was approved by the IIHF congress in September 2003...
, Ireland is ranked 41st out of 49 as of September 2010.
International Competition
(statistics, standings, and results taken from the IIHF http://www.iihf.com/hockey/tournam/tournaments.htm# IIHF Tournament Page)2004 IIHF Ice Hockey Division III World Championships Reykjavík, Iceland
Game 1. Ireland 3 Mexico 8Game 2. Armenia 1 Ireland 15
Game 3. Ireland 1 Iceland 7
Game 4. Turkey 7 Ireland 4
Final Result: Fourth Place, One Win, Three Losses for 2 points, 23 Goals For, 23 Goals Against
2005 IIHF Ice Hockey Division III World Championships Mexico City, Mexico
Game 1. Ireland 23 Armenia 1Game 2. Luxembourg 8 Ireland 4
Game 3. Ireland 4 South Africa 5
Game 4. Mexico 6 Ireland 1
Final Result: Fourth Place, One Win, Three Losses for 2 points, 32 Goals For, 20 Goals Against
2006 IIHF Ice Hockey Division III World Championships Reykjavík, Iceland
Game 1. Ireland 0 Armenia 6Game 2. Iceland 8 Ireland 0
Game 3. Turkey 2 Ireland 2
Game 4. Ireland 3 Luxembourg 1
Final Result: Fourth Place, One Win, Two Losses, One Tie for 3 points, 5 Goals For, 17 Goals Against
2007 IIHF Ice Hockey Division III World Championships Dundalk, Ireland
Game 1. Ireland 11 Mongolia 0Game 2. Ireland 2 New Zealand 4
Game 3. Ireland 3 South Africa 1
Game 4. Ireland 4 Luxembourg 3 [OT)
Final Result: Second Place Two Wins, One Overtime Win, One Loss for 8 points, 20 Goals For, 8 Goals Against [Team Ireland are Promoted to Division II of the IIHF World Championships]
2008 IIHF Ice Hockey Division II World Championships Miercurea Ciuc, Romania
Game 1. Ireland 1 Serbia 13Game 2. Ireland 4 Bulgaria 7
Game 3. Ireland 1 Belgium 9
Game 4. Ireland 1 Romania 21
Game 5. Ireland 1 Israel 7
Final Result: Sixth Place Zero Wins, Five Losses for 0 points, 8 Goals For, 57 Goals Against [Team Ireland is relegated to the 2009 IIHF World Championship Div III]
2009 IIHF Ice Hockey Division III World Championships Dunedin, New Zealand
Game 1. Ireland 3 Greece 7Game 2. Ireland 3 Luxembourg 8
Game 3. Ireland 5 Mongolia 0(Forfeit)
Game 4. Ireland 1 Turkey 7
Game 5. Ireland 0 New Zealand 9
Final Result: Fifth Place One Win, Four Losses for 3 points, 12 Goals For, 31 Goals Against
2010 IIHF Ice Hockey Division III Group A World Championships Kockelscheuer, Luxembourg
Game 1. Ireland 6 Luxembourg 4Game 2. Greece 1 Ireland 3
Game 3. UA Emirates 2 Ireland 8
Final Result: First Place Three Wins, Zero Losses for 9 points, 17 Goals For, 7 Goals Against
Notable Personnel
- Jim Tibbets - Head Coach (former General Manager of the French national ice hockey teamFrench national ice hockey teamThe French men's national ice hockey team has participated in the IIHF European Championships, the IIHF World Hockey Championships and the Olympic Games. They are currently ranked 14th in the world in the IIHF 2009 world rankings. It is controlled by the Fédération Française de Hockey sur Glace...
) - Scott FuscoScott FuscoScott Michael Fusco is a retired ice hockey player, who attended the Belmont Hill School. He won the Hobey Baker Award in 1986 while playing for Harvard. He was also a member of the American 1984 Winter Olympics ice hockey team...
- Assistant Coach (Harvard CrimsonHarvard CrimsonThe Harvard Crimson are the athletic teams of Harvard University. The school's teams compete in NCAA Division I. As of 2006, there were 41 Division I intercollegiate varsity sports teams for women and men at Harvard, more than at any other NCAA Division I college in the country...
hockey player, class of '86, American national men's hockey team 1984 Olympic Member)
Ireland Roster
(roster taken from the IIHF http://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/188/IHM1880IRL_33_1_0.pdf IIHF Tournament Page)- Head coach:
James Tibbets
Pos. No. Player Team GK GoaltenderIn ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...1 Adam Pepper Dundalk BullsDundalk BullsThe Dundalk Bulls are an ice hockey team from Dundalk, Ireland and compete in the Irish Ice Hockey League and the newly formed Celtic Cup League, with games being played in Ireland and Scotland...GK 25 Scott Bickerstaff Belfast Junior Giants Junior Belfast GiantsThe Junior Belfast Giants are ice hockey team that plays in the Irish Ice Hockey League. They play their games in the 1,500 seat Dundonald Ice Bowl in Dundonald, Northern Ireland...D Defenceman (ice hockey)Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...3 Patrick McCabe Flyers IHCFlyers IHCThe Flyers IHC are an ice hockey team in the Irish Ice Hockey League. One of five teams in the newly formed league, they are coached by Keith Daly.-History:...D 6 Timothy Ross O'Driscoll 
Rhode Island StormRhode Island StormThe Rhode Island Storm were a professional ice hockey team in the North East Professional Hockey League which began play with the 2009-10 season. They played their home games at the Bradford R...D 12 David Gibson Belfast Junior Giants Junior Belfast GiantsThe Junior Belfast Giants are ice hockey team that plays in the Irish Ice Hockey League. They play their games in the 1,500 seat Dundonald Ice Bowl in Dundonald, Northern Ireland...D 13 Dean Kelley Flyers IHCFlyers IHCThe Flyers IHC are an ice hockey team in the Irish Ice Hockey League. One of five teams in the newly formed league, they are coached by Keith Daly.-History:...D 16 Robert Leckey Belfast Junior Giants Junior Belfast GiantsThe Junior Belfast Giants are ice hockey team that plays in the Irish Ice Hockey League. They play their games in the 1,500 seat Dundonald Ice Bowl in Dundonald, Northern Ireland...F Forward (ice hockey)In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...4 Stephen Cooper Flyers IHCFlyers IHCThe Flyers IHC are an ice hockey team in the Irish Ice Hockey League. One of five teams in the newly formed league, they are coached by Keith Daly.-History:...F 7 Ross Bickerstaff Belfast Junior Giants Junior Belfast GiantsThe Junior Belfast Giants are ice hockey team that plays in the Irish Ice Hockey League. They play their games in the 1,500 seat Dundonald Ice Bowl in Dundonald, Northern Ireland...F 8 Barry Higgins Flyers IHCFlyers IHCThe Flyers IHC are an ice hockey team in the Irish Ice Hockey League. One of five teams in the newly formed league, they are coached by Keith Daly.-History:...F 9 Stephen Balmer HawksLatvian HawksThe Latvian Hawks are an ice hockey team based in Dublin, Ireland. They play all of their games in the Dundalk Ice Dome in Dundalk, Ireland and play in the Irish Ice Hockey League. The team's name is an homage to the large contingent of Latvian expatriates who settled in Ireland.-Roster:...F 10 Adam Jackson-Wyatt 
Vaughan RangersF 11 Philip Darcy Flyers IHCFlyers IHCThe Flyers IHC are an ice hockey team in the Irish Ice Hockey League. One of five teams in the newly formed league, they are coached by Keith Daly.-History:...F 15 Adam McCaul 
Partille HKF 17 Mark Reynolds Belfast Junior Giants Junior Belfast GiantsThe Junior Belfast Giants are ice hockey team that plays in the Irish Ice Hockey League. They play their games in the 1,500 seat Dundonald Ice Bowl in Dundonald, Northern Ireland...F 18 Andrew Guest Toronto Aeros Under 21 AAAF 21 Christopher Adams Dublin WolvesDublin WolvesThe Dublin Wolves are an amateur ice hockey team based in The Republic of Ireland. They are members of the Irish Ice Hockey League and also have a recreational "B-Team" which competes in the Irish Ice Hockey Association's Development Division...F 22 Mark Morrison Mark Morrison (ice hockey b. 1982)Mark Morrison is a retired professional ice hockey forward. He spent his entire career playing for his hometown Belfast Giants.Morrison joined the Giants in 2003...
Belfast GiantsBelfast GiantsThe 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 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....F 23 Stephen Adams HawksLatvian HawksThe Latvian Hawks are an ice hockey team based in Dublin, Ireland. They play all of their games in the Dundalk Ice Dome in Dundalk, Ireland and play in the Irish Ice Hockey League. The team's name is an homage to the large contingent of Latvian expatriates who settled in Ireland.-Roster:...F 24 Gareth Roberts Belfast Junior Giants Junior Belfast GiantsThe Junior Belfast Giants are ice hockey team that plays in the Irish Ice Hockey League. They play their games in the 1,500 seat Dundonald Ice Bowl in Dundonald, Northern Ireland...
Future
Dundalk Ice Dome
Dundalk Ice Dome is the 1st permanent ice arena in Ireland, located in Dundalk Retail Park, Dundalk, County Louth, Republic of Ireland. The Ice Dome aims to become the centre of excellence for ice hockey in Ireland. It is currently home to the Irish national ice hockey squad and local team the...
. It is envisaged that the Ice Dome will become a centre of excellence for ice hockey in the Republic of Ireland and it was here that Team Ireland took silver in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships Division III and gained promotion to Division II.