Sydney Bears
Encyclopedia
The Sydney Bears are a semi-professional
ice hockey
team based in Penrith, New South Wales
, who are members of the Australian Ice Hockey League
(AIHL). They have won two Goodall Cup
championships since their founding in 2000, most recently in 2007
. The Bears are one of the original three teams that founded the AIHL in 2000, along with the Adelaide Avalanche
, and Canberra Knights
. The Bears played at the Sydney Ice Arena from the time of their inception through the end of the 2006 season. They moved to their new arena, Penrith Ice Palace, at the beginning of the 2007 AIHL season.
and won the AIHL championship in 2002 and 2007
. The Bears were one of three teams that founded the AIHL in 2000, along with the Adelaide Avalanche
and Canberra Knights
. Although the Bears did not win the championship in either year, they won the Goodall Cup tournament in 2001 in Newcastle
, the last time the Cup was awarded independently of the AIHL.
In 2002, the Bears defeated the Avalanche in the Goodall Cup final for their second consecutive Cup and their first and only AIHL championship to date. Four members of the Bears - Tyler Lovering, Brett Nelson-Bond, Vladimir Rubes and Murray Wand - were named to the Mighty Roos
roster for the 2006 Division II World Championships
in New Zealand
. In 2007 the team announced they would move to Penrith for the 2007 AIHL season
at which time, dropping "Sydney" to become The Bears, or AIHL Bears. For the start of the 2010 season the Bears reverted to their previous name of Sydney Bears.
. Bears rookie forward Lucian Hackett scored the first goal of the season on his debut. Other Bears players making their debut were Laurie Mock, and import Kurtis Dulle. The Bears struggled to record a win in their first five games, however their roster was not yet at full strength. The Bears were missing goaltender Sheldon Baerg, forward Tony Demelinne
who was representing Netherlands at the IIHF World Championship Division I, and defenceman Jordan Hale who was competing in the Royal Bank Cup
with the Camrose Kodiaks
.
With the 2011 Roster finally at full strength with the arrival and clearance of their import players, the Bears made their way to Melbourne. The Bears showed signs of improvement in their game against the Melbourne Ice
, losing 3-4 to them in the shootout. The Bears also lost import Jordan Hale to a season ending lower body injury. The Bears then went on to record their first win of the season against the The Mustangs
in a thrilling 5-3 victory, with newly acquired import Tony Demelinne displaying some of his puck handling skills and recording 4 points during the game.
However The Bears game seemingly unravelled, experiencing huge losses to the Knights
, BlueTongues and Ice
. However bouncing back in June recording a win against the Newcastle North Stars
, ending their wining streak and starting a 3 game win streak of their own. The month of June saw the Bears 3-2-0, and they reached a peak position of 7th in the standings.
Currently the Bears sit 8th in the ladder, with 12 points.
|}
Note: GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; TP = Points; * = current Bears player
Top 5 franchise All-time Points Per Game
Note: GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; TP = Points; PPG= Point-Per Game * = current Bears player
, on the western outskirts of Sydney, New South Wales. The team previously played at the Sydney Ice Arena in Baulkham Hills
, but announced they would move to Penrith for the 2007 AIHL season
.
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full 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...
team based in Penrith, New South Wales
Penrith, New South Wales
Penrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith...
, who are members of the Australian Ice Hockey League
Australian Ice Hockey League
The Australian Ice Hockey League is Australia's top-level ice hockey league. It is sanctioned by Ice Hockey Australia and is run by its own Board of Directors....
(AIHL). They have won two Goodall Cup
Goodall Cup
The Goodall Cup is the championship trophy of the Australian Ice Hockey League ice hockey in Australia. The Goodall Cup has been contested as the national senior men's ice hockey trophy in Australia since 1909, making it the fifth oldest known ice hockey trophy still being awarded, after the...
championships since their founding in 2000, most recently in 2007
2007 AIHL season
The 2007 AIHL season was the 8th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 6th in which the Goodall Cup will be awarded to the league champions....
. The Bears are one of the original three teams that founded the AIHL in 2000, along with the Adelaide Avalanche
Adelaide Avalanche
The Adelaide Adrenaline are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Thebarton, South Australia that play in the Australian Ice Hockey League .-History:...
, and Canberra Knights
Canberra Knights
The Canberra Knights are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Phillip Swimming & Ice Skating Centre in Phillip, a suburb of Australia's capital city, Canberra....
. The Bears played at the Sydney Ice Arena from the time of their inception through the end of the 2006 season. They moved to their new arena, Penrith Ice Palace, at the beginning of the 2007 AIHL season.
Team history
The Bears are two-time winners of the Goodall CupGoodall Cup
The Goodall Cup is the championship trophy of the Australian Ice Hockey League ice hockey in Australia. The Goodall Cup has been contested as the national senior men's ice hockey trophy in Australia since 1909, making it the fifth oldest known ice hockey trophy still being awarded, after the...
and won the AIHL championship in 2002 and 2007
2007 AIHL season
The 2007 AIHL season was the 8th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 6th in which the Goodall Cup will be awarded to the league champions....
. The Bears were one of three teams that founded the AIHL in 2000, along with the Adelaide Avalanche
Adelaide Avalanche
The Adelaide Adrenaline are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Thebarton, South Australia that play in the Australian Ice Hockey League .-History:...
and Canberra Knights
Canberra Knights
The Canberra Knights are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Phillip Swimming & Ice Skating Centre in Phillip, a suburb of Australia's capital city, Canberra....
. Although the Bears did not win the championship in either year, they won the Goodall Cup tournament in 2001 in Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, the last time the Cup was awarded independently of the AIHL.
In 2002, the Bears defeated the Avalanche in the Goodall Cup final for their second consecutive Cup and their first and only AIHL championship to date. Four members of the Bears - Tyler Lovering, Brett Nelson-Bond, Vladimir Rubes and Murray Wand - were named to the Mighty Roos
Australian national ice hockey team
The Australian men's national ice hockey team is the national ice hockey team for Australia. As of 2010 the Australian team are ranked 34th...
roster for the 2006 Division II World Championships
Ice Hockey Division II World Championships
The IIHF World Championship Division II are an annual sports event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. The division championships are played in two groups....
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. In 2007 the team announced they would move to Penrith for the 2007 AIHL season
2007 AIHL season
The 2007 AIHL season was the 8th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 6th in which the Goodall Cup will be awarded to the league champions....
at which time, dropping "Sydney" to become The Bears, or AIHL Bears. For the start of the 2010 season the Bears reverted to their previous name of Sydney Bears.
2011 Season
The Bears commenced the 2011 season on April 16 with a home opener against the newest addition to the AIHL, The MustangsMustangs IHC
The Mustangs Ice Hockey Club are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Docklands, Victoria, Australia. They are members of the Australian Ice Hockey League .-History:The Mustangs IHC were founded in 2010...
. Bears rookie forward Lucian Hackett scored the first goal of the season on his debut. Other Bears players making their debut were Laurie Mock, and import Kurtis Dulle. The Bears struggled to record a win in their first five games, however their roster was not yet at full strength. The Bears were missing goaltender Sheldon Baerg, forward Tony Demelinne
Tony Demelinne
Tony Demelinne is a Dutch professional ice hockey player currently playing in Sydney Bears of the AIHL. Demelinne has previously played with, HYS The Hague, of the Eredivisie.- References :...
who was representing Netherlands at the IIHF World Championship Division I, and defenceman Jordan Hale who was competing in the Royal Bank Cup
2011 Royal Bank Cup
The 2011 Royal Bank Cup was the Junior "A" 2011 ice hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The 2011 Royal Bank Cup marked the 41st consecutive year a national championship has been awarded to this skill level since the breakaway of Major Junior hockey in 1970.The Royal...
with the Camrose Kodiaks
Camrose Kodiaks
The Camrose Kodiaks are a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. They play in Camrose, Alberta, Canada at the Edgeworth Centre's Encana Arena, capacity 2500+....
.
With the 2011 Roster finally at full strength with the arrival and clearance of their import players, the Bears made their way to Melbourne. The Bears showed signs of improvement in their game against the Melbourne Ice
Melbourne Ice
The Melbourne Ice are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the National Ice Sports Centre in Melbourne, which was completed in 2010. It formerly played at the Olympic Ice Skating Centre in Oakleigh South, a suburb of Monash...
, losing 3-4 to them in the shootout. The Bears also lost import Jordan Hale to a season ending lower body injury. The Bears then went on to record their first win of the season against the The Mustangs
Mustangs IHC
The Mustangs Ice Hockey Club are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Docklands, Victoria, Australia. They are members of the Australian Ice Hockey League .-History:The Mustangs IHC were founded in 2010...
in a thrilling 5-3 victory, with newly acquired import Tony Demelinne displaying some of his puck handling skills and recording 4 points during the game.
However The Bears game seemingly unravelled, experiencing huge losses to the Knights
Canberra Knights
The Canberra Knights are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Phillip Swimming & Ice Skating Centre in Phillip, a suburb of Australia's capital city, Canberra....
, BlueTongues and Ice
Melbourne Ice
The Melbourne Ice are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the National Ice Sports Centre in Melbourne, which was completed in 2010. It formerly played at the Olympic Ice Skating Centre in Oakleigh South, a suburb of Monash...
. However bouncing back in June recording a win against the Newcastle North Stars
Newcastle North Stars
The Newcastle North Stars are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium in Warners Bay, a suburb of Lake Macquarie located about 15 kilometres south-west of Newcastle, New South Wales.The North Stars...
, ending their wining streak and starting a 3 game win streak of their own. The month of June saw the Bears 3-2-0, and they reached a peak position of 7th in the standings.
Currently the Bears sit 8th in the ladder, with 12 points.
2011 Schedule and Results
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Season-by-season record
| Season | GP | W | T1 | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GF | Pts | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 2002 AIHL season The 2002 AIHL season is the 3rd season of the Australian Ice Hockey League .-League business:The 2002 season saw the league expand from three teams to six with the introduction of the Melbourne Ice, Newcastle North Stars, and the West Sydney Ice Dogs.... |
15 | 12 | 1 | - | - | 2 | 90 | 54 | 25 | 1 | Won Goodall Cup Goodall Cup The Goodall Cup is the championship trophy of the Australian Ice Hockey League ice hockey in Australia. The Goodall Cup has been contested as the national senior men's ice hockey trophy in Australia since 1909, making it the fifth oldest known ice hockey trophy still being awarded, after the... final vs. Adelaide Avalanche Adelaide Avalanche The Adelaide Adrenaline are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Thebarton, South Australia that play in the Australian Ice Hockey League .-History:... ) |
| 2003 2003 AIHL season The 2002 AIHL season is the 4th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League .-Regular season:-Playoffs:The playoffs were held at Sydney's Glaciarium... |
6 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 23 | 34 | 2 | 5 | Did not qualify |
| 2004 2004 AIHL season The 2004 AIHL season was the 5th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 3rd in which the Goodall Cup was awarded to the league champions.The West Sydney Ice Dogs won their first Goodall Cup defeating the Newcastle Northstars in the championship game.... |
29 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 68 | 71 | 31 | 3 | Lost in Semifinals, 4-5 (West Sydney Ice Dogs) |
| 2005 2005 AIHL season The 2005 AIHL season was the 6th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 4th in which the Goodall Cup was awarded to the league champions.... |
26 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 96 | 100 | 38 | 4 | Lost in Semifinals, (Adelaide Avalanche Adelaide Avalanche The Adelaide Adrenaline are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Thebarton, South Australia that play in the Australian Ice Hockey League .-History:... ) |
| 2006 2006 AIHL season The 2006 AIHL season was the 7th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 5th in which the Goodall Cup was awarded to the league champions.The Melbourne Ice mathematically clinched their first ever V.I.P... |
28 | 15 | - | 1 | 1 | 11 | 133 | 101 | 48 | 5 | Did not qualify |
| 2007 2007 AIHL season The 2007 AIHL season was the 8th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 6th in which the Goodall Cup will be awarded to the league champions.... |
28 | 14 | - | 4 | 2 | 8 | 112 | 84 | 49* | 4 | Won Semifinals 4-5 (Adelaide Avalanche Adelaide Avalanche The Adelaide Adrenaline are a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Thebarton, South Australia that play in the Australian Ice Hockey League .-History:... ) Won Goodall Cup Goodall Cup The Goodall Cup is the championship trophy of the Australian Ice Hockey League ice hockey in Australia. The Goodall Cup has been contested as the national senior men's ice hockey trophy in Australia since 1909, making it the fifth oldest known ice hockey trophy still being awarded, after the... , 4-3 in OT Overtime (sports) Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination... (Newcastle North Stars Newcastle North Stars The Newcastle North Stars are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium in Warners Bay, a suburb of Lake Macquarie located about 15 kilometres south-west of Newcastle, New South Wales.The North Stars... |
| 2008 2008 AIHL season The 2008 AIHL season is the 9th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 7th in which the Goodall Cup will be awarded to the league champions.The season opened 19 April 2008 with games in Newcastle, Adelaide and Penrith.... |
28 | 20 | - | 0 | 1 | 7 | 134 | 118 | 61 | 1 | Lost in Semifinal, 7-5 (Newcastle North Stars Newcastle North Stars The Newcastle North Stars are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium in Warners Bay, a suburb of Lake Macquarie located about 15 kilometres south-west of Newcastle, New South Wales.The North Stars... ) |
| 2009 2009 AIHL season The 2009 AIHL season is the 10th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League. The season opens on 25 April 2009 with games in Liverpool and Canberra. Newcastle North Stars won the V.I.P... |
24 | 1 | - | 3 | 0 | 20 | 66 | 140 | 9 | 7 | Did not qualify |
| 2010 2010 AIHL season The 2010 AIHL season is the 11th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League . It ran from 24 April 2010 until 22 August 2010, with the Goodall Cup finals following on 28 and 29 August.-League business:... |
24 | 12 | - | 8 | 1 | 3 | 41 | 83 | 92 | 3 | Lost Semifinal, 1-2 (Melbourne Ice Melbourne Ice The Melbourne Ice are a semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the National Ice Sports Centre in Melbourne, which was completed in 2010. It formerly played at the Olympic Ice Skating Centre in Oakleigh South, a suburb of Monash... ) |
| 2011 2011 AIHL season The 2011 AIHL season is the 12th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League . It ran from 14 April 2011 until 28 August 2011, with the Goodall Cup finals following on 3 and 4 September. The Melbourne Ice won the H Newman Ried trophy after finishing first in the regular season standings with 65 points... |
28 | 2 | - | 2 | 3 | 21 | 83 | 151 | 13 | 8 | Did not qualify |
- 1 As of the 2006 AIHL season2006 AIHL seasonThe 2006 AIHL season was the 7th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 5th in which the Goodall Cup was awarded to the league champions.The Melbourne Ice mathematically clinched their first ever V.I.P...
, all games will have a winner. * The Bears were penalised 3 competition points for icing players that had not been officially cleared to play by the IIHF and IHA.
Championships
- Goodall Cup: 20022002 AIHL seasonThe 2002 AIHL season is the 3rd season of the Australian Ice Hockey League .-League business:The 2002 season saw the league expand from three teams to six with the introduction of the Melbourne Ice, Newcastle North Stars, and the West Sydney Ice Dogs....
, 20072007 AIHL seasonThe 2007 AIHL season was the 8th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 6th in which the Goodall Cup will be awarded to the league champions....
- V.I.P. Cup: 20082008 AIHL seasonThe 2008 AIHL season is the 9th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 7th in which the Goodall Cup will be awarded to the league champions.The season opened 19 April 2008 with games in Newcastle, Adelaide and Penrith....
Players
Updated 24 July 2011|}
Franchise scoring leaders
Top 10 franchise All-Time points scorersNote: GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; TP = Points; * = current Bears player
| Player | GP | G | A | TP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vladimir Rubes* | 193 | 129 | 210 | 339 |
| Vladan Stransky | 137 | 100 | 149 | 249 |
| Murray Wand | 170 | 70 | 75 | 145 |
| Roberto Franchini | 85 | 42 | 53 | 95 |
| Michael Schlamp* | 83 | 36 | 56 | 92 |
| Brett Nelson-Bond* | 184 | 41 | 50 | 91 |
| Andy Luhovy | 46 | 31 | 40 | 71 |
| Tomas Landa | 25 | 20 | 42 | 62 |
| Paul Shumak | 162 | 32 | 29 | 61 |
| Joshua Gribben | 42 | 20 | 26 | 46 |
Top 5 franchise All-time Points Per Game
Note: GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; TP = Points; PPG= Point-Per Game * = current Bears player
| Player | GP | G | A | TP | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vit Stransky | 15 | 22 | 18 | 40 | 2.667 |
| Tony Demelinne Tony Demelinne Tony Demelinne is a Dutch professional ice hockey player currently playing in Sydney Bears of the AIHL. Demelinne has previously played with, HYS The Hague, of the Eredivisie.- References :... * |
14 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 2.571 |
| Tomas Landa | 25 | 20 | 42 | 62 | 2.489 |
| Vladan Stransky | 137 | 100 | 149 | 249 | 1.818 |
| Vladimir Rubes* | 193 | 129 | 210 | 339 | 1.756 |
Current Staff
- President – Wayne Hellyer
- General Manager/Team Manager – Gabriel Robledo Snr
- Assistant Team Manager - Robert Palmer
- Head coach – Vladimir Rubes
- Bench coach – Art Shaw
- Secretary – Bronwyn McFadden & Neil McFadden
- Treasurer – Lorelle Cross
- Game Day Ticketing - Bronwyn McFadden & Keri Spina
- Time Keepers – Marichu Liddicoat & Warwick Griffith
- Announcing - Wayne Hellyer & Debbie Clemie
- Game Day Organiser - Jennifer Scott & Rachel Tanit
Arena
Home games are played at the Penrith Ice Palace in PenrithPenrith, New South Wales
Penrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith...
, on the western outskirts of Sydney, New South Wales. The team previously played at the Sydney Ice Arena in Baulkham Hills
Baulkham Hills, New South Wales
Baulkham Hills is a suburb in the north-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Baulkham Hills is located 31 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of The Hills Shire...
, but announced they would move to Penrith for the 2007 AIHL season
2007 AIHL season
The 2007 AIHL season was the 8th season of the Australian Ice Hockey League, the 6th in which the Goodall Cup will be awarded to the league champions....
.