The Iserlohn Roosters are a professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
team based in
Iserlohn
Iserlohn (; Westphalian: ''Iserlaun'') is a city in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city by population and area within the district and the Sauerland region.
Geography
Iserlohn is locat ...
,
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inha ...
. They are members of the
Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) since 2000 and play their home games at the
Eissporthalle Iserlohn
Eissporthalle Iserlohn is an arena in Iserlohn, Germany. It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of The Iserlohn Roosters
The Iserlohn Roosters are a professional ice hockey team based in Iserlohn, North Rhine-Westphalia. They ...
which is also known as ''Eissporthalle am Seilersee''. The team made the playoffs three times in its first 15 seasons in the DEL. The Roosters are widely regarded for their fans and having one of the best atmospheres at home games in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
despite having an arena capacity for just 4967 spectators. The club caused much controversy in 1987 when, under
Heinz Weifenbach
Heinz Weifenbach (11 July 1939 – 21 February 2015) was a German ice hockey executive best known for the 1987 advertising contract he negotiated in which his club, the ECD Iserlohn, advertised Muammar Gaddafi's ''The Green Book (Libya), Green Boo ...
, a US$900,000 advertising deal was signed for former
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
n leader
Muammar Gaddafi's ''
The Green Book''. The book is widely acknowledged as having been inspired by
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...
's ''
The Little Red Book''.
History
The history of
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
in
Iserlohn
Iserlohn (; Westphalian: ''Iserlaun'') is a city in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city by population and area within the district and the Sauerland region.
Geography
Iserlohn is locat ...
began in the neighbouring town of
Hemer
Hemer is a town in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography
Hemer is located at the north end of the Sauerland near the Ruhr river. The highest elevation, at 546 metres (1,791 ft), is in the ''Balver Wa ...
.
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
soldiers were deployed to a district of Hemer called Deilinghofen. They came to the town after the end of the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
in 1953 and soon built an arena – first without a roof. The teenagers in Deilinghofen were interested in this strange kind of sport and wanted to play it, too. They played on streets or frozen ponds, and were allowed to play in the arena in 1957 for the first time. Recognizing the joy of the teenagers, the Canadians found some coaches, with Charles McCuaig later becoming a regular trainer. After a long period of preparation, the first game against a Canadian youth team from
Soest was on 8 March 1958 in front of 120 people. Deilinghofen played well, but lost 2–6. The equipment was borrowed from the soldiers. After that game, matches were more regular and attracted more fans, so a roof was built on the arena in 1958.
EC Deilinghofen (1959–1980)
On 28 February 1959 EC Deilinghofen was founded. In 1959 a team from Deilinghofen started in a junior league and reached second place. A year later they took part in the German championship and finished fifth. In the second season, 1960–61, they came in first in North Rhine-Westphalia and were the second best team in the country. Between 1962 and 1964, they were champions of the north of Germany, but they lost the playoffs against the champions of the south. As a result, they missed promotion, although they were eventually promoted.
In 1971 the Canadian soldiers were sent home, and the incoming British soldiers were not interested in ice hockey. The team had to search for a new home. Local politicians wanted to have an arena in Iserlohn. With the agreement of Iserlohn's town council, the ''Eissporthalle am Seilersee'' was built.
In the 1976–77 season, Deilinghofen finished two places behind
Kaufbeuren
Kaufbeuren (; Bavarian: ''Kaufbeiren'') is an independent town in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Swabia, Bavaria. The town is an enclave within the district of Ostallgäu.
Districts
Kaufbeuren consists of nine districts:
* Kaufbeuren (town core i ...
in the new ''Zweite Bundesliga''. However, Kaufbeuren waived their right to promotion, and Deilinghofen received the chance to play in Germany's top hockey league for the first time.
ECD Iserlohn (1980–1987)
In 1980 the club was renamed ECD Iserlohn because of its long history being based there. In the following season, the team was relegated for the first time in its history. Two years later, it moved back up again. The following years were the most successful seasons in the club's history. In 1986 ECD reached the semi-finals in the playoffs with stars like
Jaroslav Pouzar and
Martti Jarkko. Due to the added expenses created by the addition of these star players, the team president,
Heinz Weifenbach
Heinz Weifenbach (11 July 1939 – 21 February 2015) was a German ice hockey executive best known for the 1987 advertising contract he negotiated in which his club, the ECD Iserlohn, advertised Muammar Gaddafi's ''The Green Book (Libya), Green Boo ...
, looked for financial help in
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
, where
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, . Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been romanized in various ways. A 1986 column by ''The Straight Dope'' lists 32 spellin ...
agreed to pay if the team advertised his "
Green Book". On 4 December 1987 they came to an agreement. However, due to negative attention, ECD scrapped that plan a few days later.
ECD Sauerland (1988–1994)
The next season, ECD Sauerland was founded. They started playing in the ''Oberliga'', although Weifenbach wanted to begin play in the Bundesliga. The club had the same significant financial problems as its predecessors. The 1991–92 season was a catastrophe, so the fans were afraid that the team would not receive a license to continue operating. ECD eventually obtained a license, but went bankrupt a few days after the end of the 1993–94 season.
ECD Sauerland Iserlohn Penguins (1994)
One day later, on 9 April 1994, the ECD Sauerland Iserlohn Penguins were founded, but the peewee players didn't contract in, so the club's history was short-lived.
Iserlohner EC (1994–2000)
Iserlohner EC (IEC) was founded on 20 April in the same year. The new committee wanted to avoid financial difficulties. After one season, the team moved up to the second-tier league. The following two years were more difficult, but new players during this time helped revived the club. In 1997 a new coach,
Greg Poss
Greg Poss (born August 6, 1965, in Green Bay, Wisconsin) is a former American hockey player and coach. He was most recently the head coach of the EC Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian Hockey League.
Playing career
Poss began his career with the D ...
, came to Iserlohn. After three successful years, the club moved up again after purchasing the operating license of
Starbulls Rosenheim
Starbulls Rosenheim is a professional ice hockey team based in Rosenheim, Oberbayern, Germany. They currently play in Oberliga. Prior to the 2013–14 season they played in the 2nd Bundesliga. They play their home games at '' Rofa-Stadion'', loc ...
. 40 years after the foundation of the original team, the arena in Deilinghofen was torn down in 1999, despite protests from many people in Deilinghofen.
Iserlohn Roosters (since 2000)
Iserlohner EC joined the
Deutsche Eishockey Liga in 2000 and adopted the name Iserlohn Roosters. A
GmbH, which serves to administer the finances and the business organisation, was created for the professional team. The GmbH was named the Iserlohn Roosters GmbH. All junior teams were still under the control of the IEC. The Roosters continually had the lowest budget of all DEL teams, and the media often referred to them as an
underdog
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the case where an underdog wins, the ...
team. In their first two seasons, the Roosters placed 15th and 12th.
In the 2002–03 season, the team again missed the playoffs by falling just two points short even though they beat the German champion of the year, the
Krefeld Pinguine
The Krefeld Pinguine (Krefeld Penguins) are an ice hockey team in the DEL2. Their home ice is in Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany at the König Palast. Founded first in 1936 by Willi Münstermann, the pro team became a limited liabil ...
, 8–1 on the last day of the season. Before the next season, Poss left the club and went on to coach the
Nürnberg Ice Tigers. Iserlohn named Dave Whistle as new coach, but after only nine games,
Doug Mason was his successor. During the
lockout season in
2004–05,
Mike York
Michael Allan York (born January 3, 1978) is an American former professional ice hockey left winger. He last played and captained the Iserlohn Roosters of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
Playing career
York was born in Waterford, Michigan. ...
and
John-Michael Liles
John-Michael Liles (born November 25, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins. In additio ...
came to Iserlohn and helped the team reach 11th place despite still having the smallest budget in the league. York signed with Iserlohn after his old college friend
Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...
, who was the captain of the Roosters, talked to him.
Brian Gionta
Brian Joseph Gionta (born January 18, 1979) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Gionta began his NHL career in 2001 with the New Jersey Devils and has served as captain ...
also signed, but left without having played due to his wife's pregnancy.
Twelve players left the club in the summer of 2005, but the Roosters were able to make some great moves on the transfer market with the biggest signings being former DEL top scorer
Brad Purdie and former NHL player
Mark Greig
William Mark Greig (born January 25, 1970) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers ...
for two years. Nevertheless, they finished in just eleventh place despite having the best power play in the league. In March 2006, Mason left Iserlohn for
Kölner Haie
The Kölner Haie (English: ''Cologne Sharks'') are an ice hockey club based in Cologne, Germany that plays in the professional Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). The team was one of the founding members of the DEL.
The ''Kölner Haie'' play their hom ...
, and
Geoff Ward came to Iserlohn to coach. After defeating the
DEG Metro Stars 5–1 in the opening game of the season in 2006–07, the Roosters were in first place for one week for the first time in their history. After again finishing another season in eleventh place, Ward then left Iserlohn during the summer of 2007 to be an assistant coach for the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
of the NHL.
For the 2007–08 season,
Rick Adduono
Richard Norman Adduono (born January 25, 1955) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and retired professional ice hockey player in the World Hockey Association and National Hockey League.
Playing career
Rick Adduono was drafted by the Bos ...
became the new coach of the Roosters. The Roosters improved the team by adding
Norm Maracle
Norm Maracle (born October 2, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Prior to ending his career in Europe, Maracle played in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings and Atlanta Thrashers.
Playing career Juni ...
and
Bob Wren
Robert "Bob" Wren (born September 16, 1974) is a Canadian professional ice hockey center for EHC Klostersee of the Regionalliga.
Wren was drafted 94th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. He played five games in the ...
. After the fifth game, they were in a playoff position and were able to hold on to it the rest of the season. Improved offense was due to
Robert Hock and
Michael Wolf beginning to dominate the league as native players, breaking the historic dominance of North American players. Wolf was the top goal scorer, and Hock became league top point scorer. The third man in their line was either
Tyler Beechey, who was first signed on a try-out contract, or
Brad Tapper
Brad Tapper (born April 28, 1978) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Atlanta Thrashers over parts of three seasons. After retiring from playing, he remained active in ho ...
. The line with
Jimmy Roy,
Pat Kavanagh, and
Ryan Ready
Ryan Ready (born November 7, 1978) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played in the National Hockey League with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Playing career
Ready was drafted 100th overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft by t ...
also helped the unexpected trip to the playoffs. However, in the quarterfinals they were defeated by the
Frankfurt Lions in game 7.
For the next season, the Roosters signed former
New York Islanders coach
Steve Stirling
James Steven Stirling (born November 19, 1949) is a scout with the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. He is the former head coach of the American Hockey League's Norfolk Admirals, the Springfield Falcons and the National Hockey Leagu ...
. The team failed to continue the success they had the year before, and Stirling was fired in February after the team fell out of playoff position. Over the summer many players voiced their critique of Stirling. Assistant coach
Ulrich Liebsch became the new head coach, and many key players left the team. Due to the global financial crisis at that time, the Roosters announced that they would look for young, talented players instead of focusing on veterans for the 2009–10 season.
Season records
Players
Current roster
Individual team records
Current as of the end of the 2019–20 season.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iserlohn Roosters
Deutsche Eishockey Liga teams
Roosters
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
Ice hockey teams in Germany
Ice hockey clubs established in 1959
1959 establishments in West Germany