Whatever happened to Greece, Armenia, and Ireland hockey programs?
- Thread starter S E P H
- Start date
I think, Armenia can get a decent team, if gather all Russian Armenians.
As they didn't fill the minimum criteria requirements, Greece, Ireland and Mongolia had to stop playing WC competitions after 2013.
In Greece, there is some hockey played on small rinks but there are issues with organizing a proper championship due to problems between teams. In Ireland, players have to travel to Belfast to find some ice to play on. A Cross Border Cup is played there and some teams travel abroad for some events (the men's NT was in Andorra for the inaugural Development Cup, an U12 selects team went to Korea in January for a pre-OG event, a women's team went to Latvia in May). For Armenia, there is a four-team league being played and Ararat Yerevan play as well in Belarus' second-tier league since 2016, I guess to get some Russian players to fulfill IIHF eligibility rules.
At that level, you have to look at the Development Cup for national team games. It was put together by the national associations from Portugal, Ireland and Morocco with Andorra joining in as host for the inaugural tounament last autumn. A second edition is planned for November in Fussen, Germany with these four teams (Morocco still unsure due to financial reasons) and Argentina, Brazil and Macedonia joining in as well. There were talks about Greece coming along as well but once again finances are in the way.
In Greece, there is some hockey played on small rinks but there are issues with organizing a proper championship due to problems between teams. In Ireland, players have to travel to Belfast to find some ice to play on. A Cross Border Cup is played there and some teams travel abroad for some events (the men's NT was in Andorra for the inaugural Development Cup, an U12 selects team went to Korea in January for a pre-OG event, a women's team went to Latvia in May). For Armenia, there is a four-team league being played and Ararat Yerevan play as well in Belarus' second-tier league since 2016, I guess to get some Russian players to fulfill IIHF eligibility rules.
At that level, you have to look at the Development Cup for national team games. It was put together by the national associations from Portugal, Ireland and Morocco with Andorra joining in as host for the inaugural tounament last autumn. A second edition is planned for November in Fussen, Germany with these four teams (Morocco still unsure due to financial reasons) and Argentina, Brazil and Macedonia joining in as well. There were talks about Greece coming along as well but once again finances are in the way.
Rcknrollkillnmachine
Registered User
Regarding Ireland, the recent sports budget allocated monies for GAA (national sports) soccer and rugby (as well as many other sports) yet gave nothing for ice-hockey. This caused a lot of anger among Hockey Ireland and the clubs, one of whom had kids sent over to the Habs for a NHL match-break exhibition game either last St. Patrick's Day or before Xmas, I can't remember. Kids were also sent over to Korea to play some games just before the Olympics yet the government continues to ignore the sport.
Sad as I think there's a lot of potential in the Irish market particularly where in the US, Boston Bruins would be one of the best known teams amongst Irish non-hockey fans due to the city's traditional ties to the country. No national arena yet more GAA, soccer and rugby fields facilities will be made despite the many that already exist.
Sad as I think there's a lot of potential in the Irish market particularly where in the US, Boston Bruins would be one of the best known teams amongst Irish non-hockey fans due to the city's traditional ties to the country. No national arena yet more GAA, soccer and rugby fields facilities will be made despite the many that already exist.
montreal
Go Habs Go
I don't follow too much international hockey outside the main countries, but every time I watch Miracle on Ice, I think what happened to Romania, since they were in the Olympics in 1980.
In 2013, the IIHF required countries to have at least one international sized rink in order to participate in championships.
End of the line for Greek hockey? - Eurohockey.com
End of the line for Greek hockey? - Eurohockey.com
I wasnt aware that Romania played in the Olympics 1980, but probably back then they might have gotten help from the Sovjets. Romania have been a pretty poor country as long as I can remember, and hockey is an expensive sport.
Uncle Rotter
Registered User
You have to remember State-sponsored athletes was a big thing in all communist countries. Also some countries which are ahead of Romania now had pretty crappy hockey programs at the time. (Denmark, France, Hungary, UK just to name a few). Actually every East European countries did play Olympic hockey at least once during the Cold War, even Bulgaria (1976).
In total, Romania played four times in the Olympics (1964, 1968, 1976, 1980). While they were mainly a B Group team at the time, there was twice more teams qualified to the Games than in Worlds Top Division back then. They did get promoted to A Group in 1977, recording their sole win over USA (mainly minor leaguers and NCAA with some NHL/WHA players like Lou Nanne and Mike Antonovich) but failed to stay up after losing to West Germany in their last game. They did have some good players like Eduard Pana and Doru Tureanu.
Another surprising team in 1980 was Netherlands but they stacked their roster with Canadians to get there...
I am quite surprised that Greece and Ireland do not have at least one functioning international sized arena (which is the problem in Greece and seems like the problem in Ireland). I get it that hockey is quite niche in those places, but at least would have some cult following for one arena (especially considering how popular the Belfast Giants are in the North).
Interesting to read about the Development Cup, is that an IIHF event similar to the Asian Cup which features the likes of Thailand, Philippines, Kuwait, and Oman? @FrHockeyFan
Interesting to read about the Development Cup, is that an IIHF event similar to the Asian Cup which features the likes of Thailand, Philippines, Kuwait, and Oman? @FrHockeyFan
The Giants are popular north of the border... there is literally no ice hockey coverage whatsoever down south... But it's definitely a shame Ireland doesn't have any ice... not only for hockey bur others sports as well... there was an Irish figure skater competing this year for the first time in the men's single at the European Championship... and the Irish Curling Association is based in Scotland if I remember well... There was a plan to get an arena in Dublin back a couple years ago but it was shot down...
Unlike the Challenge Cup of Asia, the Development Cup is more an initiative from some members than the IIHF itself, similar to the Mexican-run Panamerican tournament... I don't think the folks in Zurich care too much about developing the sport in marginal European countries, especially if they don't have a rink to begin with...
Scott Malkinson
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- Sep 29, 2017
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Yeah, Armenia would have an excellent team, if they threw together Armenian-Russians and Armenian-Americans.
mattihp
Registered User
Would guys like Bogosian be willing to play two seasons in armenia though?
Uncle Rotter
Registered User
The irony is that athletes in Northern Ireland have the option to choose to play for Ireland in international sport without ever living there.
Smirnov2Chistov
EEK!
Portugal unfortunately does not have a huge following with Ice Hockey. When I used to travel with family a few years back there was an Ice Rink inside of a mall and that was about it. I’m wondering if the NHL even broadcasts games in the Iberian Coast area (Spain and Portugal)
They do have a passionate following with ball hockey, but even then getting equipment for that is kind of tough. Since my family lives up north (and in the countryside) , it takes hours that get into the city, and even looking for a sporting goods store that sells something besides soccer things is rare as it is.
EDIT
So it actually looks like Portugal *does* have an ice hockey team, (via Wikipedia) but it’s in its developmental state. They’ve been playing some extremely obscure teams but I guess they’re starting somewhere
They do have a passionate following with ball hockey, but even then getting equipment for that is kind of tough. Since my family lives up north (and in the countryside) , it takes hours that get into the city, and even looking for a sporting goods store that sells something besides soccer things is rare as it is.
EDIT
So it actually looks like Portugal *does* have an ice hockey team, (via Wikipedia) but it’s in its developmental state. They’ve been playing some extremely obscure teams but I guess they’re starting somewhere
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Considering that team has very little to do with Armenian hockey itself beyond the jersey (Russian Armenian players playing their home games out of Orsha, Belarus), I'm having some doubts about their potential eligibility for IIHF events...
Yes but... I remember reading years ago on another forum how IIHA's then president was supposed but didn't try to get the IIHF to recognize Irish specificity, so I guess NI players on the team was becoming an issue back then as being dual-nats they would be considered eligible for UK and not Ireland under eligibility rules... I have no idea if that issue has been solved or not since, not that it really matters as long there is no ice South of the border... Just had a quick look at the Dundalk Ice Dome which has been sitting idle since 2010 and apparently it was put up for rent last month...
Dundalk Ice Dome placed up for rent - Talk of the Town
Amenity/Commercial Facility | GVA Donal O Buachalla
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
I know in Ireland the problem is arenas.
Belfast has a great arena=--but it is used more for concerts then hockey
last time I checked there were only two actually arenas in NI or Ireland and both are in Belfast
Belfast has a great arena=--but it is used more for concerts then hockey
last time I checked there were only two actually arenas in NI or Ireland and both are in Belfast
Rcknrollkillnmachine
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Sens of Anarchy
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Smirnov2Chistov
EEK!
Rcknrollkillnmachine
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crobro
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The Romanian Star player Doru Toreanu was a superstar ,Victor Tikkinov said that he play on any roster in the world,thecmontreal Canadians in 1978 offered him $500.000!a season to defect , which he didn’t do for family reasons.
