VEU Feldkirch

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VEU Feldkirch
VEU Feldkirch
Greatest successes
Club information
history EHC Feldkirch (1932–1935)
WSV Feldkirch (1935–1941)
EHC Feldkirch (1945–1974)
Vorarlberg Ice Hockey Union Feldkirch (1974–2000)
EC Supergau Feldkirch (2000–2004)
EHC Feldkirch 2000 (2000–2006)
Club Ice Hockey Union Feldkirch (2006–2019)
Vorarlberg Ice Hockey Union Feldkirch (since 2019)
Location Feldkirch , Vorarlberg , Austria
Nickname The VEU
Club colors red, white & black
league Alps Hockey League
Venue Vorarlberghalle
capacity 5,200 seats
Head coach Patrick Lefebvre
AlpsHL 2018/19 7th place, pre-playoffs

The VEU Feldkirch is an Austrian ice hockey club from Feldkirch ( Vorarlberg ). The club currently plays in the Alps Hockey League with a team that consists mainly of self-made players

After the financial bankruptcy of the predecessor club of the same name, the club was re-founded under the name "EHC Feldkirch" in 2000, the EHC Feldkirch 2000 served in its first years as a pure youth club and was intended to give the young players of the VEU Feldkirch a field of activity. At the same time, the “EC Supergau Feldkirch” was founded - this club slipped into bankruptcy again after the 2003/04 season due to renewed financial problems . Building on the existing youth club EHC Feldkirch 2000, it was possible that Feldkirch has been represented with a team at least in the second highest Austrian league since the 2004/05 season. From the 2006/07 to 2012 season the association was officially called “FBI VEU Feldkirch” (main sponsor Friedrich Brunauer Immobilien ). For the 2010/11 season, the traditional VEU Feldkirch logo was slightly revised and modernized. In autumn 2012 the Frastanzer brewery became the new main sponsor.

history

The first years

The first Feldkirch ice hockey club, the "Vorarlberger Ice Hockey Union Feldkirch" was founded in 1932 as "EHC Feldkirch" . In the thirties, due to the lack of local competition, mainly games were played against Swiss clubs, but this came to an abrupt end with the Second World War . During the war years, gaming operations almost came to a standstill. In 1945 the club was reorganized and there were soon games again, again against Swiss competitors, even though there was hardly any money available and the players sometimes had to "assemble" their own equipment. For the 1948/49 season, the EHC Feldkirch organized a Vorarlberg championship and won it with confidence. In 1951 the club finally joined the Austrian Ice Hockey Association . At that time, the open air was still being played on Leonhardplatz, which was also the home of the club during the first Bundesliga season in 1954/55 .

First successes in the Bundesliga

In the years that followed, the EHC Feldkirch kept switching between the various performance levels, and the lack of an artificial ice rink was also clearly noticeable. Such plans had already been rejected as utopian in 1957, but on December 6, 1964, the project finally became a reality. In 1967, they were promoted to the Bundesliga: with eight wins from ten matches, the team was able to confidently win the National League A. At the same time the club was renamed "EHC Hilti Feldkirch" after the main sponsor . In the first season of 1967/68 the team finished last, but won the Hilti International Cup with an 8: 3 against HC Dukla Jihlava . In the following years continuous development work was carried out and in the 1969/70 season rewarded with the runner-up title behind the EC KAC .

In 1971 the name was changed to “VEU Feldkirch” , and a year later a new main sponsor was brought on board with the Creditanstalt-Bankverein. The club established itself in the midfield of the Austrian league and took the next important step into the future with the roofing of the ice rink in 1977. A difficult time followed, however, when the VEU only narrowly slipped past bankruptcy in 1978, which also resulted in changes in the club's management. However, some player commitments such as those of Kelvin Greenbank , who was to remain loyal to the club for a long time, proved positive .

The first championship title

In 1981, Brian Hill , Jeff Geiger , Günther Stockhammer , Karl Heinzle and a few other new players formed the core of a team that would determine what happens in the league in the following years. Coach Miroslav Berek was dismissed after disagreements with the players, but with Rudi Zanona as coach and Greenbank as player-coach, the team prevailed 6-4 in the championship round of the 1981/82 season in the decisive game in Klagenfurt and thus won the first championship title of club history. The title was defended twice in a row, and at the same time the championship titles of the club's junior teams showed that Feldkirch has now been working successfully. In 1986, however, there were again financial problems, which also led to the compensation being registered. However, the club persisted and continued the good work in the following years.

Climax and end

Bengt-Åke Gustafsson was one of the key players in VEU Feldkirch from 1993 to 1999.

After a few average seasons, the rise of the VEU began in 1991. On November 13, 1991, Ralph Krueger, the coach who would lead the VEU from one sporting success to the next, was hired. In 1992 Krueger signed the two Swedes Bengt-Åke Gustafsson and Thomas Rundqvist and gathered around them with Tom Searle , Simon Wheeldon and a few other established players. From 1994 to 1998 the VEU dominated ice hockey events in Austria and won five championship titles in a row without any competition. At the same time, some highly acclaimed successes were posted on the international ice. One of the highlights was winning the European Hockey League in 1998 , which was also followed by victory in the IIHF Super Cup .

In the same year, however, Ralph Krueger made the decision to no longer be available as a coach, as he had taken over the coaching position for the Swiss national ice hockey team . In addition, there were financial problems that arose from the large expenses for the cadres in recent years and from the lack of marketing. After a short time it became apparent that VEU would not be able to continue its successful run. Some of the established players also had to be fired, and the club dragged its way through playing in the top class for two years before the end followed in 2000.

Hockey Union Feldkirch (from 2000)

season league placement Play-offs
2000/01 OIL 1. Runner-up
2001/02 NatL 2. master
2002/03 EBEL 4th Quarter finals
2003/04 EBEL 6th -
2004/05 NatL 4th Quarter finals
2005/06 NatL 1. Semifinals
2006/07 NatL 2. master
2007/08 NatL 4th Semifinals
2008/09 NatL 4th Semifinals
2009/10 NatL 4th Semifinals
2010/11 NatL 3. 2. master
2011/12 NatL 4th Semifinals
2012/13 INL 5. -
2013/14 INL 6th 7th Quarter finals
2014/15 INL 4th 2. Runner-up
2015/16 INL 1. Semifinals
2016/17 AlpsHL 6th 5. Quarter finals
2017/18 AlpsHL 4th Quarter finals
2018/19 AlpsHL 7th Play-offs are in progress

After the bankruptcy, the newly founded club started as EHC Feldkirch 2000 from the 2000/01 season in what was then the second highest division, the Oberliga , which had meanwhile become the National League. The club continues to play in the second division and was able to win the title twice: for the first time in the 2006/07 season against EV Zeltweg, four years later Dornbirn was defeated 3-0 in the final series. In the 2014/15 season of the INL , the VEU failed in the best-of-five final series with 0: 3 at EHC Lustenau and became runner-up.

For the 2019/20 season, the club's name was officially changed back to Vorarlberger Eishockey Union .

successes

The old VEU Feldkirch logo (until 2009)

Successes of the "old" VEU

Successes of the "new" VEU

Master teams

Austrian champion

1981/82 season

Goalkeeper:

Defenders: Jeff Geiger , Karl Heinzle , Konrad Dorn

Attackers: Kelvin Greenbank , Brian Hill , Günter Stockhammer

Coaching team:

Austrian champion

1982/83 season

Goalkeeper:

Defenders: Jeff Geiger , Karl Heinzle , Konrad Dorn

Attackers: Reinhard Dossi , Franz Fussi , Kelvin Greenbank , Günter Stockhammer , Brian Hill , Gerhard Puschnik

Coaching team:

Austrian champion

1983/84 season

Goalkeeper:

Defenders: Konrad Dorn , Jeff Geiger , Peter Haberl , Karl Heinzle

Attackers: Franz Fussi , Fritz Ganster , Doug Gibson , Kelvin Greenbank , Günter Stockhammer , Brian Hill , Gerhard Puschnik

Coaching team:

Austrian champion

1989/90 season

Goalkeeper: Arnulf Zimmermann

Defenders: Karl Heinzle , Michael Shea , Michael Sparr , Wolfgang Strauss

Attackers: Franz Fussi , Fritz Ganster , Kelvin Greenbank , Richard Grenier , Fedor Kanareykin , Arno Maier , Rick Nasheim , Gerhard Puschnik

Coaching team:

Austrian champion

1993/94 season

Goalkeepers: Claus Dalpiaz , Reinhard Divis

Defenders: Konrad Dorn , Jeff Geiger , Karl Heinzle , Michael Lampert , Tom Searle , Michael Shea , Wolfgang Strauss

Attackers: Fritz Ganster , Bengt-Åke Gustafsson , Siegfried Haberl , Rick Nasheim , Gerhard Puschnik , Thomas Rundqvist , Bernd Schmidle , Simon Wheeldon

Coaching team: Ralph Krueger

Austrian champion

1994/95 season

Goalkeepers: Reinhard Divis , Claus Dalpiaz

Defenders: Konrad Dorn , Karl Heinzle , Michael Lampert , Dominic Lavoie , Tom Searle , Wolfgang Strauss

Attackers: Franz Fussi , Fritz Ganster , Bengt-Åke Gustafsson , Siegfried Haberl , Martin Lindner , Gerhard Puschnik , Thomas Rundqvist , Jukka-Pekka Seppo , Thomas Sticha , Simon Wheeldon

Coaching team: Ralph Krueger

Austrian champion

1995/96 season

Goalkeepers: Reinhard Divis , Arnulf Zimmermann

Defenders: Konrad Dorn , Karl Heinzle , Michael Lampert , Dominic Lavoie , Tom Searle , Wolfgang Strauss

Attackers: Franz Fussi , Fritz Ganster , Christoph Gesson , Bengt-Åke Gustafsson , Siegfried Haberl , Normand Krumpschmid , Rick Nasheim , Gerhard Puschnik , Thomas Rundqvist , Bernd Schmidle , Thomas Sticha , Simon Wheeldon

Coaching team: Ralph Krueger

Austrian champion

1996/97 season

Goalkeepers: André Dietzsch , Reinhard Divis , Markus Seidl

Defenders: Greg Brown , Konrad Dorn , Karl Heinzle , Michael Lampert , Dominic Lavoie , Robert Robinson , Tom Searle , Wolfgang Strauss

Attackers: Raimund Divis , Fritz Ganster , Daniel Gauthier , Christoph Gesson , Bengt-Åke Gustafsson , Normand Krumpschmid , Rick Nasheim , Gerhard Puschnik , Thomas Rundqvist , Bernd Schmidle , Thomas Sticha , Simon Wheeldon

Coaching team: Ralph Krueger

Austrian champion

1997/98 season

Goalkeepers: Reinhard Divis , Bruno Campese

Defenders: Jesper Duus , Per Lundell , Tom Searle , Dominic Lavoie , Patrik Aronsson , Michael Lampert , Wolfgang Strauss

Attackers: Mika Asikainen , Raimund Divis , Fritz Ganster , Daniel Gauthier , Christoph Gesson , Bengt-Åke Gustafsson , Rick Nasheim , Gerhard Puschnik , Thomas Rundqvist , Bernd Schmidle , Thomas Sticha , Tomaž Vnuk , Simon Wheeldon , Nik Zupančič

Coaching team: Ralph Krueger

player

Well-known former players

(Team membership and position in brackets)

Reinhard Divis was VEU's regular goalkeeper in the 1990s and made the leap into the National Hockey League through a short stay in Sweden , where he was the first Austrian goalkeeper to play a game.
Dominic Lavoie remained loyal to the club for five years and received Austrian citizenship during this time. He also completed a total of 56 games for the Austrian national ice hockey team , in which he 26 points scorer scored.
The Swede was by 2010 coach of the Swedish national ice hockey team and as a player with her Olympic and world champion in 2006 .
The Austro-Canadian experienced the rise of the VEU to become the most successful Austrian club team in the 1990s and was then assistant coach of the EHC Linz for several years before moving to the German ice hockey league in 2010 as assistant coach .
Rundqvist, who was honored with the induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007 , came to VEU Feldkirch in 1993 and was able to win the championship title with the club in each of the five years of his engagement .
Wheeldon first came to VEU in the 1990s and returned to the club at the end of his playing career in 2002. As a player in the Austrian national team, he completed 54 missions and scored 34 points scorer.
Geiger first came to VEU in the 1980s and completed four successful seasons there. After several changes within Austria, he returned to the club in 1993 at the end of his career.
For many years, Vnuk was considered one of the best Slovenian players of his generation and strengthened VEU for two years at the beginning of the new millennium. In 2010 he ended his long career at his home club HDD Olimpija Ljubljana at the age of 40.
At the end of the 1990s, Gauthier was one of the VEU's most consistent scorers and returned to Feldkirchen twice in later years after stopping at several other Austrian teams.
Searle was one of the most offensive defenders in the Austrian league in his time and made an important contribution to the VEU championship titles. After the club's relegation, he stayed in Austria for six years, where he played for the EC VSV .
  • AustriaAustria Konrad Dorn
    (1987–2005, 1988–1989, 1991–1992, 1993–2005, lawyer)
Born in Feldkirch, he is one of the longest serving players in the team and has spent most of his career at VEU.
The striker from Zeltweg spent a total of twenty years at VEU and went through all the ups and downs with the club, with which he was also able to win the Austrian championship title seven times.
Shea came to Feldkirch from local rivals EHC Lustenau and completed a total of five seasons there. Since the end of his career in 2003, Shea has been active as a trainer or co-trainer and worked for the EC Graz 99ers , among other things , before moving to EC Red Bull Salzburg .
Like Konrad Dorn, Heinzle was one of the best Austrians in the VEU team, whose dress he wore for a total of sixteen years before ending his active career with two seasons at EC Dornbirn .
Brian Hill was one of the most successful strikers in the Austrian league in the 1980s and also completed a total of twelve appearances for the Austrian national team.
The Austro-Canadian stayed with VEU for a total of twelve years and during this time recorded 410 scorer points in 290 matches.

Coach history

Period Trainer successes
VEU Feldkirch (1927 to 2000)
1967 to 1968 CanadaCanada Andy Herrebout (player-coach)
1968 to 1969 CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia Pepan Koller
1969 to 1973 ?
1973 to 1974 FinlandFinland Jaakko Sartio
1974 to 1979 ?
1979 to 1981 CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia Miroslav Berek a championship title, early release in the 1981/82 season
1982 to 1983 Austro-Canadians Kelvin Greenbank (player-coach) two championship titles
1983 to 1985 United StatesUnited States Garry Davidson
1985 to 1986 CanadaCanada Bart Crashley
1986 to 1989 ?
1989 to November 1991 RussiaRussia Sascha Barinew a championship title
November 1991 to 1998 German Canadians Ralph Krueger Five times Austrian champion, three times champion of the Alpine League , once champion of the European Hockey League
1998 to 1999 SwedenSweden Bengt-Åke Gustafsson Champion of the Alpine League
1999 to 2000 CanadaCanada Mike Sirant
VEU Feldkirch (since 2000)
2000 to 2003 ?
2003 to December 2003 CanadaCanada Tom Coolen
December 2003 to 2004 United StatesUnited States Tom Pokel
2004 to 2005 AustriaAustria Konrad Dorn
2005 to 2007 United StatesUnited States Tom Pokel a championship title
2007 to January 2008 AustriaAustria Gerhard Pushnik
January 2008 to January 2009 AustriaAustria Bernd Walch
January 2009 to April 2009 SwedenSweden Kjell G. Lindquist
2009 to January 2010 SwedenSweden Bengt Ericsson
January 2010 to April 2010 AustriaAustria Konrad Dorn
April 2010 to April 2011 AustriaAustria Michael Lampert a championship title
August 2012 to April 2013 SlovakiaSlovakia Ivan Dornic senior
May 2013 to May 2015 Czech RepublicCzech Republic Miloš Holaň
May 2015 to April 2018 AustriaAustria Michael Lampert 3 × second division champions 2010/11, 2016/17, 2017/18
Since August 2018 SloveniaSlovenia Nik Zupančič

Venue

The home of VEU Feldkirch is the Vorarlberghalle , which opened in 1977 and underwent a minor renovation and modernization in 2000. With a capacity of around 5200 spectators, it is one of the largest ice rinks in Austria and has been the stage for some of the greatest successes of the VEU Feldkirch in the course of its history. In 2018 the boards of the ice rink were renewed and a video wall and goal cameras were installed.

Average audience

Audience statistics
season Home games spectator Spectators per game
2006/07 22nd 44,777 2,035
2007/08 20th 32,184 1,609
2008/09 18th 32,912 1,828
2009/10 20th 39,409 1,970

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ VEU Feldkirch is Austria Cup winner , report on hockeyfans.at from February 12, 2015
  2. ↑ Final result of the Austria Cup ( Memento of the original from April 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on the homepage of the ÖEHV @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.eishockey.at
  3. ^ The VEU Feldkirch gives nominations for the EBEL. In: vol.at. January 14, 2019, accessed September 16, 2019 .