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Cardiff Devils

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Cardiff Devils
CityCardiff, Wales
LeagueElite Ice Hockey League
Founded1986
Home arenaVindico Arena
(capacity: 3,088)
ColoursRed, white, black
     
Owner(s)Steve King
Brian Parker
Craig Shostak
Kelly Hughes
General managerTodd Kelman
Head coachPete Russell
CaptainMark Richardson
AffiliatesBristol Pitbulls, NIHL National; Cardiff Fire, NIHL 1, Cardiff Canucks NIHL 2.
Websitewww.cardiffdevils.com
Team colours
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Home colours
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Away colours
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Third colours
Championships
Regular season titles1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1996–97, 2016–17, 2017–18
Autumn Cups1993–94
Challenge Cups2005–06, 2014–15, 2016–17
Playoff championships1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1998–99, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22

The Cardiff Devils (Welsh: Diawliaid Caerdydd) are a Welsh professional ice hockey team who play in the UK-based Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). The team plays at Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff Bay, currently known as Vindico Arena for sponsorship reasons.[1]

Cardiff's most recent trophy was the 2022 EIHL play-off title.[2]

History

[edit]

Founded in 1986, the club quickly achieved success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, winning a total of seven league titles.

The Cardiff Devils were formed during the summer of 1986 when Sports Nationwide built the Wales National Ice Rink in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. John Lawless, a 25-year-old Canadian, was given the responsibility of building a new team. He was, at the time a trainee assistant manager at Peterborough which was owned by the same company.

1986–87 season

[edit]

The club entered the British Ice Hockey League Structure at the bottom of Division 2 (Midland Section) at a time when each team was only allowed a maximum of three foreign players. With Lawless deciding to play himself, he brought over fellow Canadians Perry Olivier and Bill Taylor to join him, with the remaining places going to British players, one of whom was Paul Morganti, a student at Cardiff University who had been raised in Canada and had significant high school hockey experience. With the WNIR not ready for the start of the season, the team played several games away from home to begin with. The Cardiff Devils' first ever game was a Challenge match away to the Oxford City Stars on 12 October 1986. Despite Oxford playing in the division above, the Devils won the game 9–8.

Cardiff finally got to play their first ever game at the WNIR on 30 November 1986 where a crowd of 2500 saw their new heroes humiliate the Ashfield Islanders 32–0.

Devils finished the league season unbeaten with 13 wins and 1 draw from 14 games to finish top of Division 2 (Midlands), 2 points clear of Welsh rivals Deeside Dragons. Promotion to Division 1 was dependent on them winning the Division 1 Play-off Champions, which the club hosted at the WNIR. Their semi-final against Northern winners Grimsby Buffaloes was surrounded by controversy when the game was abandoned after a 34-player bench clearance with Cardiff leading 10–4. The BIHA officials though ruled that it had been provoked by the English side and hence the score should stand as a final result. In the other semi-final Scottish League Champions Aviemore Blackhawks beat Southern Winners Streatham Bruins(13–4) to set up an all Celtic final the following day. Unfortunately for the Devils, despite a final period comeback after being 4 goals behind, Aviemore were able to hang on for a 10–9 win and promotion to Division 1 at the expense of Cardiff. But in a strange twist of fate the result proved to be irrelevant. The BIHA decided the league structure needed re-organising, and as a result the Cardiff Devils were moved into Division 1 (South) for the following season.

1987–88 season

[edit]

Following promotion to Division 1 and a new Sponsorship deal, Lawless was able to strengthen his team. Key signings included goalie Jeff Smith, coach Brian Kanewischer and Canadian defender Shannon Hope as a replacement for Bill Taylor who was injured midway through the previous season. The season proved to be successful with the Devils winning the Autumn Trophy in November with an 11–10 aggregate win over the Trafford Metros.

In the league the side finished a very respectable 3rd place, although 10 points behind winners Telford Tigers. The two teams had created a fierce rivalry during the season due to several controversial and violent games. During a game on 16 January in Telford, the Devils players were subjected to constant sticking offences resulted in Shannon Hope receiving a serious injury just below his eye. With the referee not calling any penalty, coach Kanewischer took his team off the ice in protest midway through the 2nd period. After a league investigation Cardiff were eventually fined £1000 for their actions and Kanewisher banned for the rest of the season.

1988–89 season

[edit]

Lawless and Cardiff shocked the whole of British Ice Hockey by signing three of the top players from the Premier Division over the summer. Canadian import Steve Moria was signed from the Fife Flyers, and then the Cooper brothers Ian and Steve joined from Heineken Champions Durham Wasps. It was the first time top British players were being offered good money to sign for other clubs and it led to claims that Cardiff and their "Cheque Book Hockey" would ruin the game. The signings were crucial as the Devils finished first 1st in Division 1, just a single point ahead of Medway Bears. They also retained the Autumn Trophy they had won the previous season, beating Medway 15–8 on aggregate.

However, to gain promotion though they had to beat the Premier Division's bottom club – the Streatham Redskins. Cardiff destroyed their Premier Division rivals 12–1 in the first leg, and a 9–5 victory in Streatham the following weekend secured an easy aggregate victory and a place in the Heineken Premier Division for the following season.

1989–90 season

[edit]

With the Devils finally reaching the promised land of the Premier Division, John Lawless was able to strengthen his team with the addition of an extra import now that he himself had received his British Passport. Paul Castron was signed but pulled out just before the start of the season, but fortunately for the club Doug McEwen had been released by Peterborough at the same time and so signed for the Devils instead. Victory in the pre-season Trafford Tournament gave an indication of the success to come, although the Devils did get knocked out of the Autumn Cup at the semi-final stage to Durham Wasps. In the league though they were unbeaten until December, by which time they had built up a healthy lead at the top of the table. A 14–7 victory at home to the Peterborough Pirate on 4 March 1990 clinched their first ever Premier Division League title. Unbeaten in the Playoffs Qualifying group, the Devils travelled to Wembley where they beat Fife Flyers 5–1 in the semi-final. In the final they faced the Murrayfield Racers who quickly went 3–0 up. Cardiff fought back though and a Steven Cooper goal 95 seconds from the end tied the game at 6–6 and sent the game into Overtime and then a Penalty Shootout. After Doug McEwen had scored the 23rd shot, Jeff Smith saved Tony Hand's attempt and the Devils had won the Playoff Championship in one of the greatest Finals of all time, live on BBC Grandstand.

1990–91 season

[edit]

After the previous years success, the British players were in great demand. Ian and Stephen Cooper both returned to Durham, whilst Brian Dickson and Robbie Morris also left. In came Derek King (Fife Flyers), Neil Browne (Slough Jets), Paul Heavey and Peter Smith (both Peterborough Pirates). Despite a record breaking Europa Cup tournament which included an 11–8 victory over Rodovre and a 3rd placed group finish, the team struggled for consistency domestically. Knocked out once again at the semi-final stage of the Autumn Cup by Durham Wasps, they finished second to the Wasps in the league and were knocked out in the Playoff Semi-finals by Peterborough Pirates as Durham completed the Grand Slam.

1997–2008

[edit]

In 1997 the club won the Superleague championship. Hardship followed and the club was declared bankrupt in 2001 but a new team was soon formed which competed in the British National League. The new owners massively reduced spending and effectively disbanded the old Cardiff Devils, with the entire Superleague team departing. The then-owner, Bob Phillips was the subject of much scorn amongst fans due to the perceived mismanagement and effective destruction of what was then one of Britain's most established and stable teams.

The new team was formed from a handful of quickly drafted players, as well scavenging the Cardiff Devils youth teams to make up the numbers under the lower budget. Attendances at games dropped heavily, going from full arenas to typically less than fifty. During the first two seasons under Phillips, large protests and demonstrations were commonplace outside games, with initially hundreds of supporters club members appearing outside the arena. While eventually the supporters club would reconcile with Bob Phillips and some of the old players would make goodwill appearances, the team's best years were clearly behind them.

In 2003, the Devils became founder members of the Elite League, finishing the first season in 5th place. They were semi-finalists in the end of season playoffs, losing to champions Sheffield Steelers.

During the 2004–05 NHL lock-out, Rob Davison of the San Jose Sharks played for the Devils.

The 2004–5 season did not finish well for the Devils. As in the 03–04 season, they reached the playoff semi-finals, but were once again defeated, this time by the Nottingham Panthers.

During 2005, serious questions over the future of the Devils began to emerge. The Wales National Ice Rink was due for demolition in 2006 to make way for a John Lewis store and plans for a new ice arena at Sophia Gardens were progressing at an extremely slow pace. There was a very real threat that 2005–06 could have been the last season of the Cardiff Devils.

The Save Our Rink Action Committee (SORAC) formed to lead calls from the city's ice hockey clubs and fans for a temporary facility to be constructed while a more permanent building was finally built. SORAC successfully campaigned for a temporary rink in the Cardiff Bay area of the city. Planning permission was given in January 2006 and the structure was expected to be completed in time for the 2006–07 ice hockey season.

However this proved not to be the case, with construction problems delaying the opening of the Cardiff Arena until December 2006.

The Devils won their first silverware of the EIHL era in 2006. The Devils faced arch rivals Coventry Blaze in a repeat of the previous year's Challenge Cup final but were beaten 3–0 in the first leg of the final in Coventry. The Devils however managed an incredible turn around in the second leg, defeating the Blaze 4–1 to tie the game on aggregate and won the cup 1–0 in the following penalty shoot-out. "Man of the Match" Nathan Rempel scored a memorable hat-trick, whilst Rejean Stringer scored the winning goal in the penalty shoot-out.

In January 2007 player-coach Ed Patterson was released by the Devils in a cost-cutting move. [1] Patterson was replaced as player / coach by Gerad Adams, with Brad Voth taking over from Adams as captain.

After several games during which injured players carried out the duties of bench coach, former Devils player Brent Pope was appointed to the position. Despite off-ice difficulties throughout the 2006–07 season, the Devils finished 3rd in the league. The Devils also won the British Knockout Cup, beating rivals Coventry Blaze 3–0 at Coventry's Skydome. A cup double was snatched from the Cardiff Devils' grasp when they lost 1–0 on penalties to the Nottingham Panthers in the 2006–07 Playoff Final, after the game finished 1–1 after overtime.

The 2007–08 season saw the Devils finish the league in 6th place. After a string of losses at the beginning of the season, they rose to an unbeaten run of games which propelled them to the top of the Elite League. However this was soon ended as a huge injury crisis hit the club leading to many of the first team having to watch from the sidelines. The Devils managed to qualify for the playoff weekend by beating the Nottingham Panthers at the Trent FM Arena, and holding them to a 3–3 draw the following evening. The Devils were defeated at the playoff weekend by the eventual winners, the Sheffield Steelers, going down 2–1. The loss capped a disappointing season.

2008–09 season

[edit]

The Devils season was mixed. The team struggled again with injuries and suspensions – notably the highly controversial 11-game suspension of club captain Brad Voth (which was cut to 7 on review). Two summer signings, defence man Likit Andersson and forward Rod Hinks, were cut from the squad due to injury and performance respectively. Returning defence man Tyson Teplitsky filled the gap left by Andersson and contributed greatly in points. Canadian Marc Fulton was drafted in to replace Hinks, however after a promising start, was sidelined by injury and did not play for the club again. Joining Fulton on the injury list were centre Lee Cowmeadow and then top scorer Mike Prpich.

On 26 January 2009, the Devils announced the signing of Matt Elich, a former NHL player with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Elich, brought in to replace the injured Derek Campbell, scored 1+1 in his debut game and continued to contribute points consistently.

The Devils, although eliminated from the Challenge Cup got through to the British Knockout Cup final, a trophy won during the 06–07 season, after demolishing a dwindling Basingstoke Bison squad 17–1 over two legs [8–0, 9–1]. They faced and eventually lost out to the Belfast Giants

Devils captain Brad Voth was given the honour of being named captain for the South team for the 'All-Star Spectacular'.

The Devils scraped through to the playoff semi-finals in Nottingham after beating the Belfast Giants with an overtime goal in the Cardiff Arena from Captain Brad Voth, ending the series 6–5.

The Devils then lost to the Sheffield Steelers 5–2 in the Playoff semi-finals. Sheffield went on to win the playoffs, defeating the Nottingham Panthers by 2–0 in the final, completing their league and playoff double.

2009–10 season

[edit]

The Devils started their season fairly well with big imports such as Mark Smith and Max Birbraer returning and newly signed forward Tylor Michel becoming a fan favourite quickly.

The Devils buried their Challenge Cup voodoo from the new arena and progressed to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup for the first time in 3 years by beating the Coventry Blaze 3–2 on 28 October 2009

On 7 December 2009 it was announced that forward Ryan Finnerty, formerly of the rival Sheffield Steelers had signed for Cardiff. Shortly afterward, import defenceman Scott Romfo was released, with coach Gerad Adams citing salary costs as the main reason. This move left many fans feeling disappointed, due to Scott's impressive performance over the preceding weeks. Romfo surprisingly returned to the club on 12 January 2010, following the announcement that he was being resigned to the team to provide injury cover.

Cardiff Arena prior to the 2010 Challenge Cup Final first leg.

On 16 February 2010, leader Brad Voth was relieved of the captaincy, after over 3 years, by head coach Gerad Adams. The reason being that Coach Adams felt Voth was being unfairly targeted by officials because of the image he had built up over the years as a hard-hitting enforcer, and that by releasing him of his duties, he could re-focus on his game. Also, if Voth had been ejected from one more game as captain, he would face a lengthy ban. Therefore, by relinquishing the armband he could carry on playing the enforcer role. British Defenceman Mark Richardson was named new team captain in his place.

On 9 March 2010, the Devils lost 8–7 on aggregate in the final of the Challenge Cup to the Nottingham Panthers. The Devils in fact won the game 5–4 on the night but it was not enough to overturn the 4–2 loss suffered in the 1st leg in Cardiff the previous week.

The Devils defeated the reigning Playoff champions the Sheffield Steelers in the quarter-final match up over two nights. The first leg in Cardiff saw the Devils win 4–2. The following night in Sheffield saw the Devils win again 5–3, ending the series with an aggregate score of 9–5. On 3 April, the Devils defeated the newly crowned league champions Coventry Blaze in the playoff semi-final in Nottingham by 6 goals to 3 to advance to the final. Meanwhile, on the same day, the Belfast Giants defeated the Nottingham Panthers after a penalty shootout to also advance. The final was played in Nottingham on 4 April. Belfast and Cardiff were tied 2–2 after regulation time. A scoreless OT period meant the final would go to a penalty shootout. Evan Cheverie for the Belfast Giants shot past Stevie Lyle in the second round of penalties and won the playoff title for Belfast.

2010–11 season

[edit]
Cardiff Devils-Coventry Blaze

The Devils embarked on the season with an average start, with critics citing an underperforming defence. With enforcer Justin Sawyer leaving the club for personal reasons in October 2010, and with iconic power forward Brad Voth out with a hand injury, things were looking bleak. On 1 November, the club announced the signing of Sawyer's replacement, ex-NHL defenceman Craig Weller. With Weller on board and Voth back in the line-up, the club embarked on a record breaking winning streak, which ended after a penalty shootout loss in Dundee on 16 January. The club did not lose a game between 28 October 2010 and 16 January 2011. On 9 January, the Devils went to the top of the Elite Ice Hockey League table with a 7–1 home win over Dundee Stars. The victory also saw first line winger Jon Pelle beat the league record for goals in a season (35), previously held by former Devils player Mike Prpich. As of 15 January 2011, the club now hold the UK record for games unbeaten in all competitions (22) and most consecutive league games unbeaten (21). The Devils management have had discussions with the IIHF and Guinness World Records who have verified that this is in fact a World Record.

2014–2020, The Lord era

[edit]

Following the takeover of the club in the summer of 2014 and the arrival of Todd Kelman as General Manager, forward Andrew Lord was named player-coach of the Devils a year after he first joined the club.[3][4][5] Lord led the club to the 2015 Challenge Cup title in his first season as a coach.[6]

Further success followed with the club's first league title in 20 years secured at the end of the 2016-17 EIHL season, alongside another Challenge Cup title - while the team finished runners-up in the Elite League play-offs after losing the final to the Sheffield Steelers in 2017.[7][8][9]

In the 2017–18 EIHL season, Cardiff won both the league and play-offs double - before Lord dropped the player-coach title in 2018 and adopted the sole title as head coach.[10][11][12]

The following season, 2018–19, the Devils missed out on the league title to Belfast Giants after a final day defeat to Coventry Blaze but made amends by winning the 2019 play-off title.[13][14]

What proved to be Lord's final season as coach was brought prematurely to a halt when the 2019–20 EIHL season was curtailed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15]

Cardiff were top of the table at the time of the cancellation and were runners-up in the 2020 Challenge Cup final, losing to Sheffield Steelers, although the scheduled play-offs were cancelled.[16]

Lord departed the Devils in June 2020 to take up the head coach role at ECHL side Greenville Swamp Rabbits.[17][18] In all, Lord won nine total titles, including two Elite League titles, two play-off championships and two Challenge Cups during his time in Cardiff, leaving as the Devils' most successful ever coach.

2020–2023

[edit]

Cardiff initially delayed the announcement of Lord's successor as head coach and, on 15 September 2020, the Elite League confirmed the suspension of the 2020–21 season due to ongoing uncertainty over coronavirus and its restrictions. The EIHL board unanimously determined that social distancing guidelines and having no fans in attendance at games made the season non-viable. The season was later cancelled completely in February 2021.[19][20]

Cardiff also withdrew from the 2020–21 Champions Hockey League.[21] Incidentally, the entire 2020-21 Champions Hockey League campaign was later cancelled.[22]

On 22 September 2020, the Cardiff Devils announced the appointment of Jarrod Skalde as the club's new head coach and Director of Hockey Operations. Skalde arrived after spending the last two seasons as assistant coach with AHL side Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.[23]

Despite leading Cardiff to the 2022 Challenge Cup final where they were runners-up, Skalde parted company with the Devils in April 2022. Forward Brodie Dupont and assistant coach Neil Francis were named interim coaches for the remainder of the season.[24] Dupont and Francis then led Cardiff to the 2022 EIHL play-off title, with a 6-3 victory over Belfast in the final.[25]

In May 2022, Cardiff announced the appointment of Dupont as head coach on a permanent basis.[26]

In the same month (May 2022), Cardiff announced an affiliation with NIHL side Bristol Pitbulls - the side coached by former Devils assistant Jamie Elson - which will see up to three Pitbulls players sign two-way deals with the Devils to train and play.[27]

After an off-season with signings that brought back the past players of Joey Martin, Ben Bowns and Samuel Jardine and promising players such as four time ECHL MVP Marcus Crawford, the Devils were expecting a strong year. The first half of the season was underwhelming, and included a notable defeat on 6 November with a crushing 9-3 loss to the Belfast Giants.

Despite the Devils losing their first four games in the Challenge Cup, the Devils managed to win the final four Challenge Cup group games which saw them qualify for the quarter-finals against their long time rival the Sheffield Steelers.

As the Devils won the 2022 play-off title, they qualified for the 2022–23 IIHF Continental Cup. The Devils were placed in Group E which is one of two third round stages and hosted the group against Ducs d'Angers, HDD Jesenice and HK Zemgale. The Devils won all three games in that group qualifying them for the final round of the Continental Cup in January against HK Nitra, Ducs d'Angers and Asiago Hockey.[3] The Devils finished 3rd in the Continental Cup final after losing to the champions HK Nitra 3-2 on the final day of the competition.

The Devils finished the league season in 4th place on 75 points with a 35-14-5 record, nine points behind eventual champions Belfast Giants. They would then lose the play-off final to Belfast, who completed the treble with a 4-1 victory in Nottingham.[28]

On 19 April 2023, Cardiff announced that head coach Brodie Dupont and assistant coach Christian Horn would leave the club after one season, following a mutual parting of ways.[29]

2023–present, the Russell era

[edit]

On 12 May 2023, The Devils announced the appointment of Team GB and Ravensburg Towerstars head coach, Pete Russell as the new head coach of the Cardiff Devils.[30] Along with the announcement of Russell, it was also announced that Team GB goaltending coach Euan King would be officially appointed as the goaltending/video-coach for the Devils.[31]

On 16 May 2023, The Guildford Flames issued a press release stating that they would not be competing in the 2023–24 IIHF Continental Cup competition.[32] This would mean under the EIHL rulebook on European qualification that the spot would go to the Sheffield Steelers as they finished 3rd in the Elite League season. However a day later on the 17th May, the Steelers declined their Continental Cup spot.[33] This meant the spot would go to the Devils.[34]

On 3 August 2023, the Cardiff Devils rebranded their primary logo and also introduced a secondary wordmark, and tertiary logo featuring a Devil's pitchfork.[35][36]

Between the 12-14 of January 2024, the Cardiff Devils hosted the IIHF Continental Cup Final at their home venue, the recently rebranded Vindico Arena. The Devils finished with back to back bronze medals in the competition with Nomad Astana from the Kazakhstan Hockey Championship winning all 3 games that weekend [37]

Cardiff finished the 2023/24 EIHL season with a 37-14-3 record[38] as runners-up to the Sheffield Steelers and went on to face the Dundee Stars in the playoff quarter-finals. Cardiff defeated the Stars to advance to the Playoff Final Weekend, but they lost the semi-final to the Belfast Giants in overtime by a 2-1 score. Cardiff claimed bronze in the 3rd place game against the Guildford Flames with a 7-5 win.[39]

The 2024 offseason saw Cardiff bring back some notable former names, including defenseman Gleason Fournier from Fehérvár AV19 and netminder Mac Carruth from Herning Blue Fox.

Season-by-season record

[edit]

This is a partial list of the last five seasons by the Devils.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime/shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L OTL Pts GF GA League Playoffs
2018–19 60 43 11 6 92 235 146 2nd Champions
2019–20 46 31 13 2 64 162 138 Season curtailed Season curtailed
2021–22 54 35 15 4 74 188 131 3rd Champions
2022–23 54 35 14 5 75 192 142 4th Lost in Final 4-1 (Giants)
2023–24 54 37 14 3 77 210 151 2nd Bronze Winners

Current squad

[edit]

Squad for 2024-25 Elite League season[40][41]

Netminders
No. Player Catches Acquired Place of Birth Joined from Press Release
1 Ukraine Maxim Duve L 2024 Ternopil, Ukraine Energija/GV Elektrėnai, LHHL [2]
30 United States Mac Carruth L 2024 Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Herning Blue Fox, Metal Ligaen [3]
33 EnglandUnited Kingdom Ben Bowns L 2022 Rotherham, England HK Dukla Trenčín, Slovak Extraliga [4]
Defencemen
No. Player Shoots Acquired Place of Birth Joined from Press Release
2 CanadaAustralia Andrew MacWilliam L 2024 Calgary, Alberta, Canada EHC Red Bull München, DEL [5]
17 EnglandUnited Kingdom Mark Richardson C R 2021 Swindon, England EC Bad Nauheim, DEL2 [6]
20 Canada Gleason Fournier L 2024 Rimouski, Quebec, Canada Fehérvár AV19, IceHL [7]
23 United StatesUnited Kingdom Evan Mosey R 2023 Downers Grove, Illinois, USA Sheffield Steelers, EIHL [8]
41 EnglandUnited Kingdom Josh Batch L 2021 Chelmsford, England Manchester Storm, EIHL [9]
44 Canada Cody Donaghey R 2023 St John's, Newfoundland, Canada Fehérvár AV19, IceHL [10]
60 Canada Jarrod Gourley L 2024 Calgary, Alberta, Canada Rapid City Rush, ECHL [11]
Forwards
No. Player Position Acquired Place of Birth Joined from Press Release
5 WalesUnited Kingdom Ben Davies C/RW 2021 Cardiff, Wales Manchester Storm, EIHL [12]
11 CanadaUnited Kingdom Brett Perlini C/RW 2024 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada Saale Bulls Halle, Oberliga [13]
13 Canada Tyler Busch C 2023 Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada Iowa Heartlanders, ECHL [14]
16 EnglandUnited Kingdom Sam Duggan A C/RW 2021 Reading, England Coventry Blaze, EIHL [15]
21 Canada Kohen Olischefski RW 2024 Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada Düsseldorfer EG, DEL [16]
25 Canada Riley Brandt F 2022 Trail, British Columbia, Canada MacEwan University Griffins, U Sports [17]
27 Canada Reid Duke C 2024 Calgary, Alberta, Canada Starbulls Rosenheim, DEL2 [18]
70 Wales Bayley Harewood* C/RW 2021 Barry, Wales Bristol Pitbulls, NIHL [19]
79 Canada Ryan Barrow RW 2023 Banff, Alberta, Canada Manchester Storm, EIHL [20]
86 Canada Zach O'Brien C/RW 2024 St John's, Newfoundland, Canada Newfoundland Growlers, ECHL [21]
88 Canada Joey Martin A C 2022 Thorold, Ontario, Canada Graz99ers, IceHL [22]
89 Canada Hunter Shinkaruk C/LW 2024 Calgary, Alberta, Canada Iserlohn Roosters, DEL [23]
92 Canada Josh MacDonald LW/RW 2024 London, Ontario, Canada Krefeld Pinguine, DEL2 [24]
Team Staff
No. Name Position Place of Birth Joined from Press Release
N/A ScotlandUnited Kingdom Pete Russell Head Coach Ayr, Scotland Ravensburg Towerstars, DEL2 [30]
N/A Wales Neil Francis Director of Hockey Operations Cardiff, Wales Joined coaching staff in 2009; assumed current title in 2022 [25]
N/A CanadaRepublic of Ireland Todd Kelman General Manager Calgary, Alberta, Canada Belfast Giants, EIHL [26]
N/A Wales Daniel Brabon Goaltending coach Caerphilly, Wales Appointed in 2013 [27]
N/A EnglandUnited Kingdom Euan King Goaltending coach Peterborough, England Appointed in 2023 [31]
N/A Canada Trevor Hendrikx Skills coach Russell, Ontario, Canada Appointed in 2021 [28]
N/A Wales Dan Forbes Conditioning coach Swansea, Wales Appointed in 2016
N/A England Thomas Murdy Equipment Manager Whitley Bay, England Appointed in 2020
Recent departures
No. Player Position Acquired Leaving For Press Release
1 Canada Tyler Wall G 2023 TBC [29]
4 CanadaUnited States Bode Wilde D 2023 EC Bad Nauheim, DEL2 [30]
11 Canada Jamie Arniel C 2023 TBC [31]
15 Canada Marcus Crawford D 2022 Kansas City Mavericks, ECHL [32]
18 United StatesCanada River Rymsha D 2023 TBC [33]
22 United States Justin Crandall RW 2021 TBC [34]
47 CanadaItaly Chad Pietroniro F 2023 HC Merano, AlpsHL [35]
63 Canada Trevor Cox C/LW 2021 TBC [36]
64 Canada Brandon Alderson RW 2023 Coventry Blaze, EIHL [37]
77 Canada Cole Ully LW 2023 Glasgow Clan, EIHL [38]
91 EnglandUnited Kingdom Joshua Waller LW 2021 Guildford Flames, EIHL [39]
96 Canada Cole Sanford RW/C 2021 ESV Kaufbeuren, DEL2 [40]

Former Devils

[edit]

Retired jersey numbers

[edit]

Captains

[edit]
Name Tenure
Perry Oliver 1987–88
Steve Moria 1988–91
Paul Heavey 1992–94
Stephen Cooper 1995–96
Mike Ware 1996–97, 2002–04
Ivan Matulik 1997–2001
Mike Nicholishen 2001–02
Ed Patterson 2004–05
Gerad Adams 2005–06
Brad Voth 2006–10
Ryan Finnerty 2010–11
Scott Matzka 2011–12
Stuart MacRae 2012–13
Mac Faulkner 2013–14
Tyson Marsh 2014–16
Jake Morissette 2016–19
Joey Martin 2019–20
Mark Richardson 2021–Present

Head coaches

[edit]
Name Tenure
Brian Kanewischer 1987–90
Paul Farmer 1990–91
John Griffith 1991–92
John Lawless 1994–95
Paul Heavey 1995–00
Troy Walkington 2000–01
Ken Southwick 2001–02
Glenn Mulvenna 2002–03
David Whistle 2003–05, 2013–14
Gerad Adams 2013–14
Andrew Lord 2014–20
Jarrod Skalde 2021–22
Brodie Dupont 2022–23
Pete Russell 2023–Present

Honours and awards

[edit]

League Championships

  • 1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1996–97, 2016–17, 2017–18

Play-off Championships

  • 1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1998–99, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22

Autumn Cups

  • 1993–94
Challenge Cup Final at The Viola Arena. The players of the Cardiff Devils and the Sheffield Steelers line up for the national anthems at the start of the 2016–17 Challenge Cup Final. The Devils won 3–2

Challenge Cups

  • 2005–06, 2014–15, 2016–17

IIHF Continental Cup

  • 3rd Place 2022-23, 2023-24

British Knockout Cup

  • 2006–07

First Team All-Stars

Second Team All-Stars

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Welsh tech firm Vindico signs six-figure deal with Ice Arena Wales". Cardiff Devils. 30 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Devils win play-offs to deny Giants treble". BBC Sport. 1 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Head coach Andrew Lord keen to add two forwards and three defenceman to his Cardiff Devils team for 2014-15". 14 July 2014.
  4. ^ "Steve King a new man at the top for Cardiff Devils". 30 June 2014.
  5. ^ "King welcoming the challenge for Cardiff | British Ice Hockey". 8 August 2019.
  6. ^ "Cardiff Devils beat Sheffield Steelers to win Challenge Cup - BBC Sport". BBC Sport.
  7. ^ "Cardiff Devils beat Sheffield Steelers to win Challenge Cup - BBC Sport". BBC Sport.
  8. ^ "Elite League round-up: Devils deliver title in style | British Ice Hockey". 20 March 2017.
  9. ^ "Sheffield Steelers beat Cardiff Devils to win Elite League play-offs - BBC Sport". BBC Sport.
  10. ^ "Cardiff Devils win in Belfast to claim league trophy". 16 March 2018.
  11. ^ "The Devils are Playoff Champions!!". Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  12. ^ "Cardiff Devils: Coach Andrew Lord leaves for North America - BBC Sport". BBC Sport.
  13. ^ "Giants crowned champions as Cardiff fall at final hurdle". 31 March 2019.
  14. ^ "Elite League play-off final: Cardiff Devils beat Belfast Giants 2-1 - BBC Sport". BBC Sport.
  15. ^ "EIHL cancels all matches for rest of season | EIHL".
  16. ^ "Challenge Cup final: Sheffield Steelers 4-3 Cardiff Devils - BBC Sport". BBC Sport.
  17. ^ "Head Coach Andrew Lord Moves on".
  18. ^ "Andrew Lord Named Head Coach of Greenville Swamp Rabbits".
  19. ^ "EIHL Board Suspend 2020-21 Season".
  20. ^ "No Elite League Season 2020/21".
  21. ^ "Cardiff Devils withdraw from the CHL 2020/21".
  22. ^ "2020/21 CHL season cancelled".
  23. ^ "Devils Confirm Jarrod Skalde as Head Coach".
  24. ^ "Devils part ways with Head Coach Jarrod Skalde".
  25. ^ "Belfast Giants 3:6 Cardiff Devils".
  26. ^ "Devils Confirm Brodie Dupont as Head Coach".
  27. ^ "Devils Partner with Bristol Pitbulls".
  28. ^ "Giants win 2023 Viaplay Playoffs!".
  29. ^ "Coaching changes for next season".
  30. ^ a b "DEVILS CONFIRM PETE RUSSELL AS NEW HEAD COACH". www.cardiffdevils.com. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  31. ^ a b "Devils hire Team GB goaltender coach". www.cardiffdevils.com. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  32. ^ "Guildford Flames Ice Hockey Club - Flames not entering Continental Cup". www.guildfordflames.com. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  33. ^ "Steelers Decline Continental Cup Place". Sheffield Steelers. 14 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  34. ^ "We're heading to Europe for the Continental Cup!!". www.cardiffdevils.com. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  35. ^ "Devils launch new logo".
  36. ^ "Raise Hell - Cardiff Devils".
  37. ^ "IIHF - Standings 2024 CONTINENTAL CUP FINAL". IIHF International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  38. ^ "Standings 2023/2024 Elite Ice Hockey League". EIHL. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  39. ^ "Playoff". EIHL. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  40. ^ "Cardiff Devils at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  41. ^ "Roster".
  42. ^ "Devils partner with Bristol Pitbulls".
[edit]
Preceded by Premier League Champions
1989–90
Succeeded by
Preceded by Playoff Champions
2017–18
Succeeded by
TBC
Preceded by Autumn Cup Winners
1992–93
Succeeded by
Preceded by Premier League Champions
1992–93, 1993–94
Succeeded by
Preceded by Playoff Champions
1992–93, 1993–94
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Inaugural Champions
Superleague Champions
1996–97
Succeeded by
Preceded by Playoff Champions
1998–99
Succeeded by
Preceded by Challenge Cup Winners
2014–15
Succeeded by
Preceded by Knockout Cup Winners
2006–07
Succeeded by