GIJS Groningen (Groninger IJshockey Stichting), currently known as GIJS Marne Groningen for sponsorship reasons, are an ice hockey club in Groningen, Netherlands. They currently play in the second tier Eredivisie and play their home games at the Sportcentrum Kardinge. They won the Dutch championship in 1986, and played in the Eredivisie when it was the highest-level hockey division in the Netherlands until 2010, and spent one more season in the top flight when they played in the BeNe League in 2016/17.
History
Founded on December 23, 1969, as Groninger IJshockey Stichting (GIJS), the team played in the lower divisions until 1976, when it began competing in the Eredivisie. It won its first and only Eredivisie championship in the 1985–86 season, with 7 wins and 1 loss in the playoffs.
Failure to attract a major sponsor forced the team out of the Eredivisie from 1988 until 2007. In 2007–2008, after winning two straight championships in the eerste divisie (the top amateur division), the team re-entered the Eredivisie for three seasons. However, after three losing seasons and weak ticket sales, the team dropped out of the Eredivisie in the summer of 2010.
Team names 1969–1993: Groninger IJshockey Stichting 1993–2004: GIJS Bears Groningen 2004–2007: Groningen Grizzlies 2007–2010: Pecoma Grizzlies Groningen 2010–2014: GIJS Bears Groningen 2014–2020: GIJS Groningen 2020–2024: HEPRO/GIJS Groningen since 2024: GIJS Marne Groningen
Season results
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, OTW = Overtime Wins, OTL = Overtime Losses, L = Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Season GP W OTW T OTL L GF GA Pts Finish Playoffs 2009–10 28 1 0 – 1 26 87 223 4 8th, Eredivisie Did not qualify 2008–09 24 10 2 – 0 12 77 90 34 6th, Eredivisie Lost quarter-finals to Geleen 2007–08 24 1 1 – 1 21 61 207 6 7th, Eredivisie Did not qualify 1988–2006 – – – – – – – – – – Did not compete in Eredivisie 1986–87 10 4 – 2 – 4 52 54 12 4th, Eredivisie Did not qualify 1985–86 16 10 – 2 – 4 87 60 22 1st, Eredivisie Won National Championship 1984–85 36 27 – 1 – 8 289 136 55 4th, Eredivisie 3rd in playoff round (3–0–3) 1983–84 10 3 – 0 – 7 39 65 6 5th, Eredivisie Lost semi-final to Nijmegen (0–2) 1981–83 – – – – – – – – – – Did not compete in Eredivisie 1980–81 32 13 – 5 – 14 171 136 31 6th, Eredivisie Did not qualify 1979–80 18 10 – 3 – 5 102 76 23 4th, Eredivisie 9rd in playoff round (1–2–3) 1978–79 18 11 – 1 – 6 91 76 23 4th, Eredivisie 2nd in playoff round (3–0–3) 1977–78 20 15 – 0 – 5 114 86 30 1st, Eredivisie 2nd in playoff round (4–0–2) 1976–77 24 9 – 1 – 14 127 154 30 6th, Eredivisie None (regular season determined champion) 1975–76 14 9 – 2 – 7 62 77 12 5th, Eredivisie None (regular season determined champion)
Squad 2008–09
Goalies
31 Mathieu Blanchard 35 Tom Korte
Defence
13 Jeroen Oosterwijk 14 Noel Coultice 19 Ronald Trip 4 Preston Cicchine 44 Blair Tassone 98 Ricardo Dijkema
Forwards 7 Lance Morrison 9 Derek Bachynski 11 Danny Kerstholt 14 Blair Lefebvre 15 Ram Sidhu 19 Jolke Balt 20 Zahir Hup 21 Alwin Assenberg 22 Reinier Holthof 24 Klaver Jan Middelweerd 29 Nick Pomponio 69 Arjan Peters
Coaches
Coach: Sergey Yashin Team manager: Kees Lok
Championships Eredivisie National Championship once: 1985–86
Eerste divisie championship twice: 2005–06; 2006–07
References
External links
Netherlands Ice Hockey Union