IHC Leuven (French: IHC Louvain) is a professional ice hockey team in Leuven, Belgium. Leuven plays in the BeNe League (Belgian Elite League), where it competes as the Leuven Chiefs. The team are the current Belgian national ice hockey champions, having won the league playoffs in 2013. It also competes annually for the Belgian Cup.
The club also organizes affiliated recreational junior and senior hockey teams.
History IHC Leuven was founded in 1993, and won their first Belgian Championship in 2005. In 1998 and 1999, they participated in the IIHF Continental Cup. In 1998, they were paired with Frisk Tigers, Esbjerg IK, and Lyon Hockey Club, they lost to Frisk 26–1, and their best results was a 15–1 loss to Lyon. They fared marginally better in 1999, in a group with Sokil Kyiv, Ducs d'Angers, and CHH Txuri Urdin. They were hammered by Angers 26–0, but only lost 4–3 to Txuri Urdin.
In 1999–2000, they won their first and only Belgian Cup. In 2005 and 2010, Leuven won their first and second Belgian Championship. In 2011, it joined the higher level North Sea Cup, a mixed Dutch-Belgian league, although it struggled against the bigger-budget Dutch teams and lost the Belgian championship to HYC Herentals. For 2012–2013, it withdrew from the Dutch league and returned to the Belgian Elite League, winning the Belgian national championship against White Caps Turnhout.
Roster Updated February 25, 2019. GoaltendersNumberPlayerCatchesAcquiredPlace of Birth 28Karl LuypaertL 2004Vilvoorde, Belgium30Keanu EversL 2011Leuven, Belgium33Ryan MalinowskiL 2018East Amherst, New York, United States
DefencemenNumberPlayerShootsAcquiredPlace of Birth 3Ben Boute L 2015Ghent, Belgium8Quinten Franckx R 2014Leuven, Belgium9Adam LogozzoL 2018Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada18Pieter-Jan Wouters R 2010Leuven, Belgium23Seppe VanwelssenaersL 2014Leuven, Belgium
ForwardsNumberPlayerShootsPositionAcquiredPlace of Birth 4Reyn Vanwelssenaers RL 2018Leuven, Belgium5Rino Dhondt LF 2016Leuven, Belgium5Basim LaeremansLF 2017Leuven, Belgium7Alec James LC 2016Simi Valley, California, United States10Dean Thurura LF 2010Leuven, Belgium11Jeffie VersinRF 2016Belgium14Dries Blockx LF 2015Leuven, Belgium15Lukas Tambeur LF 2017Leuven, Belgium15Iniaz Steyaert LF 2018Humbeek, Belgium36Gregor JamesRC 2014Viersen, Germany77Mickey EversRC 2011Leuven, Belgium88Michael van EgdomLF 2018Belgium89Boris KolyasnikovLLW 2006Nizhny Tagil, Russia
Achievements Belgian champion (3): 2005, 2010, 2013 Belgian Cup champion (1): 2006
Season Results Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, OTW = Overtime Wins, OTL = Overtime Losses, L = Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points
Season GP W OTW OTL L GF GA Pts Finish Playoffs 2012–13 18 17 0 1 0 199 35 52 1st, Belgian Elite League Won Belgian championship (2W-1L vs. Turnhout) 2011–12 14 1 1 1 11 26 85 6 7th, North Sea Cup Lost Belgian championship to Herentals (0W-3L)
References
External links Official Site Club profile on hockeyarenas.net