The Chelmsford Chieftains are an English ice hockey team based in Chelmsford, Essex that is currently playing in the NIHL South Division 1. Since the team was founded in 1987, the Chieftains have played their home games at the Riverside Ice and Leisure Centre.
Chelmsford's first ever game at the Riverside Ice and Leisure Centre was a challenge match against Peterborough Titans on Saturday 5 September 1987. The Chieftains won the game 11–4 in front of 300 spectators. Stuart Steeves (Chelmsford) scored the first ever goal at the venue at 2.07 in the first period.
After competing in the English Premier Ice Hockey League for eight seasons between 1998 and 2008 (having been absent from the league from 2000 until 2002), the Chelmsford Chieftains withdrew from the league at the end of the 2007/2008 season, and instead entered the English National Ice Hockey League. The hockey governing body in the UK, the EIHA, informed the club that they would be playing in Division 1 for the 2008/2009 season. However, at the league A.G.M., many of the clubs supported a motion to overturn the league's decision and the Chieftains were placed in Division 2. The Chieftains had already assembled a squad capable of playing in Division 1 and at such a late stage, the squad could not be rebuilt. The outcome was that the Chieftains started the season in a very strong position.
In the entire 2008/2009 season, the Chieftains allowed a single point, to the Invicta Mustangs at the start of the season. From then until the end of the season, the Chieftains won every game, with an average score of 8–2.
In 2009/10, they finished fourth in the league.
In the 2010/11 season, the Chieftains contended for top spot. Only in the final few weeks did the Wightlink Raiders cement their place at the top of the table. The Raiders had been the only side the Chieftains had failed to beat during the regular season.
At the conclusion of the 2010/11 season, Dean Birrell announced he would be moving to the role of Director of Coaching in Chelmsford, which would oversee the coaching of the Chieftains and Warriors. Taking his place would be MK Lightning forward Gary Clarke, who takes over in a player-coach role for the 2011-12 campaign.
Trophies
1989 Essex Cup 1990/91 Autumn Trophy 1992/93 British League Entry Playoffs 1996/97 Essex/Kent Cup 1996/97 Essex Cup 1999/00 English League Premier Division Playoffs 1999/00 Data Vision Millenium Cup 1999/00 English League Premier Division 2008/09 English National League South Division 2 2010/11 English National League South Division 1 Playoffs 2011/12 English National League South Division 1 Playoffs 2011/12 Essex Cup 2012/13 National Ice Hockey League South Division 1 2012/13 National Ice Hockey League South Division 1 Playoffs 2013/14 National Ice Hockey League South Division 1 2014/15 National Ice Hockey League South Division 1 2018/19 National Ice Hockey League South Division 2
Runners up in major competitions excluding league 1996/97 Playoff finalists 1997/98 Playoff finalists 1995/96 Autumn Trophy Finalists 2010/11 English National League South Division 1 2011/12 English National League South Division 1 2012/13 National Ice Hockey League South Cup 2012/13 South East Cup
2017/18 National Ice Hockey League South Division 2
League history Season Name of League Final position # of teams Played Won Lost Drawn OT Win OT Loss Goals For Goals Against Goal Difference Points 1987/88 British League Div 2 2nd 14 26 19 6 1 0 0 201 107 94 39 1988/89 English First Div 5th 8 28 10 15 3 0 0 148 153 -5 23 1989/90 English First Div 3rd 7 24 15 6 3 0 0 222 140 82 33 1990/91 English First Div 3rd 8 28 17 9 2 0 0 269 213 56 36 1991/92 English First Div 8th 9 32 15 14 3 0 0 277 276 1 33 1992/93 English League Conference B 2nd 6 32 22 7 3 0 0 357 168 189 47 1993/94 British League Div 1 South 8th 8 44 10 32 2 0 0 260 374 -114 22 1994/95 British League Div 1 10th 12 44 10 30 4 0 0 274 404 -130 24 1995/96 British League Div 1 10th 14 52 16 31 5 0 0 267 377 -110 37 1996/97 English League Div 1 South 2nd 12 22 18 3 1 0 0 175 51 124 37 1997/98 English League Div 1 South 2nd 11 20 16 3 1 0 0 187 69 118 33 1998/99 English League Prem Div 4th 9 32 14 14 4 0 0 195 181 14 32 1999/00 English League Prem Div 1st 5 24 19 4 1 0 0 138 85 53 39 2000/01 English National Prem League 2nd 9 32 23 7 2 0 0 203 106 97 48 2001/02 English National League South 5th 10 18 10 5 3 0 0 100 72 28 23 2002/03 English National Prem League 5th 12 42 24 12 6 0 0 245 170 75 54 2003/04 English Premier Ice Hockey League 4th 9 32 18 11 3 0 0 211 149 62 39 2004/05 English Premier Ice Hockey League 7th 9 32 10 14 8 0 0 128 130 -2 28 2005/06 English Premier Ice Hockey League 11th 13 48 10 33 5 0 0 149 284 -135 25 2006/07 English Premier Ice Hockey League 8th 12 44 20 21 3 0 0 194 184 10 43 2007/08 English Premier Ice Hockey League 9th 11 40 12 24 0 1 3 151 189 -38 29 2008/09 English National League Two South 1st 9 32 31 0 1 0 0 282 67 215 63 2009/10 English National League One South 4th 10 36 23 6 7 0 0 213 89 124 52 2010/11 English National League One South 2nd 11 40 28 4 8 0 0 253 101 152 64 2011/12 English National League One South 2nd 10 36 30 6 0 ? ? 251 89 162 60 2012/13 English National League One South 1st 9 32 25 5 2 ? ? 189 73 116 52 2013/14 English National League One South 1st 9 32 26 3 3 ? ? 185 60 125 55 2014/15 English National League One South 1st 10 36 26 5 5 ? ? 163 79 84 57 2017/18 National Ice Hockey League South Division 2 4th 14 26 20 6 0 0 0 186 74 112 40 2018/19 National Ice Hockey League South Division 2 4th 15 28 21 5 0 1 1 206 77 129 46
Club roster 2022-23 (*) Denotes a Non-British Trained player (Import) NetmindersNo.Nat.PlayerCatchesDate of birthPlace of birthAcquired Contract35 Luca Tessadri L Basildon, England 2021 from Raiders U18U18 Junior39 Petr Čech R Plzeň, Czech Republic 2022 from Guildford Phoenix22/2344 Sonny Phillips L Hornchurch, England 2014 from Chelmsford Warriors22/23
DefencemenNo.Nat.PlayerShootsDate of birthPlace of birthAcquiredContract12 Jaden Boolkah England 2019 from Chelmsford U1822/2336 Callum Burnett R England 2022 from Raiders IHC22/234 Neil Liddiard R Swindon, England 2022 from Swindon Wildcats22/2347 Daniel Fay England 2022 from Raiders IHC22/2393 Daniel Hitchings R England 2022 from Raiders 222/2391 Casey Wilson 2002 (age 20)England 2022 from Raiders 222/2340 Archie Salisbury L England 2022 from Peterborough PhantomsTwo-Way
ForwardsNo.Nat.PlayerShootsDate of birthPlace of birthAcquiredContract3 T.J. Fillery R Harold Wood, England 2017 from Chelmsford Warriors22/238 Cameron Bartlett R Romford, England 2018 from Invicta Dynamos22/239 Grant Bartlett R Romford, England 2018 from Invicta Dynamos22/2310 Kieran Raynor R Glasgow, Scotland 2021 from Peterborough Phantoms 222/2311 'Sasha' Maltsev*R Pyriatyn, Ukraine 2022 from MHK Sokil U2022/2314 Bailey Chittock R Chelmsford, England 2021 from Raiders 222/2315 Justin Dennison 2006 (age 16)England 2022 from Peterborough Phantoms 2Two-Way16 Leo Markey 2004 (age 18)England 2022 from Peterborough Phantoms 2Two-Way17 Harry Harcup England 2022 from Slough Jets22/2320 Ross Clark R Peterborough, England2022 from Raiders IHC22/2324 Ollie Baldock R Chelmsford, England 2022 from Raiders IHC22/23 Mason Webster R Basildon, England 2022 from Invicta Dynamos22/23 Brandon Webster Basildon, England 2022 from Invicta Dynamos22/2374 Chris Beckett R Basildon, England 2021 from Chelmsford U18U18 Junior89 James Pentecost R Peterborough, England 2021 from Haringey Huskies22/23
Team StaffNo.Nat.NameAcquiredRolePlace of birthJoined from Mark Saunders 2022/23 Head coach Kingston upon Thames, England Raiders 2, NIHL 1 Neil Liddiard 2022/23 Player-Assistant Coach Swindon, England Swindon Wildcats, NIHL National
2021/22 Outgoing +OutgoingNo.Nat.PlayerShootsDate of birthPlace of birthLeaving For11 Darren Brown R Chelmsford, England Retired17 Stanislav Lascek L Martin, Slovakia Invicta Dynamos, NIHL 121 Andrew Munroe R Ashington, England Retired26 Julian Smith R Peterborough, England Retired43 Ethan Reid R Scotland Raiders IHC, NIHL National88 Matt Turner R Romford, England Retired91 James Ayling L Chelmsford, England Retired
References