Кёльн Шарксы: Тарихы мен жетістіктері

The Kölner Haie (English: Cologne Sharks) are an ice hockey club based in Cologne, Germany, that plays in the professional Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). The team was one of the founding members of the DEL. The Kölner Haie play their home games in the DEL and the German Cup (DEB Pokal) at the Lanxess Arena, which opened in 1998, located in the district Deutz. With room for 18,500 spectators, Lanxess Arena is amongst the biggest multi functional arenas in Europe, and the Kölner Haie have the second highest average attendance in European ice hockey behind Swiss team SC Bern. Previously, the Kölner Haie played their home games at the Eisstadion an der Lentstraße. A strong local rivalry exists between the Kölner Haie and the Düsseldorfer EG, of neighboring Düsseldorf. Games between the two teams often sell out.

In summer 1972, the hockey department of the Kölner EK (KEK), which made hockey in Cologne possible in different lower classes since 1936, separated from the family association. The members sought to play as an independent hockey association, due to the freedom of choice and better financial possibilities. On 10 August 1972, the independence of the hockey department was decided, and Peter Rentergent was appointed the president of the new Kölner Eishockey Club (KEC). The KEC remained associated to KEK, but as an independent department, and the team was to begin directly in the second division, then called the Oberliga. The KEK was a member in the German Ice Hockey Federation, granting them access to this division. The new association was to be called Kölner EC – to no avail, however, because of the resemblance to the Kölner EK. Hence, the addition "Sharks" was added to the logo, and years later, the association name. In the first logo, artist and the team's goaltender, Dieter Horký sketched the shark. Today, the shark is the unmistakable brand image of the club, and since 1995, officially part of the name. The team found immediate success in their first season, 1972 73. With strong players like Detlef Langemann, Wilhelm Hospelt, and player manager Günter Peter, the team degraded opponents en route to winning the Oberliga, while coached by Ondrej Bendik. Kölner EC quickly rose to compete in the Eishockey Bundesliga, Germany's top hockey league, in their 2nd season. In their first Bundesliga season, 1973 74, there was a fair share of problems in and around the team. These problems compounded when captain, Sigbert Stotz, was forced to retire due to an injury, furthering problems within the board of directors. Team manager Peter, plagued with financial troubles, fled from the town, and the team ultimately finished the season in 8th place out of 10. In the off season, KEC fired the head coach Jiri Hanzl, and rehired Ondrej Bendík to the team. The 1974 75 season saw a jump in performance from KEC, while only finishing one spot higher in the final standings, 7th, the team was closer to a .500 winning percentage. 1975 76 saw sparks fly in the Sharks front office. At the beginning of the season in 1976, team president Rentergent submitted his resignation after he'd come under fire due to supposed payments to KEC's amateur players. To add to this, in the middle of the season, head coach Bendík was dismissed because of persistent failure – the team's attendance strongly decreased, leading to a financial deficit for KEC.

Despite the financial issues following the Sharks, they made a splash with a big transfer drawing attention to themselves. New team president Jochem Erlemann welcomed in Gerhard Kiessling as head coach, with his son Udo joining on defense. However, the purchase of Erich Kühnhackl of EV Landshut for the record transfer fee at that time of more than 600,000 DM was even more spectacular. Strangely in the obligation: multiple times, Jochem Erlemann had sent employees with money to negotiate with Kühnhackl to Landshut which achieved, nevertheless, no success. The star player still changed to Cologne. However, even as had set up of the KEC sportily in the top flight of the league, tax additional payments and debts became known at the rate of more than two million DM. Only by immediately initiated consolidation measures the association president succeeded in turning away the bankruptcy and in holding the play company straight. And thus the sharks in March 1977 managed the profit of the first mastery when one defeated, among the rest, the former standard master from Eisbären Berlin, as well as the Rhenish rivals from Düsseldorfer EG and Krefeld Pinguine in the master round introduced anew. After the KEC did not manage the sighted title defence, the president obliged many new players., Among the rest, there came Miroslav Sikora who remained the following 20 years as a player and manager linked to the sharks to Cologne. Also Gerhard Kiessling, master trainer of 1977, returned to the sharks, after he had been dismissed immediately after the first championship unexpectedly. The sharks managed in the season the second title profit which was overshadowed, nevertheless, by the resignation of the president. Successor to Jochem Erlemann will appoint Heinz Landen, Clemens Vedder became the treasurer. The next playing times stood in the sign of the sporty mediocrity as well as the financial consolidation of the association. In the season 1980/81 the Play out of vision qualification reached of the KEC though sportily, however, the team became because of the entanglement in the passport forger's scandal (application of Canadians or American as German players, however, the German nationality had not moved) into the descent round. Moreover, on 9 March 1981 it came in the Bundesliga play against the VfL Bad Nauheim to a mass scrap. The referee covered including match punishments, play duration punishments and disciplinary punishments of a total of 166 penalty minutes. Till 1983 formed an efficient team with young, ambitious players, as for example Miroslav Sikora, Gerd Truntschka, Uwe Krupp and Helmut de Raaf, as well as experienced players like Udo Kiessling and Uli Hiemer.

With Jozef Golonka an experienced trainer was obliged who led the team in the finale of the playoff round where one hit on EV Landshut. The sharks defeated Landshuter EV with 5:0 in the fifth and determining play and celebrated the German mastery. A year later the sharks begun once more as favorites had to be content with place three. On account of an injured person's plight one lined up in the semi final against the Mannheim ERC only with eleven healthy players. The season, nevertheless, was overshadowed by the foul of the inhabitant of Mannheim Roy Roedger who hit the KEC forward Steve McNeill with the racquet point in the right eye. Only thanks to several operations a part of the visual ability of the eye was saved. Roedger was closed for many plays and was condemned, finally, to a compensation payment at the rate of 200,000 DM. Moreover, the shark forward Peter Schiller provided for sensation, when he in the European cup play against the Bolzano HC which the KEC with 6:1 won, went from boredom with the puck behind own gate and made push ups. The season 1985/86, the first playing time in which the former shark player Hardy Nilsson stood as a trainer in the Cologne gang became one of the most successful ones of the association history for the KEC. From beginning the team dominated the league and went as a front runner to the playoffs. There one lost only one play, won in the first final series against the Düsseldorf EC (DEG) with 3:0 victories and celebrated once more the mastery. Before one had already booked in the European cup the second place. However, also this season a tragic secondary phenomenon had for the sharks: 19 year old Ralph Philipp, nephew of the long standing KEC forward Rainer Philipp, died with a car accident. Since then the tricot number 8 which had "inherited" the promising young talent from his uncle any more will not award with the sharks to player. In the season 1986/87 a team since introduction of the playoffs succeeded with the KEC for the first time in defending her title gained in the season before. In the playoffs to which one had gone as a qualifying round second the sharks lost no play and defeated Schwenningen, the DEG and Mannheim in three plays in each case. Already before the season Clemens Vedder had removed his post as a treasurer for private reasons. A year later made the sharks to the Titelhattrick perfect when they won the fifth determining play with 4:1 in the finale of the Playoffs against the sports alliance of Rosenheim. With it they defeated the team which was better placed as only in the qualifying round. At the beginning of the playoffs set of the KEC a record unequalled till this day: Including three victories in each case against Frankfurt and Mannheim the team 20 won playoff plays in succession.

After the triple titles, the Sharks were seen as favorites in the 1988/89 season, besides, they had stated the table after the qualifying round. After one had won the vice title in the European cup, nevertheless, the inhabitants of Cologne retired in the semi final of the national mastery against the DEG. With the DEG one had exchanged before the season the goalkeepers (Joseph "Peppi" Heiss came for Helmut de Raaf), besides, during the season the changes were announced by Dieter Hegen and Gerd Truntschka to the Rhine rival. In the season 1989/90 everything seemed to run out again to the duel between both Rhenish rivals. The sharks booked at the end of the qualifying round place two behind the DEG. Indeed, retired of the KEC in the semi final against Rosenheim. What remained, was a record existing still today: Nine play out of vision half final participation in succession. Also in both following playing times everything ran with the sharks not as planned. In 1990/91 the team had to fight with many injuries, however, the qualification for the playoffs still created as a front runner. There one reached by victories against Hedos München and the BSC Preussen the finale against the DEG. After the KEC had made up for 0:2 match remains, however, one was defeated in the determining fifth play with 0:4. In 1991/92 when the 19 year old Jozef Stümpel began his international career, riots provided in the sphere from beginning for problems. Thus the surely believed removal of the ice stadium was rejected first by the town. Shortly after seasonal start left to Ray Whitney obliged scarcely the sharks in the direction of North America. When then the seasonal start failed, trainer Nilsson came under fire and after the elimination in the quarterfinal against Mannheim, a struggle for power began behind the scenery which culminated in resignations of several board members. To the season 1992/93 it came again to financial bottlenecks with the Kölner Haie. In spite of some departures of players the team after the qualifying round reached the second place. In the Playoffs one asserted himself first against Kaufbeuren (3:0) and Mannheim (3:1), before one hit in Final once more on the DEG. In one of the most exciting final series of the Bundesliga history the determining fifth play won the DEG in Brehmstrasse in Düsseldorf with 2:1 after lengthening. The financial problems of the sharks still worsened when president suffered landing shortly after end of the season a cardiac infarction and fell in the coma. The vice president anew appointed shortly before and manager collected subsequently nearly seven million DM of debts, player's salaries were not partially paid any more. Besides, president landing announced his resignation at the end of the season 1993/94. Bernd Schäfer should redevelop first as an interim president, the association. In spite of the blind relations in the board of directors qualified of the KEC as a fifth certainly for the playoffs where one was defeated in the semi final by the later master Hedos München.

After the foundation of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), in which for the first time associations might also line up as a GmbHs, Heinz Hermann Göttsch assumed the office of the main companion and that of the chairman of the board at the Cologne hockey society founded anew "The sharks" Ltd. By extensive consolidation measures and donation actions of fans the sharks succeeded in getting some high carat professionals to the Rhine. After a still disappointing qualifying round which the KEC on the sixth place finished the team increased in the Playoffs of play to play and switched off Kaufbeuren, Mannheim as well as the Berlin Prussians. Finally, in the final series one defeated eV of Landshut in the determining fifth play with 4:0 and celebrated the first mastery of the DEL history. In the season 1995/96 the association after place One after the qualifying round reached the finale once more where one hit once again on the DEG. However, after of the KEC the first play for itself had decided, no more other victory and it succeeded only the vice mastery remained. Besides, the sharks reached the final in the European cup which got lost against Jokerit Helsinki only in the penalty kick shooting in December 1995. A year later, also the team of the sharks had strongly been changed by the so called Bosman decision, one was less successful in the European founded anew hockey league (EHL) and already retired in the group phase. In the DEL Playoffs the team hit in the fourth year as a result of on Landshut. This time, nevertheless, Bavarians won the quarter final series in four plays. There was a reunion already a year later when one met once more in the quarterfinal. Nevertheless, the sharks, after a streaky qualifying round with a lot of restlessness in the team and in the sphere as a third in the final gone, were to the Landshutern put under and won no play. Also in the next playing time, the sharks had moved in October 1998 in the just finished arena LANXESS (till 2008 "Kölnarena"), there were at the beginning many problems with the KEC. As in the year before players were dismissed shortly after start of the season, the team's structure was not right and the achievements of the team stagnated. Only when with trainer Lahtinen, co trainer Helland and manager Miro Sikora the complete sporty management had been exchanged, the manager later successful in the NHL Andy Murray provided for more Constance in the association and in the team. In the Playoffs to the mastery the sharks eliminated Lions after five plays, nevertheless, once more in the quarterfinal against Frankfurt. In the season 1999/2000 the team of the sharks was valid according to many experts as one of the best ones which there was during the last years in the German hockey. Thus everything also ran first as desired: In December one won, as the first German team after 35 years, the top position and in the playoffs booked of the KEC the plumber cup in Davos, after the qualifying round the Augsburg panthers and Berlin Capitals were defeated without defeat. However, in the finale against Munich of baron there came the burglary, the sharks lost next three parts after the prelude victory and had to leave of the baron the title. A year later Scorpions had an influence on Hannover decisively about the seasonal course of the sharks: In January Bob Leslie was removed after a defeat against Scorpions for the second time from Lance Nethery on the trainer's post. On one of the last matchdays qualified of the KEC with a victory against Hannover still for the play offs, after one threatened to miss them for the first time. In the play offs retired of the KEC in the quarterfinal then against Scorpions in three plays.

As during the years the sharks played a weak qualifying round before also in the season 2001/02. Worked out in the year of the 30 year old association jubilee one fixed only in the end of the qualifying round the move in the final once more. There the sharks hit first on the Krefelder penguins whom one threw, nevertheless, in three plays from the competition. In the semi final asserted itself of the KEC in five plays against Munich of baron. Also in the finale against the Mannheim eagles only the fifth play decided on the mastery. Norris with 2:1 won of the KEC by gates of Alex Hicks and Dwayne this and gained his eighth German mastery. The term of office of Hans Zach began with the aim title defence in Cologne. Already during the preceding season the engagement of the coach of the national team at that time was made perfect what entailed that Rich Chernomaz in spite of the championship title no future had in Cologne. The sharks already were convincing in the qualifying round which they finished after a final spurt (20 plays without defeat according to regular playing time) on the second place. This time over Kassel and Mannheim the finale reached of the KEC once more, against the Rhenish rival from Krefeld. After one had lost the first both parts, the team won herself the determining fifth play in the Cologne arena in which, nevertheless, the Krefelder defeated the sharks with 3:1. Besides, beside the vice mastery one stood in the finale of the DEB cup introduced again which one lost, however, against Mannheim. After the successful last years the sharks were also valid in 2003/04 again to the favorites on the title in the DEL. And after the cup victory in 2004 against Kassel and the fourth place after the qualifying round, one expected a lot from the KEC team. However, from many injuries in the course of the season afflicted sharks could not counterhold in the quarter final series against Frankfurt Lions and failed because of the later German master. Many positive recollections of the season still remained, also because of the new association record of 6,500 sold season tickets as well as the foundation of the Alex' Hicks initiative by the shark forward. A year later – Rodion Pauels had become meanwhile a sports co ordinator of the sharks – came once more From in the quarterfinal. After another season with many long time injured persons, the sharks booked the fourth place. In the Play offs the sharks had to come too to themselves against one on account of the Lockouts with NHL players reinforced team of ERC Ingolstadt in the determining seventh play in the Cologne arena 2:5 hit give. In the season 2005/06 it came after ten years for the first time again to one meeting with the DEG to the play offs. After the sharks had finished the qualifying round on place 5 and had switched off in the quarterfinal in only four plays Nürnberg Ice Tigers, the half final series followed against the DEG. In the fourth play the sharks dated back shortly before end when Bill Lindsay allowed the lengthening in which he also marked the victory hit. Nevertheless, in the determining play in Brehmerstrasse the sharks were defeated with 3:5 and retired in the semi final.