I asked this a while ago, and I was told that hockey in Spain is a very minor sport, mainly due to finances and thngs like that. I know that FC Barcelona has a team in the league though, not sure if they're as successful in hockey as they are soccer. The only player I can think of was a guy who played in the WHL for part of a season, Ivan Gracia I believe. I would assume that he's among the top players in the Spanish League.
Shame too, I'd love to see hockey in Spain take off.
Hockey in Spain is a minor sport.Its wat more important football or basketball.
I think its improving and i think it will be competitive in the future.
What a great thread!
I feel like I'm reading about someone's failed attempt to get going in a EHM gane! LOL
Thanks to all the rest of you taking time to respond here.
I need to get involved with these kinds of leagues somehow!
Many years ago (early 1990's) Durham hosted a round of the European Cup. One of the teams involed was Txuri-Urdin. They were awful, the standard of a 3rd tier team in England. Of course British hockey wasn't even close to ECHL standard at the time.
i know this has little relevance to the thread, but I thought as I'm probably the only person who has seen a Spanish team live reading this thread I thought I'd post it
Spain and Portugal between them, have the most successful roller hockey, teams and leagues on the planet. I've often wondered how successful some players might be if they tried to cross over and adapt to ice.
an interessting note is that this year's roller hockey national team is completely made of Catalans, even the coach.
Until newspapers and why not, Television don't start showing some NHL hockey, this isn't going anywhere ahead, it's not terribly poor, it's nicely scheduled and programmed, and there's some interest, the ice rink Barįa plays in fills totally on gamedays (around 200-300 seats, free entrance) but meh, just so few people have watched an NHL game on their lives.
It's too hard to get people interessted when all you see on TV are occasional fights or freaky incidents (see zednik).
we have a growing website and forum going on though, it lasts for around a year and a half and has over 100 registered users and around 40 actually active users and a trimestral magazine I write in. link
It's too hard to get people interessted when all you see on TV are occasional fights or freaky incidents (see zednik).
True.
Hockey is rarely ever mentioned in Portugal and when it is, it's always as a vessel to parody North American sports. What is shown is basically some armour clad brutes bashing each other in, whether it's pro football or hockey.
Completely ignoring that football is easily the most technically complex and intricate sport on the planet and hockey the fastest and most spirited. Also ignoring the irony that Soccer, is a snore-athon to watch, a parade for wussies and divers, whilst having an incomprehensibly outdated set of rules, and the most inadequate ratio of "field playing size" to "number of officials" of any sport ever played by man.
The reason for this is my surprised reaction after i found out only this year that Spain was playing in the 1st Division (when did that happen??!!) of hockey. Granted, if Japan wouldn't have pulled out they most likely would have ended up at the bottom of the standings.
But still what a success for a team like spain to even be in the 1st division!
The reason for this is my surprised reaction after i found out only this year that Spain was playing in the 1st Division (when did that happen??!!) of hockey. Granted, if Japan wouldn't have pulled out they most likely would have ended up at the bottom of the standings.
But still what a success for a team like spain to even be in the 1st division!
As far as I know, they were promoted for the first time in their history in 2010.
If I remember correctly, Japan wasn't automatically ranked last, the tournament was just played with five teams instead of six with Japan to return to the first division next season. Spain finished fourth by beating South Korea and thus earned their spot in D1 on the ice.
As far as I know, they were promoted for the first time in their history in 2010.
If I remember correctly, Japan wasn't automatically ranked last, the tournament was just played with five teams instead of six with Japan to return to the first division next season. Spain finished fourth by beating South Korea and thus earned their spot in D1 on the ice.
I'm interested to know how this develops. Spain could be a very interesting place for hockey to make headway, especially in the Pyrenees where the game could theoretically be played on natural ice.
I would be interested to play hockey in Spain for next season if i don't get a decent job. I don't know if i would play a hole season or just like half of it...
Teams near Barcelona or Madrid would be good. I am a Finnish hockey goalie and have played in lower divisions for past years.
Do anybody here have contacts to team members in that area?
I would also like to know do they pay anything, help to get house to stay in etc.
Also teams in France (tier 2-3) would be interesting.
Barcelona does indeed have a hockey team, and I've watched a few games in their arena (which is situated right next to the Camp Nou, Barcelona's football pitch). I have to say the caliber of hockey was pretty crappy.
Portugal's national team played three games back in 2000, and hasn't taken to the ice since.
Spain's team is more established but still pretty crappy (though they've got a team which competes at the IIHF Junior level). In 2010 they were promoted to Div. 1 of the IIHF World Champ.'s, but in 2011 they were sent back down to Div. 2 after being blown out of the water by the Netherlands (8-2) and Hungary (13-1), but it's also important to note they only lost by two against Italy (2-0), who ended up being promoted out of their division.
Spanish hockey is stuck at a crossroads, they can either wither away with a lack of mainstream athletic interest (as they seem destined to), or fundraise/seek government funding, and make a push to be a consistent division 1 squad.
I would be interested to play hockey in Spain for next season if i don't get a decent job. I don't know if i would play a hole season or just like half of it...
Teams near Barcelona or Madrid would be good. I am a Finnish hockey goalie and have played in lower divisions for past years.
Do anybody here have contacts to team members in that area?
I would also like to know do they pay anything, help to get house to stay in etc.
Also teams in France (tier 2-3) would be interesting.
Important to realize that most "Spanish" teams are based in Catalonia, meaning Spanish won't help you. There are a few Czech and Slovak players on Puigcerda and Barcelona.
such a shame that ice hockey in Portugal or Spain do not have visibility. it would be nice for a change. i think Spain has the capacity for a interesting league in the future.
has curiosity here some "Portuguese" players in today's NHL:
john tavares
mike ribeiro
joe corvo
adam henrique
drew doughty
)
