HC Bozen–Bolzano: Difference between revisions

{{ProInfobox ice hockey team

| text_color = #FFFFFF000000

| team = {{ubl|{{lang-itlangx|de|link=no|HC BolzanoBozen}}|{{lang-delangx|link=noit|HC BozenBolzano}}}}

| logosize = 220px190px

| league = '''[[Serie A (ice hockey)|Serie A]]'''<br>1948–2013<br>'''[[Alpenliga]]'''<br>1991–1997<br>1998–1999<br>'''[[AustrianICE Hockey League|Erste Bank Eishockey Liga]]'''<br /> 2013–

| arena = [[PalaondaSparkasse Arena]]/Eiswelle<br>([[List of ice hockey arenas by capacity|Capacity]]: 7,200)

| colors = {{color box|#FFFFFF}} {{color box|#E6332AE73025}}

| coach = [[GregGlen IrelandHanlon]]

| assistantcaptain coach = [[FabioDaniel ArmaniFrank e(ice Alexanderhockey)|Daniel EggerFrank]]

| championships2 = '''1''' ([[1993–94 Austrian Hockey LeagueAlpenliga season|1994]])

The '''Hockey Club Bolzano Foxes''', also known as commercial name '''HCB Alto Adige Alperia''' (in Italian) or '''HCB Südtirol Alperia''' (in German)<ref>{{factcite web |url=https://www.eishockeyforum.at/board/232-hcb-s%C3%BCdtirol-alperia/
|title =HCB Südtirol Alperia |date = 24 April 20182023| access-date=2023-05-12| language = de}}</ref> is an Italian professional [[ice hockey]] team located in the city of [[Bolzano]], [[South Tyrol]] autonomous province, that plays in the [[AustrianICE Hockey League]] (EBELICEHL). It remains the most successful team in the history of the Italian [[Serie A (ice hockey)|Serie A]], with 19 championships.

HC Bolzano was founded in 1933 and in the first twenty years of its existence, home games were played in an outdoor rink until 1953, when the club moved into the Bolzano Exhibition Hall (''Messe Bozen''), which was the first artificial ice was available. Eleven of the nineteen Italian league titles were won there before the team moved in 1994, to the newly built [[PalaondaSparkasse Arena]]/Eiswelle. At the same time, the team also participated in the Alps League in part, an international ice hockey competition, attended by teams from Slovenia and Austria were involved. In addition to a master and three runner-up titles in this competition, the team also won another seven Italian titles, the last of which in 2012 was given the three-time winning the Coppa Italia, the Italian League Cup competition. Other achievements include three gains of the Supercoppa Italiana and the Six Nations tournament, also called Caucasian Ligacup, in 1994.

In 2013, the HC Bolzano applied again for inclusion in the [[Erste Bank Eishockey Liga]] (EBEL), after earlier applications failed each time due to the resistance of the Italian Ice Hockey Federation. However, the chaotic conditions in the Serie A paved the way to acceptance, since a large part of the club that was from the second division had been released. The move was also largely motivated by the need of a new major sponsor to help clear their financial situation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hcb.net/it/stagione-attuale/giornata-storica-il-bolzano-sbarca-in-ebel/34-1914.html |title=Giornata storica: il Bolzano sbarca in Ebel |language=Italianit |url-status=dead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629213840/http://www.hcb.net/it/stagione-attuale/giornata-storica-il-bolzano-sbarca-in-ebel/34-1914.html |archivedatearchive-date=29 June 2013 }}</ref>

Known as the HCB Südtirol in the EBEL (the main sponsor is the tourism promotion agency of the Alto Adige – Südtirol region), Bolzano had surprisingly successful inaugural season in [[2013–14 Austrian Hockey League season|2013–14]]. On the back of a heavy recruitment scheme which centred in signing Canadian players of Italian heritage, Bolzano finished in fourth place by the end of the Regulation season. In the EBEL finals, they went on to win the championship by defeating the [[EC Red Bull Salzburg]] in the finals, and in doing so becoming to first non-Austrian based club to win the Austrian Championship.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.erstebankliga.at/en/news/detail/2014/04/13/bozen_earns_championship_title_in_overtime|title=Bozen earns championship title in overtime | publisher = [[Erste Bank Eishockey Liga]] | date = 13 April 2014 | accessdateaccess-date = 2014-04-13 | language = Germande }}</ref>

With the victory of the EBEL championship, Bolzano ensured qualification to the first edition of the [[Champions Hockey League]], a prestigious tournament for European clubs. Despite their status of EBEL defending Champions, Bolzano due to numerous financial difficulties that risked compromising the entry of the team in these competitions, were late in confirming their status for a second EBEL season.<ref>{{cite web| url =http://www.erstebankliga.at/de/news/detail/2014/07/31/bozen_bestaetigt_liga-teilnahme | title = Bolzano confirms league participation | publisher = [[Erste Bank Eishockey Liga]] | date = 31 July 2014 | accessdateaccess-date = 2014-07-31 | language = Germande}}</ref>

In May 2016 it was announced that the South Tyrol engeryenergy producer [[Alperia]] would becamebecome the main sponsor of the team.

**'''Winners''' (1): [[1993–94 Austrian Hockey LeagueAlpenliga season|1994]]

{{HCIce Bolzanohockey team roster}}

* [[Image:Flag of Sweden.svg|20px|Sweden]] [[KentRoger NilssonÅkerström]]

* [[Image:Flag of the United States and Italy.pngsvg|20px|USA and Italy]] [[Matt DeMarchi]]

* [[Image:Flag of the United States and Italy.pngsvg|20px|USA and Italy]] [[Nate DiCasmirro]]

* [[Image:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg|20px|Czech Republic]] [[Jan NemecekNěmeček]]

* [[Image:Flag of the United States and Italy.pngsvg|20px|USA and Italy]] [[Tony Tuzzolino]]