The Spartiates de Marseille (English: Marseille Spartans), formally known as Marseille Hockey Club, are an ice hockey club based in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France.[3] The team plays at Palais omnisports Marseille Grand-Est, which is the country's largest permanent ice rink by capacity.[3] The 2023–24 season will mark their debut at the highest national level, the Ligue Magnus.[4][5]
| Spartiates de Marseille | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Marseille, France |
| League | Ligue Magnus 2023-present |
| Founded | 2012[1] |
| Home arena | Palais omnisports Marseille Grand-Est |
| Colours | |
| Owner(s) | Éric Lagache |
| President | Éric Lagache |
| Head coach | Luc Tardif Jr. |
| Captain | Teddy Da Costa |
| Website | www.marseillehockeyclub.com |
| Franchise history | |
| 2012–2013 | Massilia Hockey Club |
| 2013–2017 | Massilia Hockey Club Les Spartiates |
| 2017–present[2] | Marseille Hockey Club Les Spartiates |
History
editThe club was established in April 2012 under the name Massilia Hockey Club —after Marseille's Latin name— to replace the city's historic Hockey Club Phocéen in the French Division 3 (fourth tier) league, when the latter pulled out of competition due to financial problems.[1][3]
Successive promotions
editIn 2014, France international Luc Tardif Jr. retired from the Ligue Magnus at age 29, following a string of injuries.[6] Having gone through a coaching course during his time away from the ice, Tardif joined Marseille with an eye on a new career behind the bench, although he initially signed on as a player-coach, as the light Division 3 schedule allowed him to continue playing at an acceptable risk for the time being.[7][8]
The club finished the 2014–15 season as Division 3 runner-up and gained promotion to Division 2.[9] However it found it hard to compete at that level, narrowly avoiding relegation back to Division 3 in 2015–16. In reaction, Tardif retired from playing to focus on coaching full time, and the roster received a major overhaul, with most local players weeded out of the team in favor of recruits from more traditional hockey hotbeds.[10]
In 2017, the organization changed its name from Massilia Hockey Club to Marseille Hockey Club.[11] Meanwhile, a separate company was spun off from the amateur club to oversee the professionalization of its flagship team. Tardif was a founding minority shareholder as was his half-brother Jonathan Zwikel, who was also named president of the new entity. The team's main shareholder was Jean-Claude Menn, a Fribourg, Switzerland-based asset manager.[12]
Despite being eliminated by Toulouse-Blagnac in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Division 2 playoffs, Marseille was promoted to Division 1 as the only team willing to step up on short notice when the folding of Ligue Magnus team Gamyo d'Épinal created a domino effect that freed an additional promotion spot.[13][14]
Division 1 champions
editDue to COVID-19, the 2020–21 Division 1 season was played under an abridged format, with two regional pools replacing the usual single conference setup, and a final four bringing together the two best teams from each pool in lieu of three-round, best-of-five playoffs.[15]
Marseille finished second in the East pool, before upsetting favorites Nantes and defeating Strasbourg in the final four to claim the Division 1 championship.[16] However, due to the competition's unconventional format, the French Ice Hockey Federation decided not to apply promotions and relegations for the 2020–21 season, forcing the club to compete in Division 1 again for the 2021–22 campaign.[3][16]
At the start of the 2022–23 season, Éric Lagache, chairman of Marseille-based produce importer Kinobé Group, became the Spartiates' new majority shareholder and president, fulfilling the team's search for a well-heeled local investor. Zwikel remained with the organization as managing director.[12][17]
Ligue Magnus
editOn June 8, 2023, the Spartiates were sanctioned to replace the Scorpions de Mulhouse in the Ligue Magnus. Their application package received a positive evaluation from the French federation's financial control commission, while that of the other candidate, the Corsaires de Nantes, was rejected.[4][5]
Current roster
editUpdated 11 November 2024.
Trophies and awards
edit- Division 1:
(x1) 2021
References
edit- ^ a b Ferrari, Christine; Gaudence, Robert; David, Jean; Foulon, Pascal; Autié, Gérard. "Histoire du hockey sur glace à Marseille". hockeyarchives.info. Marc Branchu. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ "Historique – Marseille". hockeyfrance.com. Fédération Française de Hockey sur Glace. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Hockey sur glace : coup de projecteur sur ces Marseillais nouveaux champions de France de Division 1". france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr. France TV. 26 April 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ a b Bouhot, Florient (8 June 2023). "Hockey sur glace: les Spartiates de Marseille promus en Ligue Magnus". bfmtv.com (in French). Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ a b Paquereau, Olivier (8 June 2023). "Les Spartiates de Marseille joueront en Ligue Magnus la saison prochaine". lequipe.fr (in French). Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ "Pas de tournoi de Lyon pour Luc Tardif". ledauphine.com. Groupe EBRA. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ Galinat, Arnaud (15 February 2015). "Luc Tardif Jr, le nouvel homme fort du Massilia Hockey Club". Ovnisports. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ Revel, Stéphane (5 January 2018). "[Entretien] Luc Tardif Junior : 'Le hockey sur glace français est en pleine progression'". lamarseillaise.fr. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ Lloret, Mathias (23 April 2015). "Luc Tardif : 'Je n'ai jamais connu un groupe aussi soudé'". laprovence.com. Groupe La Provence. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ "Présentation de la D2 française 2016/17". hockeyarchives.info. Marc Branchu. November 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ "Annonce n° 210". Annexe au journal officiel de la République Française. Vol. 149, no. 5. Paris: Direction de l'information légale et administrative. 4 February 2017. p. 17.
- ^ a b "Entreprise Marseille Hockey Club - MHC à Marseille (13010)". entreprises.lefigaro.fr. Figaro Emploi. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ Branchu, Marc (October 2018). "Présentation de la D1 française 2018/19: Marseille". hockeyarchives.info. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ "Le club de hockey marseillais s'invite en Division 1 dès la saison prochaine". madeinmarseille.net. Com in Marseille. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ Launay, Frédéric (19 January 2021). "Hockey sur glace : la Division 1 et les Remparts de retour à partir du 30 janvier". lanouvellerepublique.fr. Groupe NRCO. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Championnat de France 2020/21 : division 1". hockeyarchives.info. Marc Branchu. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ Branchu, Marc (20 October 2022). "Présentation de la D1 française 2022/23: Marseille". hockeyarchives.info. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
External links
edit- Official website (in French)