Spartiates de Marseille

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Spartiates de Marseille
Spartiates de Marseille 2016 logo.png
City: Marseille, France
League: Ligue Magnus
2023-present
Founded: 2012[1]
Home Arena: Palais omnisports Marseille Grand-Est
Colors:               
Franchise history
2012–2013: Massilia Hockey Club
2013–2017: Massilia Hockey Club
Les Spartiates
2017–present[2]: Marseille Hockey Club
Les Spartiates

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]

History

The 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

In 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

Due 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

On 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]

Trophies and awards

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ferrari, Christine; Gaudence, Robert; David, Jean; Foulon, Pascal; Autié, Gérard. "Histoire du hockey sur glace à Marseille". Marc Branchu. https://www.hockeyarchives.info/clubs/marseille.htm. 
  2. ↑ "Historique – Marseille". Fédération Française de Hockey sur Glace. https://www.hockeyfrance.com/competitions/2016/10/12/historique-marseille-2/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Hockey sur glace : coup de projecteur sur ces Marseillais nouveaux champions de France de Division 1". France TV. 26 April 2021. https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/bouches-du-rhone/marseille/hockey-sur-glace-marseille-champion-de-france-de-division-1-2062174.html. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bouhot, Florient (8 June 2023). "Hockey sur glace: les Spartiates de Marseille promus en Ligue Magnus". https://www.bfmtv.com/marseille/hockey-sur-glace-les-spartiates-de-marseille-promus-en-ligue-magnus_AN-202306080498.html. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Paquereau, Olivier (8 June 2023). "Les Spartiates de Marseille joueront en Ligue Magnus la saison prochaine". https://www.lequipe.fr/Hockey-sur-glace/Actualites/Les-spartiates-de-marseille-joueront-en-ligue-magnus/1401454. 
  6. ↑ "Pas de tournoi de Lyon pour Luc Tardif". Groupe EBRA. 11 December 2012. https://www.ledauphine.com/sport/2012/12/11/pas-de-tounroi-de-lyon-pour-luc-tardif. 
  7. ↑ Galinat, Arnaud (15 February 2015). "Luc Tardif Jr, le nouvel homme fort du Massilia Hockey Club". https://ovnisports.wordpress.com/2015/02/15/luc-tardif-jr-le-nouvel-homme-fort-du-mhc/. 
  8. ↑ Revel, Stéphane (5 January 2018). "[Entretien Luc Tardif Junior : 'Le hockey sur glace français est en pleine progression'"]. https://www.lamarseillaise.fr/sports/le-hockey-sur-glace-francais-est-en-pleine-progression-AHLM066512. 
  9. ↑ Lloret, Mathias (23 April 2015). "Luc Tardif : 'Je n'ai jamais connu un groupe aussi soudé'". Groupe La Provence. https://www.laprovence.com/article/sports/3374764/luc-tardif-je-nai-jamais-connu-un-groupe-aussi-soude.html. 
  10. ↑ "Présentation de la D2 française 2016/17". Marc Branchu. November 2016. https://www.hockeyarchives.info/articles/2016-11-division2.htm#Marseille. 
  11. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Entreprise Marseille Hockey Club - MHC à Marseille (13010)". Figaro Emploi. 1 October 2017. https://entreprises.lefigaro.fr/marseille-hockey-club-mhc-13/entreprise-832541536. 
  13. ↑ Branchu, Marc (October 2018). "Présentation de la D1 française 2018/19: Marseille". https://www.hockeyarchives.info/articles/2018-10-division1.htm#Marseille. 
  14. ↑ "Le club de hockey marseillais s’invite en Division 1 dès la saison prochaine". Com in Marseille. 2 August 2018. https://madeinmarseille.net/32893-club-hockey-glace-spartiate/. 
  15. ↑ Launay, Frédéric (19 January 2021). "Hockey sur glace : la Division 1 et les Remparts de retour à partir du 30 janvier". Groupe NRCO. https://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/tours/hockey-sur-glace-la-division-1-et-les-remparts-de-retour-a-partir-du-30-janvier. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Championnat de France 2020/21 : division 1". Marc Branchu. https://www.hockeyarchives.info/France2021div1.htm. 
  17. ↑ Branchu, Marc (20 October 2022). "Présentation de la D1 française 2022/23: Marseille". https://www.hockeyarchives.info/articles/2022-10-division1.htm#Marseille. 

External links

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