Spartiates de Marseille

The Spartiates de Marseille (French for 'Marseille Spartans'), formally known as Marseille Hockey Club, are an ice hockey club based in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France.[3] They are the 2020–21 Division 1 (second tier) champions, but were not promoted to the Ligue Magnus as promotions and relegations had been frozen due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][5]

Spartiates de Marseille
CityMarseille, France
LeagueDivision 1
2018-present
Founded2012
Home arenaPalais omnisports Marseille Grand-Est
Colours     
Owner(s)Jean-Claude Menn[1]
PresidentJonathan Zwikel[2]
Head coachLuc Tardif Jr.[3]
Websitewww.marseillehockeyclub.com
Franchise history
2012–2013Massilia Hockey Club
2013–2017Massilia Hockey Club
Les Spartiates
2017–present[4]Marseille Hockey Club
Les Spartiates

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.[3][6]

Successive promotions

In 2014, France international Luc Tardif Jr. retired from the Ligue Magnus at age 29, following a string of injuries.[7] 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.[8][9]

The club finished the 2014–15 season as Division 3 runner-up and gained promotion to Division 2.[10] 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.[11]

In 2017, the organization changed its name from Massilia Hockey Club to Marseille Hockey Club.[12] 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 is Jean-Claude Menn, a Fribourg, Switzerland-based businessman.[1]

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.[2][13]

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.[14]
Marseille finished second in the East pool, before upsetting favorites Nantes and defeating Strasbourg in the final four to claim the Division 1 championship.[5] 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][5]

Trophies and awards

References
  1. "Entreprise Marseille Hockey Club - MHC à Marseille (13010)". entreprises.lefigaro.fr. Figaro Emploi. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  2. Branchu, Marc (October 2018). "Présentation de la D1 française 2018/19: Marseille". hockeyarchives.info. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  3. "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.
  4. "Historique – Marseille". hockeyfrance.com. Fédération Française de Hockey sur Glace. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  5. "Championnat de France 2020/21 : division 1". hockeyarchives.info. Marc Branchu. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  6. 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.
  7. "Pas de tournoi de Lyon pour Luc Tardif". ledauphine.com. Groupe EBRA. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  8. Galinat, Arnaud (15 February 2015). "Luc Tardif Jr, le nouvel homme fort du Massilia Hockey Club". Ovnisports. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  9. Revel, Stéphane (5 January 2018). "[Entretien] Luc Tardif Junior : 'Le hockey sur glace français est en pleine progression'". lamarseillaise.fr. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  10. 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.
  11. "Présentation de la D2 française 2016/17". hockeyarchives.info. Marc Branchu. November 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  12. "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.
  13. "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.
  14. 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.
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