Paul Thompson (ice hockey coach)
| Paul Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Singapore |
| Nationality | United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Ice hockey coach |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Known for | EIHL career & Team GB |
Paul Thompson is a British ice hockey head coach and general manager. He was head coach of the Great Britain men's national ice hockey team from 2006 to 2011, and is currently with the Sheffield Steelers. He is the winningest coach in the Elite Ice Hockey League, and has received nine Coach of the Year trophies in his career. His teams have won three Challenge Cups, two British Knockout Cups, and he is the first coach to win five Elite League titles. In the 2004–2005 season, Thompson completed the British Hockey Grand Slam; winning the Challenge Cup, the EIHL title, and the EIHL playoff championship. He previously coached 19 seasons with the Coventry Blaze organisation, and is known by the nickname, "Thommo".
Thompson began coaching a youth team in Solihull, then its reserve team, and then the Solihull Barons, which were renamed the Blaze in the following season. In his partial season coaching in Division 1, the Barons finished twelfth place. His first chance at coaching in the English Premier Ice Hockey League came in 1996–1997, with the Solihull Blaze. Thompson guided the team to a second place finish in the season, but financial problems prevented the team from continuing into the playoffs. The team voluntarily dropped down to Division 1 in the NIHL for the 1997–1998 season, and then won the division, the league, and the playoffs, earning Thompson his first title as a coach. The Blaze returned to the EPIHL for the 1998–1999 season, and won the EPIHL championship and the playoffs. Solihull moved up to the British National League for the 1999–2000 season, placed seventh, and lost in the first round of the playoffs. Thompson won BNL Coach of the Year, his first of many awards.
In the 2000–2001 season, Solihull became the Coventry Blaze. Thompson improved the team to 4th in the league, but lost in the playoff round-robin. Thompson won the Coach of the Year Trophy awarded by the Ice Hockey Journalists UK. In the 2001–2002 season, Thompson again improved the team to a second place finish, and reached the finals of the BNL playoffs. In the 2002–2003 season, Thompson coached Coventry to both the BNL season championship, and the playoff championship, and won another Coach of the Year Trophy. Coventry was a founding member of the Elite Ice Hockey League for the 2003–2004 season. In the new league, Thompson led the team to third place, but lost in the playoff round robin. The 2004–2005 season, was Thompson's most successful with the Blaze. He led Coventry to the EIHL championship, the EIHL playoff championship, and the EIHL Challenge Cup championship. Thompson also won another Coach of the Year Trophy. Thompson repeated the EIHL Challenge Cup championship in the 2005–2006 season, but finished fourth place in the league, and lost in the playoff round robin. In the 2006–2007 season, Thompson led Coventry to a third consecutive EIHL Challenge Cup championship, won the EIHL championship, and lost in the playoff semifinals to miss out on another grand slam, however the Blaze won the British Knockout Cup. Thompson was awarded another IHJUK Coach of the Year for his efforts. In the 2007–2008 season, Thompson led Coventry to the EIHL Charity Shield finals, won the EIHL championship, lost in the playoff finals, and won a second British Knockout Cup. Thompson was named both the IHJUK Coach of the Year, and the EIHL Coach of the Year. In the 2008–2009 season, he led Coventry to the EIHL Charity Shield championship, finished 2nd place in the league, and a loss in the playoff semifinals. Thompson and Coventry won the EIHL championship in the 2009–2010 season, but lost in the playoff semifinals, and in the Hocktoberfest finals He won his eighth Coach of The Year award. In the 2010–2011 season, Thompson's team dropped to 6th place in the league, and a loss in the first round of the playoffs, but were finalists in the EIHL Charity Shield. He improved the team to 5th place in the 2011–2012 season, but still lost in the first round of the playoffs. In the 2012–2013 season, he again improved the team to 4th in the league, and reached the second round of the playoffs.
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