Zurcher SC
| ZSC Lions | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| City | Zurich, Switzerland |
| League | National League A |
| Founded | 1930 |
| Home arena | Hallenstadion |
| Colors | Blue, Red, White |
| General manager | Peter Zahner |
| Head coach | Hans Wallson |
| Captain | Mathias Seger |
| Affiliates | GCK Lions |
| Website | www |
| Franchise history | |
| 1930–present | ZSC Lions |
The Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions (ZSC Lions) are a professional ice hockey team located in Zürich, Switzerland, playing in the National League A. The home arena, the 11,200 seat Hallenstadion, is in the Zürich district of Oerlikon. The team was founded in 1930 and played at the Dolder-Kunsteisbahn from its establishment until 1950.
Locally nicknamed "Z", the team was formed in 1997 as a result of the merger of the two local teams: the highly popular Zürcher Schlittschuh Club (German for "Zürich Skating Club"), who were struggling financially in National League A, and the ice hockey section of Grasshopper Club Zürich who had failed to qualify for promotion from National League B for several years in a row and had a small fan base, but were backed by entrepreneur and millionaire Walter Frey.
ZSC was the first Swiss team to play in an indoor arena (Hallenstadion). They won the Swiss championship in the years 1936, 1949 and 1961 and the prestigious Spengler Cup in 1944 and 1945. After the merger, the ZSC Lions won the Swiss Championship in 2000, 2001, 2008, 2012 and 2014, and moreover won the IIHF Continental Cup in 2001 and 2002.
During the 2008-09 Season, the ZSC Lions participated in the first ever Champions Hockey League. For the group stage, they were placed in group D with HC Slavia Praha and Linköpings HC. The Lions qualified for the semi-finals with a 3-1 record, first place in the group. With their defeats of the Finnish Espoo Blues, 6-3 and 4-1 respectively, they qualified for the tournament final. The first leg of the final was held on January 21, 2009 in the Magnitogorsk Arena where the Lions came back from a 0-2 deficit to Metallurg Magnitogorsk to end with a 2-2 tie. The second leg was played a week later, on January 28, 2009, in the Diners Club Arena in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland. ZSC Lions won the game and the Silver Stone Trophy with a 5-0 victory.
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