HC Porto
{{Short description|Portuguese ice hockey team}}
{{Infobox ice hockey team
| team = HC Porto
| colour = background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#191970 5px solid; border-bottom:#191970 5px solid;
| colour text = #000000
| logo = File:Ice Hockey Club Porto logo.jpg
| logosize = 215px
| league = Liga Ibérica
| founded = 2023
| operated =
| folded =
| arena = Various
| colours = Navy, white
{{color box|#191970}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}}
| owner =
| GM =
| coach = Jim Aldred
| captain = Edgars Svencis
| affiliates =
| parentclub =
| farmclub =
| website = {{URL|https://www.hcporto.com}}
| name1 = H.C. Porto
| dates1 = 2023–present
}}
Ice Hockey Club Porto, or HC Porto for short, is a Portuguese ice hockey team based in the city of Porto. Established in 2023, they became the first ever Portuguese team to join the Spanish Liga Nacional de Hockey Hielo (LNHH). Since 2024 the team feature in the Liga Ibérica, a combined Portuguese-Spanish league competition.
History
Ice Hockey Club Porto was established in July 2023 by Portugal national ice hockey team head coach Jim Aldred, with the aim of developing the quality of Portuguese-based ice hockey players,{{cite news |title=HC Porto testa qualidade do hóquei no gelo português na Liga espanhola|url=https://desporto.sapo.pt/modalidades/mais-modalidades/artigos/hc-porto-testa-qualidade-do-hoquei-no-gelo-portugues-na-liga-espanhola |access-date=21 November 2024|date=5 October 2023|language=Portuguese|publisher=Sapo Desporto}} and to raise hockey's profile in Portugal.{{cite news|title=Ver a seleção portuguesa de hóquei no gelo nas Olimpíadas é um sonho|last=Silva|first=David|date=February 27, 2024|newspaper=Esporte ao Minuto|language=pt|location=Oeiras, Portugal|url=https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/desporto/2508101/jim-aldred|access-date=April 1, 2025}}
The team became the first Portuguese team to join the Liga Nacional de Hockey Hielo (LNHH) in Spain after an agreement made between the Portuguese Winter Sports Federation, Royal Spanish Winter Sports Federation and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF); however league regulations regarding minimum numbers of Spanish players meant that the Portuguese team would be ineligible to qualify for the post-season playoff, only featuring in regular season games.{{cite news |title=HC Porto estreia Portugal na liga espanhola de hóquei no gelo|url=https://bomdia.eu/hc-porto-estreia-portugal-na-liga-espanhola-de-hoquei-no-gelo/|access-date=21 November 2024|date=5 October 2023|language=Portuguese|publisher=BomDia.eu}}{{cite news|title=Could new ice rinks be on the cards for Portugal?|last=da Costa Brookes|first=Cristina|date=October 11, 2024|newspaper=The Portugal News|location=Lagoa, Portugal|url=https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2024-10-11/could-new-ice-rinks-be-on-the-cards-for-portugal/92646|access-date=April 1, 2025}} Furthermore, due to the lack of full-sized ice rinks in Portugal, an arrangement was made with league officials for HC Porto to play all "home" games at rinks across Spain.{{cite news |title=HC Porto, a new Portuguese team for the Spanish league|url=https://hockeyhielo.net/2023/07/26/hc-porto-un-nuevo-equipo-portugues-para-la-liga-espanola/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGsYF1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQJUp6p8s1zws-zbGUnB_hMUHWNzgedFly3WKwjSoLzU-QlCnALMkEd7Zw_aem_5wDW4vfromqVyh0xk0UtLQ|access-date=21 November 2024|date=26 July 2023|language=Spanish|publisher=HockeyHielo.net}}
One of the team's first major player signings was former Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Oskars Bārtulis.{{cite news |title=Oskars Bārtulis |url=https://www.facebook.com/portohc/posts/we-are-thrilled-to-announce-that-oskars-bartulis-a-former-philadelphia-flyer-and/156702367509654/ |access-date=21 November 2024|date=5 October 2023}}Wikipedia:SPS HC Porto played its first competitive game LNHH on 19 September, losing 8–1 to Majadahonda HC,{{cite news |title=Equipa portuguesa em ação no campeonato espanhol de hóquei no gelo|url=https://www.record.pt/modalidades/detalhe/equipa-portuguesa-em-acao-no-campeonato-espanhol-de-hoquei-no-gelo |access-date=21 November 2024|date=21 September 2023|language=Portuguese|publisher=Record}} with Latvian Janis Berzins scoring Porto's first ever goal.{{cite news |title=Majadahonda 8–1 Porto|url=https://www.hockey.fedhielo.com/league/2314 |access-date=21 November 2024|date=19 September 2023}} During the 2023–24 season, HC Porto won seven of its 14 games, and placed fifth of eight teams.{{cite web|url=https://www.hockeyarchives.info/Espagne2024.htm|title=Championnat d'Espagne 2023/24|website=Hockey Archives|language=fr|access-date=April 5, 2025}}
In March 2024, HC Porto won the inaugural Portugal national 3-on-3 hockey tournament, placing first in a four-team round robin with 10 points, ahead of the Vikings, Luso Lynx Hockey, and Ice Clube da Covilhã.{{cite news|title=HC Porto é o primeiro campeão nacional de hóquei no gelo 3x3|url=https://www.record.pt/modalidades/desportos-de-inverno/detalhe/hc-porto-e-o-primeiro-campeao-nacional-de-hoquei-no-gelo-3x3|date=24 March 2024|publisher=Record|location=Lisbon, Portugal|language=pt|access-date=May 5, 2025}}
On 13 September 2024, HC Porto were presented as participants in the newly created Liga Ibérica de Hóquei no Gelo. The new competition, established through a partnership between the Portuguese and Spanish Winter Sport Federations, announced HC Porto alongside the six leading Spanish teams from the LNHH.{{cite news |title=España y Portugal se unen para crear la Liga Ibérica |url=https://www.nhl.com/es/news/espana-y-portugal-se-unen-para-crear-la-liga-iberica-de-hockey-hielo |access-date=21 November 2024|date=13 September 2024|language=Spanish|publisher=NHL}} HC Porto's first game of the season was delayed when the players' equipment did not arrive on the same flight as them. Their opponent, SAD Majadahonda, loaned their away jerseys and extra equipment to play the game, which HC Porto lost by a 5–1 score. When the lost equipment arrived, the next day's game was played resulting in 2–1 victory for HC Porto. HC Porto won nine of their 18 games in the 2024–25 season, placing fourth of seven teams.{{cite web|url=https://www.hockey.fedhielo.com/league/2857|title=Liga Nacional Hockey Hielo–Loterias 2024/25|website=Liga Nacional de Hockey Hielo|date=March 31, 2025|language=es|access-date=April 5, 2025}}
HC Porto won the 2024–25 Portugal national 3-on-3 hockey tournament, undefeated in the regular season and playoffs.{{cite web|url=https://www.hcporto.com/news/hc-porto-wins-portugal-champioship-202425/|title=HC Porto wins Portugal Champioship 2024/25|date=April 17, 2025|website=HC Porto|access-date=May 5, 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://fdiportugal.pt/campeonato-nacional-hoquei-no-gelo-3x3-2024-25/|title=Campeonato Nacional Hóquei no Gelo 3X3 - 24/25|date=December 17, 2024|website=Portuguese Winter Sports Federation|location=Covilhã, Portugal|language=pt|access-date=May 5, 2025}}
An olympic-sized rink with 600 seats is scheduled to open in Trofa in 2025, to provide a training facility for the team, and allow Portugal to host IIHF events.{{cite web|url=https://www.hcporto.com/news/arena-event-791/|title=Arena|date=February 13, 2025|website=HC Porto|access-date=May 5, 2025}}
References
External links
- [https://www.hcporto.com HC Porto] official website
- [https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/37732/hc-porto HC Porto] on Elite Prospects
{{DEFAULTSORT:Porto}}