UNIS Flyers

The UNIS Flyers are a ice hockey club located in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The team competes in the BeNe League and also takes part in the Dutch Cup. Home games are played in the ice hockey arena which forms part of the Thialf complex.

UNIS Flyers Heerenveen
CityHeerenveen, Netherlands
LeagueBeNe League
2015-present
Eredivisie
1971-2015
Dutch Cup
Founded1967
Home arenaThialf
(capacity: 2,500)
Colours              
General manager Rob van Aalderen
Head coach Mike Nason
Asst. head coach Jacco Landman
WebsiteUNIS Flyers

History

The UNIS Flyers were founded in 1967 and played their first season in the Eredivisie in 1971-72. The Flyers set the Eredivisie record for the most consecutive championships with 7 between 1976 and 1983.

Heerenveen is the smallest Dutch city currently represented in the BeNe League (although the Belgian city of Herentals is smaller).

Over the years, the Flyers have competed under a variety of different names, since 2013 they have been known as the UNIS Flyers, due to a sponsorship deal with industrial electronics company UNIS Group.

Names marked with * are sponsorship names.
Competed nameSeasonsNotes
Thialf Heerenveen1971/72 - 1973/74
Peters & Jagers Heerenveen*1974/75
Feenstra Verwarming Heerenveen*1975/76 - 1977/78
Feenstra Flyers*1978/79 - 1983/84
Freriks Flyers*1984/85
BP Flyers*1985/86 - 1989/90
Forbo Flyers*1990/91 - 1991/92
Flyers1992/93 - 1994/95(until January 1995)
Pelgrim Flyers*1994/95 - 1999/00(from January 1995)
Formido Flyers*2000/01 - 2003/04
Vadeko Flyers*2004/05 - 2007/08
Hajé Flyers*2008/09 - 2009/10
A6.nl Flyers*2010/11
Friesland Flyers2011/12 - 2012/13(until January 2013 still sponsored by A6.nl)
UNIS Flyers*2013-present

Championships
National Championship
9 times Champion: 1976-77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 2015-16, 2016-17
Dutch Cup
12 times winner: 1976-77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1987–88, 1997–98, 2001-02, 2015-16, 2016-2017

Season results
Recent seasons from 2005-06 to 2012-13.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, OTW = Overtime Wins, OTL = Overtime Losses, L = Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points

SeasonGPWOTWOTLLGFGAPtsFinishPlayoffs
2012–133621231013897703rd, EredivisieLost semi-finals to Tilburg (0W-3L)
2011–121450185263166th, North Sea CupLost qtr.final round-robin to The Hague and Tilburg(0W-1OTL-7L)
2010–112815409118105533rd, North Sea CupLost quarter-finals to Geleen (0-2)
2009–10281522912588515th, EredivisieLost quarter-finals to Geleen (0-2)
2008–09241112108779375th, EredivisieLost quarter-finals to Nijmegen (0-3)
2007-08241811411953572nd, EredivisieLost finals to Tilburg (1-4)
2006-072083098078304th, EredivisieLost semi-finals to Geleen (0-3)
2005-0620121349256412nd, EredivisieLost finals to Nijmegen (2-3)

Roster

Updated February 25, 2019.[1]

Goaltenders
Number Player Catches Acquired Place of Birth
31 Sjoerd Idzenga L 2006 Heerenveen, Netherlands
46 Jeff Honebeeke L 2017 Delfzijl, Netherlands
Defencemen
Number Player Shoots Acquired Place of Birth
3 Pippo Limnell Finocchiaro R 2015 Catania, Italy
14 Niels van der Vossen L 2011 Netherlands
18 Kenny Welles L 2010 Oudeschoot, Netherlands
24 Trevor Hunt L 2018 Maple Ridge, Canada
52 Mark Hoekstra R 2010 Heerenveen, Netherlands
76 Viktor Nordemann L 2018 Amsterdam, Netherlands
91 Ernesto Klem R 2016 The Hague, Netherlands
91 Todd Ratchford R 2018 Howell, United States
Forwards
Number Player Shoots Position Acquired Place of Birth
7 Jasper Nordemann R F 2018 Amsterdam, Netherlands
10 Brent Janssen R F 2013 Heerenveen, Netherlands
11 Aldo van Aalderen L F 2013 Joure, Netherlands
16 Ronald Wurm R RW 2014 The Hague, Netherlands
19 Marco Postma L C 2014 Leeuwarden, Netherlands
21 Tony Demelinne L LW 2012 The Hague, Netherlands
22 Adam Bezak L RW 2016 Bratislava, Slovakia
27 Rick Neef L F 2017 Heerenveen, Netherlands
28 Lars den Edel R F 2016 Leeuwarden, Netherlands
84 Kevin Nijland L F 2008 Heerenveen, Netherlands
92 Dennis Sikma L F 2014 Heerenveen, Netherlands
97 Marc Nijland L F 2015 Netherlands

Staff
  • Mike Nason – Head Coach
  • Jacco Landman – Assistant Coach
  • Rob van Aalderen – Team manager
  • Theo van der Duin - Equipment manager
  • Erik Veen – Physiotherapist
  • Piety Elsinga - Physiotherapist

Former coaches

Notable players
  • Alwin Assenberg
  • Jolke Balt
  • Jeroen Beeksma
  • Cole Byers

References
  1. "UNIS Flyers Roster". unisflyers.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved February 25, 2019.
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