The Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions (ZSC Lions) are a professional ice hockey team located in Zürich,

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, playing in the National League (NL). Their home arena is the 12,000-seat Swiss Life Arena. The team was founded in 1930 and played at the Dolder-Kunsteisbahn from its establishment until 1950.

History

ZSC Lions were 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 Grasshopper Club Zürich, commonly referred to as simply GC, GCZ, or Grasshoppers, is a multisports club based in Zürich, Switzerland. The oldest and best known department of the club is its football team. With 27 titles, Grasshopper holds the ...

of the National League B, backed by entrepreneur and billionaire 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, 2014 and 2018, and moreover won the IIHF Continental Cup in 2001 and 2002.

Champions Hockey League and Victoria Cup

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 Arena Metallurg (russian: Арена-Металлург) is an indoor sporting arena located in Magnitogorsk, Russia. The capacity of the arena is 7,500 and was built in 2006. It is the home arena of the Metallurg Magnitogorsk ice hockey team. I ...

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. With their victory in the Champions Hockey League, the ZSC Lions qualified to play the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League for the 2009 edition of the Victoria Cup challenge. Playing at their home arena, the Lions upset the Blackhawks with a 2–1 victory, winning the trophy. It was the first time since 1991 that the Blackhawks had lost to a club in Europe.

Honors

* NL Championship ''(9)'': 1936, 1949, 1961, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2018 * SL Championship ''(4)'': 1973, 1981, 1983, 1989 * Victoria Cup ''(1)'': 2009 * Champions Hockey League/ Silver Stone Trophy ''(1)'': 2009 * IIHF Continental Cup ''(2)'': 2001, 2002 *

Swiss Cup The Swiss Cup (; ; ; ) is a football cup tournament that has been organised annually since 1925–26 by the Swiss Football Association. Since 1999 the winner earns the chance to qualify for the UEFA Europa League or the UEFA Europa Conference L ...

''(3)'': 1960, 1961, 2016 * Spengler Cup ''(3)'': 1944, 1945, 1952 (disqualified for drug use)

Players

Current roster

References

External links

ZSC Lions official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zsc Lions Ice hockey teams in Switzerland Sport in Zürich 1930 establishments in Switzerland Swiss Women's League teams