Gold Coast Blue Tongues

The Bartercard Gold Coast Blue Tongues, formerly known as the Brisbane Blue Tongues was a former semi-professional ice hockey team in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The team played its home games at the Iceland in Bundall, Gold Coast, Queensland.

Gold Coast Blue Tongues
CityBundall, Gold Coast, Queensland
LeagueAustralian Ice Hockey League
Founded2005
Home arenaGold Coast Iceland
ColoursGreen, blue and white
General manager Dave Emblem
Head coach Peter Nixon
WebsiteBluetongues.com.au
Franchise history
2005–2007Brisbane Blue Tongues
2008–2015Gold Coast Blue Tongues
Championships
Regular season titles0
Conference Championships0
Goodall Cups0

History

The Blue Tongues, along with the Central Coast Rhinos, were part of the AIHL's expansion for the 2005 season. The name Blue Tongues is a reference to the blue-tongued lizard which is found in large numbers in the Brisbane suburbs. The lizard is featured in the team's logo.

On 6 June 2006, the Blue Tongues announced that former NHL forward Rob Zamuner would join the team for at least the remainder of the 2006 season. Zamuner is a veteran of 13 NHL seasons and has played for such teams as the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning.

At the start of the 2007 season the Blue Tongues signed former New York Islanders draft pick Tyrone Garner to replace leaving veteran goaltender Milan Novysedlak. Garner made his NHL debut in the 1998/99 season, playing 3 games for the Calgary Flames. In the time since Garner has played in the AHL, ECHL and in Germany.

From 1 April 2008, Bartercard came on board as the naming sponsor for the Blue Tongues.[1]

In 2008, the Blue Tongues announced their relocation from the Ice World in Boondall, Queensland to Iceland Bundall, Gold Coast, Queensland, for sponsorship reasons and to bring the players closer together, due to many of the import players already living on the Gold Coast.[2] However, this was not without its difficulties, as the small Iceland rink, according to its owners, was never intended for senior ice hockey, and there were complaints from rival teams and from the league about the suitability and safety of the venue. This all came to a head in 2011 and 2012, with one match called off in each season due to the surface being deemed unplayable. The team was evicted from the rink by its owners after the second cancellation, forcing at short notice the relocation of its last seven home matches in the 2012 season to Iceworld in Acacia Ridge, Brisbane, with the matches played at 10:30pm, a better time unable to be negotiated with the rink due to the short notice of the relocation.[3][4] The club intended the move to Brisbane to be temporary, and intended to return to the Gold Coast when able to do so.[5] In October 2012 the teams license was suspended due to the team being unable to secure a home venue for 2013.[6]

On 23 November 2013, it was announced that the team will remain on hiatus for the 2014 season, with aims on returning to the AIHL in 2015, possibly in Brisbane.[7] However, by 2015, those hopes never materialized and the team's license has expired.[8]

Season-by-season record
Season GP W T SOW SOL L GF GA PTS Finish Playoff
200526814013104104337thDid not qualify
2006281001017117114326thDid not qualify
20072815–0491071014615thDid not qualify
2008288–0317104154277thDid not qualify
20092413–13710886444thLost semifinal vs. Newcastle North Stars, 3–5
2010249–111384107305thDid not qualify
20112813–1212120115435thDid not qualify
20122410–03118185333rd, EastonDid not qualify
1 - The AIHL imposed the loss of 3 competition points to the Blue Tongues as a result of the playing unregistered player Jani Pekkarinen.

Players and personnel

Current roster

Team roster for the 2012 AIHL season.[9]

#NatNamePosDate of BirthAcquiredBirthplace
10Jon BaleF4 June 19862005Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
21Anthony BarnesF19882012
4Greg BayD2 April 19892012Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
22Marco BertossaD/F12 April 19742008Zurich, Switzerland
44Adam BlanchetteD21 February 19862012Berlin, Connecticut, United States
7Jeremy BruckerF8 December 19892012
11Andreas CamenzindF1 February 19822012Wettingen, Switzerland
6Jack ConnerF7 March 19892008Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
14Matt CourtneyF9 April 19832011
16Etienne Du ToitF5 December 19852012Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
1Kane EasterbrookG23 June 19882011
9Adam GericF21 March 19892011Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
30Alain GiauqueG18 August 19852012
14Alexander HallF11 May 19902011Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
27Ross HowellD/F4 November 19792006Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
8Matthew JohnsonF3 February 19922011
1Anthony KimlinG20 January 19902012Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
55Carter LawrenceF25 February 19962012Kennedy, Saskatchewan, Canada
12Matt MaycockD19882012
13Mike McRaeF6 December 19812010Berkley, Michigan, United States
88Jordan MillenF19952012Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
66Casey MinsonD/F10 October 19852012Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
1Nicholas NovysedlakG11 August 19952012
24Ben O'DriscollF14 October 19862012Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
19Matt PapineauF26 January 19882012Belle River, Ontario, Canada
55Tom PesceD11 October 19912012Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, United States
22James SanfordD18 June 19842012Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
5Ben SpillaneD26 November 19812005Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
8Cameron TrewD16 August 19892008Queenstown, New Zealand

Notable former players

Media coverage

During the 2007 AIHL season Brisbane Blue Tongues home games were broadcast on the Brisbane community television station Briz 31 (UHF Channel 31). During the 2008 AIHL season, the Gold Coast Blue Tongues games were broadcast live over the internet and also on the Brisbane community television station Briz 31 (UHF Channel 31). All the games were filmed by Blue Tongues supporter Mike Crowhurst from Cunning Crow Productions and commentated by Blue Tongues Team Assistant Adrian Barclay. In 2009 there were no broadcast games.

gollark: You are, realistically, not entirely unaffected by advertising.
gollark: Anyway, you can invoke "banner blindness" all you want, but *advertising is somewhat effective or there would not be massive spends on it*.
gollark: Well, not currently.
gollark: Well, you apparently don't want Trump propaganda.
gollark: Probably *are* passing it onto people who target political adverts.

See also

References
  1. Hansen, Sam (22 April 2008). "Bartercard Gold Coast Blue Tongues". Bartercard Gold Coast Blue Tongues. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  2. Gardini, Adam (4 February 2008). "Lizard Insider". Lizard Insider. Archived from the original on 16 July 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  3. Lambert, Peter (10 July 2011). "10 July Dogs @ Blue Tongues game cancelled". Australian Ice Hockey League. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  4. "Blue Tongues relocate". Australian Ice Hockey League. 8 June 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  5. Wilson, Terry; Fineran, Leah (12 June 2012). "Blue Tongues to finish season in Brisbane". News.com.au. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  6. Kiely, Ben (20 October 2012). "The AIHL Will Revert to an 8 Team Competition for 2013". Australian Ice Hockey League. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  7. http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=7730dc01e417b52bd1a45000b&id=c64d4d2826
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "Gold Coast Blue Tongues". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 16 June 2010.
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