The Cardiff Devils enter their 25th anniversary this coming season – and will begin that landmark by celebrating a world-beating achievement having been acknowledged as achieving a Guinness World Record.
Between 30th October 2010 and lasting until 15th January 2011, an incredible run of 22 consecutive wins saw the Devils – led by player / Head Coach Gerad Adams - storm to the top of the Elite League standings. Devils defeated every team in the league and won in every opposition arena. The cup defeat of the Hull Stingrays does not count towards the final record of 21 league wins on the bounce however the South Wales team are on top of the world in ice hockey terms.
The Devils goal difference during the winning streak was a phenomenal 111 scored to 38 conceded.
No other professional Ice Hockey team has come close to achieving this in the 100-plus year history of the game and the endorsement by the world-famous Guinness Book has delighted the entire organisation.
Between 30th October 2010 and lasting until 15th January 2011, an incredible run of 22 consecutive wins saw the Devils – led by player / Head Coach Gerad Adams - storm to the top of the Elite League standings. Devils defeated every team in the league and won in every opposition arena. The cup defeat of the Hull Stingrays does not count towards the final record of 21 league wins on the bounce however the South Wales team are on top of the world in ice hockey terms.
The Devils goal difference during the winning streak was a phenomenal 111 scored to 38 conceded.
No other professional Ice Hockey team has come close to achieving this in the 100-plus year history of the game and the endorsement by the world-famous Guinness Book has delighted the entire organisation.
Adams said: “It’s an amazing achievement; of course we didn’t realise at the time – we knew we were close to breaking Elite League records – but didn’t dream we would be world record holders.
We always try and get the best team that we can – and this past season, we had a great team. Individually they were great but even better playing together as a team – and this World Record is evidence of that completely.”
Silverware is always the main thing on any teams mind and that’s exactly what we’ll be aiming for this year. We can’t promise any World records again – but we’ll certainly do our best.”
The Devils are Wales’s most successful professional sports team, were the first to qualify for the latter stages of European club competition, the first winners of the prestigious Superleague trophy and the only team to qualify for the finals of the playoff trophy in every year of Elite League competition.
The Club has plans to celebrate this achievement at the festival of hockey in Cardiff on 28th August by raising a banner to the roof to alongside the rest of the achievements of the first 25 years of the club. At that festival past legends will return to grace the ice in anniversary celebrations.
The 2010-11 Devils team included the League’s Top Scorer in Jon Pelle and former NHL player (and EIHL Player and Defenceman of the Year) Craig Weller. It was most definitely a season of both team and individual successes with numerous players achieving stand out years, and Adams is keen to replicate that success in 2011-12
Devils fans know that Adams and Devils Bench Coach Neil “Franny” Francis will once again build a team capable of challenging for the EIHL’s three trophies in what will be the club’s spectacular 25th Anniversary.
Already the team is well under construction and fans have been delighted by return of several key players from this record breaking team. One such man is none other than the 2010-11 Unsung Hero and Echo Fans’ Favourite: shot-blocking machine Mark Smith.
LINK: Smith echoes Adams’s sentiments: “Nobody had in their minds to break a record: it was always just about going out and playing the game we play and it was working out for us – we were getting the wins.
“Things were so tight for the League Championship that every point and every win mattered – that was first and foremost. So, to me, it was just the same old “going out and playing as hard as you can every game” and I think I approached every game the same as I have my entire career.
“We were fortunate enough to have a really good team and a lot of good players, so that obviously accounted for getting all the wins in a row.”
So, now that the season is over and the Edmonton native has had time to sit back and reflect upon the record breaking winning streak, how does it feel to be a Guinness World Record holder?
“It’s pretty amazing! To see some of the things in that book – you just think, “wow, that’s a pretty incredible kind of thing to be part of, it’s very special.”
With a record breaking history behind them already it seems guaranteed the Devils upcoming anniversary year will provide fans worldwide with something very special indeed.
Silverware is always the main thing on any teams mind and that’s exactly what we’ll be aiming for this year. We can’t promise any World records again – but we’ll certainly do our best.”
The Devils are Wales’s most successful professional sports team, were the first to qualify for the latter stages of European club competition, the first winners of the prestigious Superleague trophy and the only team to qualify for the finals of the playoff trophy in every year of Elite League competition.
The Club has plans to celebrate this achievement at the festival of hockey in Cardiff on 28th August by raising a banner to the roof to alongside the rest of the achievements of the first 25 years of the club. At that festival past legends will return to grace the ice in anniversary celebrations.
The 2010-11 Devils team included the League’s Top Scorer in Jon Pelle and former NHL player (and EIHL Player and Defenceman of the Year) Craig Weller. It was most definitely a season of both team and individual successes with numerous players achieving stand out years, and Adams is keen to replicate that success in 2011-12
Devils fans know that Adams and Devils Bench Coach Neil “Franny” Francis will once again build a team capable of challenging for the EIHL’s three trophies in what will be the club’s spectacular 25th Anniversary.
Already the team is well under construction and fans have been delighted by return of several key players from this record breaking team. One such man is none other than the 2010-11 Unsung Hero and Echo Fans’ Favourite: shot-blocking machine Mark Smith.
LINK: Smith echoes Adams’s sentiments: “Nobody had in their minds to break a record: it was always just about going out and playing the game we play and it was working out for us – we were getting the wins.
“Things were so tight for the League Championship that every point and every win mattered – that was first and foremost. So, to me, it was just the same old “going out and playing as hard as you can every game” and I think I approached every game the same as I have my entire career.
“We were fortunate enough to have a really good team and a lot of good players, so that obviously accounted for getting all the wins in a row.”
So, now that the season is over and the Edmonton native has had time to sit back and reflect upon the record breaking winning streak, how does it feel to be a Guinness World Record holder?
“It’s pretty amazing! To see some of the things in that book – you just think, “wow, that’s a pretty incredible kind of thing to be part of, it’s very special.”
With a record breaking history behind them already it seems guaranteed the Devils upcoming anniversary year will provide fans worldwide with something very special indeed.
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