Pionniers de Chamonix Mont-Blanc
NicknamePionniers
CityChamonix
LeagueLigue Magnus
2016–Present
Founded2016
Home arenaRichard Bozon Ice Rink
Colours     
PresidentBernard Molliet
Head coachMarc LeFebvre
CaptainNuma Besson
WebsiteLes Pionniers

The Pionniers de Chamonix Mont-Blanc (French for 'Chamonix Mont-Blanc Pioneers') are a French ice hockey team based in Chamonix, Haute-Savoie. They play in the country's top tier, the Ligue Magnus. For their inaugural 2016–17 season, they were known as Pionniers de Chamonix-Morzine.

History

Origins

In 2016, France's Ligue Magnus adopted an expanded schedule and cut its number of teams from 14 to 12. The league's two Haute-Savoie clubs, the Chamois de Chamonix and the Pingouins de Morzine-Avoriaz, decided to merge their respective professional teams in order to better face the economic and competitive challenges presented by the new setup. The result of that fusion was a joint team called the Pionniers,[1] splitting its home games between Chamonix and Morzine-Avoriaz.[2] The amateur sections remained separate and retained the Chamois and Pingouins names.[3]

While both towns are located within the same department, they are not particularly close, with Chamonix nested in the Mont Blanc massif and Morzine-Avoriaz part of the Chablais region. Following negotiations between the two municipalities, it was agreed that Chamonix would be the united team's training base for its inaugural season,[4] as well as the owner of its league franchise.[5]

2016-17 season

2016–17 Chamonix-Morzine logo

The precarious balance between the two organizations was quickly challenged when the new Pionniers limped out of the gate to a dismal record.[6] Mid-February 2017, head coach Stéphane Gros was dismissed as the team was dead last in the standings. The move was not unexpected from a sporting standpoint, but it further aggravated the Morzine-Avoriaz side as Gros had career ties to both clubs, while his replacement Christophe Ville was viewed as purely a Chamonix man.[7][8] The Pioneers still finished the season in last place and Morzine-Avoriaz renounced the partnership after a single season.[5]

Aftermath

As the fusion agreement was more protective of Chamonix's interests, Morzine-Avoriaz suffered the most damaging fallout.[5] Chamonix kept the organization's trademarks and visual identity, and most importantly its position in the French hockey rankings.[5] While their twelfth-place finish should have sent them to the lower division, they ended up being saved from relegation by the withdrawal of Dijon from the Ligue Magnus.[9]
Morzine-Avoriaz on the other hand returned to its previous identity, the Penguins, and had to start all over at the country's fourth level, the Division 3, in 2017–18.[5]

Roster

Updated February 5, 2019.[10]

Goaltenders
Number Player Catches Acquired Place of Birth
29 France Lucas Mugnierl L 2018 Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France
33 Slovakia Richard Sabol L 2017 Prešov, Slovakia
Defencemen
Number Player Shoots Acquired Place of Birth
4 United States Geoff Fortman R 2018 Crystal Lake, United States
5 United States Colin Sullivan R 2018 Milford, United States
25 France Jérémie Penz L 2016 Sallanches, France
32 France Numa Bessone (C) L 2012 Sallanches, France
44 Slovenia Maks Selan L 2018 Jesenice, Slovenia
45 Czech Republic Vojtech Kloz L 2018 Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
57 Czech Republic Jiri Klimicek L 2018 Ostrava, Czech Republic
94 France Clément Mermoux R 2018 Sallanches, France
Forwards
Number Player Shoots Position Acquired Place of Birth
12 Canada Perry D'Arrisso R RW 2018 Mississauga, Canada
14 France Adrien Glévéau R RW 2017 Sallanches, France
16 France Julien Laplace L C 2017 Annecy, France
17 France Fabien Kazarine L LW/RW 2018 Compiègne, France
20 Canada Cody Freeman L RW 2018 Markham, Canada
22 France Quentin Fauchon R RW 2018 Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, France
27 Canada Benjamin Lagarde L LW 2018 Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec, Canada
33 France Mathieu Briand L C 2018 Saint-Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon
40 United States Erik Higby L C 2018 New Braunfels, United States
54 Canada Scott Jacklin (A) L C/LW 2018 Kimberley, Canada
55 Sweden Henric Andersén (A) R RW 2017 Grums, Sweden
72 France Loïc Coulaud R RW 2018 Gap, France
77 France Maxence Leroux R C/RW 2018 Melun, France

References

  1. ↑ "Chamonix / Morzine : tout savoir sur les Pionniers du hockey". lessorsavoyard.fr. Groupe Rossel-La Voix. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  2. ↑ Alapetite, Alexis (2016-04-13). "Création d'une nouvelle équipe avec la fusion de Morzine et de Chamonix". parlonssports.fr (in French). Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  3. ↑ "U11: Tournoi Megève Tiers de glace". megevehockeyclub.fr. Megève Hockey Club. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2021. Pingouins, [...] chamois [...] ont bien compris qu'il faut maintenant compter sur les Boucs de Megeve...
  4. ↑ "La naissance des Pionniers". Altus-Vallée de Chamonix. No. 19. Chambéry: Grands Espaces. p. 18. Pour cette saison 2016/2017, le « camp de base » de l'équipe sera Chamonix, avec des entraînements principalement à la patinoire Richard Bozon.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Théveniau, Yves (24 October 2017). "Comme on se retrouve…". ledauphine.com. Groupe EBRA. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  6. ↑ "Hockey sur glace: les Pionniers de Chamonix Morzine lancent leur contre-offensive". france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr. France TV. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  7. ↑ "Changement d'entraineur pour le Chamonix Morzine Hockey Club" (Press release). Chamonix Morzine Hockey Club. 17 February 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  8. ↑ Juillet, Alexandre (17 February 2017). "Hockey sur glace - LM : Stéphane Gros n'est plus entraineur des Pionniers". hockeyhebdo.com. Média Sports Loisirs. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  9. ↑ "Ligue Magnus: les hockeyeurs niçois doivent maintenir le cap". nicematin.com. Groupe Nice Matin. 26 September 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  10. ↑ "Pionniers de Chamonix-Morzine Roster". pionniers-chamonix.com (in French). Retrieved February 5, 2019.
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