Blaze fired up with new sponsor

COVENTRY, UK – Coventry Blaze will be rebranded as the CPP Coventry Blaze when they take to the ice in pre-season challenge games on August 27 and 28 after agreeing a sponsorship deal with a leading Coventry firm.      Coventry-based automotive engineering firm CPP has struck a deal to sponsor its hometown Elite League ice hockey club for the forthcoming 2011/12 campaign which will see the Blaze open the season at the Skydome Arena on Sunday 28 following the opening encounter in Hull on the 27 August against rivals and stablemate, Hull Stingrays.   The Stingrays are owned by the same directors who own Coventry Blaze, but that has led to meetings between these two teams becoming fierce battles, with the Stingrays coached by former Blaze championship captain Sylvain Cloutier CPP’s name will also feature on the new Blaze match jerseys alongside the club’s new-look logo. Caroline Lucy, Commercial Director of the Blaze said she is delighted that the club have secured the support of such a reputable local company. Lucy said: “It is fantastic that CPP has taken the opportunity to back the Blaze and we hope this is the start of a long and successful relationship for both parties. “It’s particularly positive that we will once again be partnering  with a Coventry firm, especially one that’s known around the world and whose profile propels the Blaze into a new and exciting market sector.”

Brendan O’Toole, founder and Managing Director of CPP, has continuously grown the business over the past 16 years and has seen it become a world-class British car building company with a workforce of 250. The company has experienced accelerated growth in the last two years, highlighted by its planned acquisition of Dutch luxury sports car company Spyker Cars N.V and Bowler Off-Road, the Derbyshire based manufacturer of all-terrain supercars. O’Toole can see no better way to share this success than with the local community. O’Toole said: “I have been following what the Blaze have been doing for a number of years now and like their style. “We have been lucky enough to build up an international reputation but we know where our roots lie and remain very much a Coventry company so felt that supporting the Blaze would be a good way to give back to the local community. “The city is clearly passionate about this team and we hope that by helping the Blaze, we can in turn help the city. We are also looking to expand in the next 12 months and see this as a good way to aid our recruitment drive.” Paul Thompson, Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the Blaze is about to lead the team for a record seventeenth consecutive season, looking to build on their status as the most successful team in the Elite League era. Thompson, who is also Head Coach of team GB the Great Britain national team, agrees that the support of local businesses is key. “It makes a major statement that as a Coventry club, we have a Coventry company as our major sponsor. Over the years, the Blaze have been fortunate to have been backed by both local and national Coventry based companies and we wouldn’t be where we are today without that support.  We are therefore naturally delighted that CPP have agreed to become out major sponsors.  “Despite having won the league four times in the last seven years we didn’t do as well as we would have liked last season. But we have a young and exciting team for the new season and hopefully this can be the start of us getting back to where we want to be.” Thompson said. Spyker sports cars are in huge demand around the world and craftsmen in Coventry have been making most of the precision components for the last few years. The car is now built in Coventry by CPP and they intend to expand the workforce in the city. The forthcoming weekend will be the first opportunity for Blaze fans to see the new players who have been recruited by Thompson to get the team back on the road to success; following a very disappointing season last year which saw the former EIHL champions ravaged by injuries. The new recruits are blue liners Jerramie Domish(USA) signed from the EIHL champions Sheffield Steelers, John Gordon(Canada) signed from the HYs The Hague, forward Shea Guthrie(Canada) signed from Utah Grizzles, blue liners David Phillips(GB) signed from Toledo Walleye, James Griffin(GB) signed from Swindon Wildcats, forwards Mike McLean(Canada) signed from Quad City Mallards, Bryan Jurynec(USA) signed from Kalamazoo Wings, and Matic Kralj(Slovenia) signed from Morzine-Avoriaz in France. These players are joined by goalie Peter Hirsch(Denmark) who has rejoined Blaze following his success with the Coventry team two seasons ago when he help the team to their last EIHL championship, and back-up goalie Brandon Stones(GB) who joins from the Sheffield Steelhawks of the ENL. This season promises to be the most competitive ever in the EIHL with 10 teams including four teams in Scotland providing fierce rivalry to the English teams, along with Belfast Giants from Northern Ireland and Cardiff Devils from Wales. Contact the author stephen.williamson@prohockeynews.com