UNIS Flyers

UNIS Flyers Heerenveen
City	Heerenveen, Netherlands
League	BeNe League 2015-present Eredivisie 1971-2015 Dutch Cup
Founded	1967
Home arena	Thialf (capacity: 2,500)
Colours	Blue, white, red
General manager	Rob van Aalderen
Head coach	Mike Nason
Asst. coach	Pippo Limnell Finocchiaro
Website	UNIS Flyers

The UNIS Flyers are a professional ice hockey club located in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The team competes in the BeNe League and also takes part in the Dutch Cup. Home games are played in the ice hockey arena which forms part of the Thialf complex.

The UNIS Flyers were founded in 1967^[1] and played their first season in the Eredivisie in 1971-72. The Flyers set the Eredivisie record for the most consecutive championships with 7 between 1976 and 1983.

Heerenveen is the smallest Dutch city currently represented in the BeNe League (although the Belgian city of Herentals is smaller).

Over the years, the Flyers have competed under a variety of different names, since 2013 they have been known as the UNIS Flyers, due to a sponsorship deal with industrial electronics company UNIS Group.

Names marked with * are sponsorship names.

National Championship

9 times Champion: 1976-77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 2015-16, 2016-17

Dutch Cup

12 times winner: 1976-77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1987–88, 1997–98, 2001-02, 2015-16, 2016-2017

Recent seasons from 2005-06 to 2012-13.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, OTW = Overtime Wins, OTL = Overtime Losses, L = Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points

Updated February 25, 2024 ^[2]

Goaltenders
Number		Player	Catches	Acquired	Place of Birth
41		Martijn Oosterwijk	L	2019	Groningen, Netherlands
43		Almer de Boer	L	2022	Heerenveen, Netherlands

Defencemen
Number		Player	Shoots	Acquired	Place of Birth
3		Pippo Limnell Finocchiaro	R	2015	Catania, Italy
14		Niels van der Vossen	L	2011	Netherlands
18		Kenny Welles	L	2010	Oudeschoot, Netherlands
24		Trevor Hunt	L	2018	Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada
52		Mark Hoekstra	R	2010	Heerenveen, Netherlands
76		Viktor Nordemann	L	2018	Amsterdam, Netherlands
91		Ernesto Klem	R	2016	The Hague, Netherlands
91		Todd Ratchford	R	2018	Howell, Michigan, United States

Forwards
Number		Player	Shoots	Position	Acquired	Place of Birth
7		Jasper Nordemann	R	F	2018	Amsterdam, Netherlands
10		Brent Janssen	R	F	2013	Heerenveen, Netherlands
15		Wessel Copier	R	F	2021	De Meern, Netherlands
19		Tom Speel	R	F	2021	Netherlands
21		Tony Demelinne	L	LW	2012	The Hague, Netherlands
22		Dave van den Bos	L	F	2019	Netherlands
27		Jesse Barwell	L	C	2023	Oakville, Canada
28		Lars den Edel	R	F	2016	Leeuwarden, Netherlands
84		Kevin Nijland	L	F	2008	Heerenveen, Netherlands
92		Dennis Sikma	L	F	2014	Heerenveen, Netherlands
97		Marc Nijland	L	F	2015	Netherlands

• Mike Nason – Head Coach
• Pippo Limnell Finocchiaro – Assistant Coach
• Rob van Aalderen – Team manager
• Jan Berkenpas - Equipment manager
• Sean Berkenpas - Assistant to the Equipment manager
• Erik Veen – Physiotherapist
• Piety Elsinga - Physiotherapist

• Alex Andjelic
• Dave Hyrsky
• Chuck Norris
• Steven Seagal

• Alwin Assenberg
• Jolke Balt
• Jeroen Beeksma
• Pim van de Strijkerburg
• Cole Byers

• UNIS Flyers (in Dutch)
• Netherlands Ice Hockey Union (in Dutch)
• website TYSC Tilburg (in Dutch)