Nippon Paper Cranes

Nippon Paper Cranes
CityKushiro, Hokkaidō
Founded1949 (1949)
Operated1949–2019
Folded2019
Home arenaKushiro Ice Arena
ColoursBlack, red, white
     
Owner(s)Nippon Paper Group

The Nippon Paper Cranes (日本製紙クレインズ, Nippon Seishi Kureinzu) were an Asia League Ice Hockey team based in Kushiro City in Hokkaidō, Japan.

History

The club was founded as Jūjō Paper Kushiro Ice Hockey Club in 1949. They adopted the new name Nippon Paper Cranes in 1993 when Jūjō Paper and Sanyō Kokusaku Pulp merged to form Nippon Paper.

They won the inaugural Asia League Ice Hockey title in the 2003–04 season, and have won it four times overall. They also have won the All Japan Ice hockey Championship seven times. After the 2018–19 season, the team was dissolved due to financial difficulties, and was replaced by the East Hokkaido Cranes.[1]

Honours

Season-by-season record

Asia League

Season GP W W(OT) W(GWS)* T L(GWS)* L(OT) L GF GA PTS Finish Playoffs
2003–04 16 13 0 — 0 — 0 3 80 49 39 1st/5 Won League
2004–05 42 31 0 — 5 — 0 6 206 85 98 1st/8 Lost in finals
2005–06 38 30 2 — 1 — 0 5 240 66 95 1st/9 Lost in finals
2006–07 34 27 1 — 1 — 2 3 198 79 86 1st/8 Won championship
2007–08 30 15 1 — 2 — 1 11 97 85 50 4th/7 Lost in finals
2008–09 36 18 3 2 — 2 3 8 120 95 69 4th/7 Won championship
2009–10 36 18 3 3 — 2 0 10 128 101 68 3rd/7 Lost in finals
2010–11 36 21 2 1 — 3 2 7 141 95 74 2nd/7 Lost in semi-finals
2011–12 36 16 1 3 — 1 1 14 128 110 58 4th/7 Lost in semi-finals
2012–13 42 17 4 6 — 3 3 9 176 130 77 3rd/7 Lost in semi-finals
Totals 346 205 17 15 9 12 11 76 1514 895 — — 3 Championships

*prior to the 2008–2009 season, there were no shoot-outs and games ended in a tie

Past import players

References

  1. ^ "'East Hokkaido Cranes' to succeed Nippon Paper franchise". The Japan Times. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2019.