
21/04/2009
Thompson makes Danish international keeper Peter Hirsch his first summer signing
Coventry Blaze Head Coach, Paul Thompson has today confirmed that he has completed the signing of Danish international netminder, Peter Hirsch, from AaB Aalborg of the Danish Elite League.
Hirsch becomes Thompson’s first summer signing as he begins his team rebuilding in preparation for the 2009/10 Elite League ice hockey season. The thirty year old, native of Copenhagen has been capped over sixty times for his country, during which time he helped Denmark to reach to top division of World Championship hockey in 2002.
He has since helped Denmark to remain an ever present amongst the world’s Elite, making over thirty appearances against the top countries in the world between 2003 and 2008. Highlights of his international career include a 2-2 tie with Team Canada and a 5-2 win over Team USA in the 2003 World Championships in Finland.
Hirsch’s domestic career has seen him play several seasons in both the Danish and Swedish Elite Leagues, playing for Malmo Redhawks and MoDo in the Swedish Elite and for Rungsted, Nordsjaelland Cobras and Aalborg in the Danish Elite. During the 2007/08 IIHF Continental Cup, Hirsch backstopped Aalborg to a berth in the competition’s Superfinal, a run that included a 3-0 victory over the Blaze in his home arena. Last season he also spent time on loan at Timra in the Swedish Elite League and Oskarhamm in the Swedish Allsvenskan League.
Hirsch, who will combine his playing duties with the Blaze with a course of study at Coventry University, will replace outgoing stopper, JF Perras as Coventry’s number one starting netminder. Thompson is also on the lookout for a new backup keeper with Steve Fone set to sign a contract with a club in the English Premier League as a starting goalie.