# Mechelen Golden Sharks

Mechelen Golden Sharks are a Belgian professional ice hockey team that plays in the BeNe League, the top tier of the sport in Belgium and the Netherlands. The team is based in Mechelen and play their home games at the Ice Skating Center Mechelen.

## History

The Mechelen Golden Sharks began to play in 2016, initially in the Belgian 2nd division. There, they dominated the competition in their debut season, winning all but two of their games, ultimately finishing in the 1st place. The following season they returned, and were even more dominant, winning every game. Subsequently, they moved to the BeNe League. In their first season in the BeNe League the team signed Lithuanian international and former Nijmegen Devil Aivaras Bendžius, however, they struggled against the tougher competition, finishing 10th out of 12 teams. They would improve in their 2nd season in the league, finishing 8th and qualifying for the play-offs, which were ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Golden Sharks are the senior side representing the ColdPlay Sharks team. Meanwhile, a feeder team, the Future Golden Sharks plays in the Belgian 1st Division.

## Roster

Updated February 4, 2021.
Goaltenders :
| Number | | Player | Catches | Acquired | Place of Birth |
| 1 | | Brent Vandenbergh | - | 2019 | - |
| 55 | / | Olivier Bertrand | L | 2018 | Hull, Canada |
| 19 | | Mike Jansen | L | 2020 | - |
| 94 | | Mike Gysbrechts | L | 2017 | Antwerp, Belgium |
Defencemen :
| Number | Player | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth |
| 6 | Vadim Gyesbreghs | L | 2020 | Wilrijk, Belgium |
| 9 | Jakob Huyghe | R | 2016 | - |
| 23 | Elan Verryt | - | 2020 | - |
| 47 | Kim Miettinen | L | 2019 | Tuusula, Finland |
| 81 | Gijs De Schepper | R | 2020 | Nieuwenrode, Belgium |
| 14 | Toon De Schepper | R | 2020 | Nieuwenrode, Belgium |
| 81 | Rafael Salmi | L | 2019 | - |
| 29 | Jens Theunis | L | 2020 | - |
| 65 | Arne van Espen | L | 2019 | - |
| 81 | Din Alen Filipović | R | 2019 | - |
Forwards :
| Number | | Player | Shoots | Position | Acquired | Place of Birth |
| 4 | | Elia Urlings | - | F | 2019 | Breda, Netherlands |
| 12 | | Ben van den Bogaert | L | F | 2019 | - |
| 13 | | Peik Walden | - | F | 2020 | - |
| 18 | | Jano Vanderhulst | - | F | 2017 | - |
| 20 | | Marek Ziarny | L | F | 2017 | - |
| 24 | | Kevin de Winter | L | F | 2019 | Antwerp, Belgium |
| 28 | | Kenneth Pittoors | L | F | 2019 | - |
| 61 | / | Adrian Koscher Ganslandt | R | F | 2019 | - |
| 13 | / | Gabriel Koscher Ganslandt | L | F | 2019 | - |
| 91 | | Stef Vermeulen | L | F | 2019 | - |
| 10 | | Arvo Lahti | - | F | 2019 | - |
| 15 | | Axel Kila | L | F | 2020 | - |
| 23 | | Jordan Kelsall | R | F | 2020 | Nottingham, England |
| 25 | | Mick Op de Beeck | L | LW | 2018 | - |
| 31 | | Stefaan Swennen | L | F | 2016 | Wilrijk, Belgium |
| 89 | | Timo Dewin | L | LW | 2018 | - |

## Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Season | League | GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2016-17 | Belgian 2nd Division | 18 | 14 | 2 | — | 2 | 0 | 46 | 156 | 46 | 1st | - |
| 2017-18 | Belgian 2nd Division | 18 | 18 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 54 | 253 | 45 | 1st | - |
| 2018-19 | BeNe League | 22 | 4 | 18 | — | 0 | 0 | 12 | 63 | 165 | 10th | Did not qualify. |
| 2019-20 | BeNe League | 20 | 9 | 11 | — | 0 | 0 | 29 | 99 | 95 | 8th | Playoffs cancelled |

## Team records
### Career

These are the top five scorers in Golden Sharks history.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts |
| Martin Váchal | F | 27 | 113 | 85 | 198 |
| Marek Ziarny | F | 46 | 57 | 76 | 133 |
| Olivier Roland | F | 22 | 44 | 70 | 114 |
| Jesse Raekelboom | F | 13 | 37 | 66 | 103 |
| Daniel Budde | D | 60 | 26 | 41 | 67 |
Penalty minutes: Jakob Huyghe, 149

### Season
#### Regular season

* Most goals in a season: Martin Váchal, 102 (2017–18)
* Most assists in a season: Martin Váchal, 77 (2017–18)
* Most points in a season: Martin Váchal, 179 (2017–18)
* Most penalty minutes in a season: Jakob Huyghe, 90 (2018–19)

## Notable players

* Aivaras Bendžius