Spektrum Flyers Spektrum Flyers was a short - lived ice hockey team from Oslo , Norway . A merger between Manglerud Star and Furuset , it played the 1994 – 95 and 1995 – 96 seasons in Eliteserien , the premier ice hockey league in Norway , with home games at Oslo Spektrum . History . Establishment . Manglerud Star and Furuset had formerly cooperated with the team Oslo Hockey . After it was dissolved , Manglerud Star became a farm team for Vålerenga Ishockey . Following the opening of Oslo Spektrum in 1990 , Vålerenga moved their games to the venue in the heart of Oslo . After the end of the 1992 – 93 season , the team returned to its old venue , Jordal Amfi , and Oslo Spektrum started looking for a new tenant . Oslo Spektrum ' s new management company , SMGManagement , encouraged Manglerud Star and Furuset to play some of their games at Oslo Spektrum . Instead , the two teams decided to merge their top - level teams to create a team that all of Oslo could support . In September 1993 , Furuset , Manglerud Star and SMG signed an interim agreement , which would establish the new team in the city center . The new team received an exclusive right to play matches at Spektrum , and SMG would perform marketing of the games . The condition was that at least one of the two teams succeeded at keeping their place in the premier league . The team received 1 million Norwegian krone from the two mother teams to purchase six top players , including two from Canada . The team ' s management stated that they were working on a cooperation with the National Hockey League ( NHL ) side Philadelphia Flyers . In a deal in November 1993 , Furuset - players Cato Tom Andersen , Christian Kjeldsberg and Jan Roar Fagerli all transferred to Manglerud Star for the 1993 – 94 season , which Furuset would play in First Division . The players were intended to be transferred to Spektrum Flyers . In March 1994 , Ole Jacob Libæk , who was instrumental in the creation of the new team and had been appointed chair , stated that he wanted Vålerenga to also participate . He hoped that this would create sufficient interest to generate four to five thousand spectators per match , which would be necessary to maintain a professional team . Rolf Kirkvaag jr . was hired as the team ' s director . On 22 April 1994 , the club announced that Serge Boisvert , a former NHL - player , would be player - coach . Rumors had it that George Kingston had been a possible candidate . The team received a budget of NOK 7 million for the first season . In June , the team signed Lillehammer IK - player Tommy Jakobsen , who had previously played for Furuset . In July , the Czech national team and HC Sparta Praha back Leo Gudas signed for the club . Other players included Geir Hoff , Vegar Barlie , Jarle Friis , Per Odvar and Knut Walbye . In June , the team was registered as a limited company . However , it was late sending in its budget to the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association , and nearly lost its license to play . It received permission to play three of its matches in the opening season at Gjøvik Olympic Cavern Hall in Gjøvik . The teams first match was a friendly against Storhamar on 16 August in Gjøvik , which Flyers lost 2 – 5 . In September , the team ended second in the friendly Panasonic Cup in Denmark . Libæk stated that he had been in contact with IMG , who wanted to create a pan - European ice hockey league , and that Flyers was the prime candidate to represent Norway . Flyers was offered NOK 70 million to play in the league , which was planned to have 12 teams and be named the International Hockey League ( IHL ) . The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association stated that after an agreement between NHL and the International Ice Hockey Federation ( IIHF ) , the Flyers would be banned from playing in Eliteserien if they formally associated themselves with IHL . In the last friendly before the league started , Flyers beat Vålerenga 4 – 1 on 18 September . In the league debut on 25 September , the two teams met in front of 3 , 121 spectators at Jordal , where Vålerenga won 5 – 3 . In its home debut on 29 September , Flyers beat Trondheim IK 5 – 3 . With only 1770 of the 2400 spectators paying , the team management stated that it would be difficult to pay the NOK 100 , 000 per game which Oslo Spektrum charged . The team had been marketing the game by handing out 1 , 200 free tickets to school children , but required the parents who accompanied the children to pay for the tickets . At the same time , Vegard Barlie criticized the club for not wanting to sign a contract , after he had punctured a lung . Bergen . On 19 January 1996 , Kirkvaag stated that the club was planning to move to Bergen , and that this could happen as early as for the play - offs . The stated reasons for this were that Oslo Municipality would not give the club any subsidies , and the high cost of playing at Oslo Spektrum . The team would then have been renamed Bergen Flyers and play their matches in Bergenshallen . The management of Manglerud Star stated that they were opposed to the plans , and that it was unrealistic to move an entire club , even if permission was granted . Initially the plans were to only play the playoff matches in Bergen , and the club would thereby be required to pay the transport to and overnighting in Bergen for both themselves and the opponent teams . At the time , Bergen — Norway ' s second - largest city — did not have a team in the premier league . An official application to move was sent to the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association on 26 January . The application was approved by the association , and the club announced it would play its first play - off match in Bergenshallen on 15 February . On 1 February , the Kirkvaag stated that they had decided to move the team permanently to Bergen . Vålerenga stated that it was opposed to the play - off games being played in Bergen and that they wanted a possible local derby between the Oslo teams to be played in the city . Representatives from the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association stated that Flyers had primarily given financial reasons for the move , but that they at the same time had rejected playing their matches at Jordal Amfi , which would have cost a lot less . The first training in Bergenshallen took place on 7 February . On 15 February , the annual meeting in Manglerud Star decided to terminate the agreement with Flyers , as it did not want its elite team to play out of town . Those players who were under contract with Manglerud Star would return , and the team would revoke its premier league license , which it would use to play itself with home matches at Manglerudhallen . The contract with Flyers would terminate from 1 May , although the latter was free to use the rest of its resources ( albeit without a license to play in the top division ) in Bergen . The team ' s first match in Bergen was a quarter - final against Stjernen ; despite having a 3 – 0 lead , Flyers ended up losing 3 – 4 . The match was seen by 2 , 532 spectators , and Kirkvaag stated that he satisfied with the turn - up . Four days later , the team lost 2 – 1 against Lillehammer . They were sent out of the play - offs after a 5 – 3 loss against Stjernen on 23 February . The final match was played against Lillehammer in Bergen . Afterwards , Kirkvaag stated that the team had three options : either take over the elite licenses of Hasle - Løren , Manglerud Star or Lørenskog IK and move the team to Bergen ; take over the license in the First Division of Bergen IK and attempt to win the league to be promoted to the top division , or participate in the planned International Hockey League . Kirkvaag stated that no matter what , the team would play in Bergen . Twelve of the Flyers players were transferred back to Manglerud Star . By April , Flyers had not paid wages since 1 January and the Norwegian Players ’ Association threatened to file the company for bankruptcy . By June , Serge Boisvert , Sergej Pusjkov , Geir Hoff , Cato Tom Andersen , Jan - Roar Fagerli and Lars E . Lund had all signed for Vålerenga . Hoff , Lund and Fagerli all had contracts with Manglerud Star , but these were terminated and the players became free agent s after Flyers had failed to meet their financial obligations . Kirkvaag took over as director of Bergen IK , which rebranded itself as Bergen Flyers and introduced many of the same concepts as Spektrum Flyers had in an attempt to increase spectator rates .