Ștefan Ionescu

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games • Coach
SexMale
Full nameIon Ștefan•Ionescu
Used nameȘtefan•Ionescu
Nick/petnamesNea Nelu
Born17 February 1935 in București (Bucharest), București (ROU)
DiedOctober 2022
Measurements167 cm / 76 kg
AffiliationsSteaua București, București (ROU)
NOC Romania

Biography

Ștefan Ionescu was a Romanian former ice hockey defender and head coach of the national team. Ionescu played his first match on the ice in 1951 with Club Steagul Rosu. In 1954 Ionescu was called up to the national team for the first time. During his international career, which spanned from 1959 to 1968, Ionescu played in more than 150 matches for his country. This included playing at nine World Championships, the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics and the 1968 Grenoble Olympics. Ionescu retired in 1968 at the age of 33.

In 1964 Ionescu graduated as a professor of physical education and in 1969 he became the head coach of the national junior ice hockey team. After developing his coaching skills Ionescu was promoted to the role of head coach of the national team in 1974. At the 1977 World Championship Ionescu’s team beat the United States team 5-4 when Romania was only ranked as the sixth-best team in Europe. Ionescu was also the coach of the national team at the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics and the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. After refusing a job in coaching in Romania, Ionescu moved to Spain to coach HC Bizcaya Bilbao, winning the national title in 1981 and 1982. This was followed by a spell in Switzerland for the rest of the 1980s coaching multiple teams.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1964 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey (Ice Hockey) ROU Ștefan Ionescu
Ice Hockey, Men (Olympic) Romania 12
1968 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey (Ice Hockey) ROU Ștefan Ionescu
Ice Hockey, Men (Olympic) Romania 12

Coaching results

Games Sport (Discipline) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1976 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey (Ice Hockey) ROU Ștefan Ionescu
Ice Hockey, Men (Olympic) Romania 7
1980 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey (Ice Hockey) ROU Ștefan Ionescu
Ice Hockey, Men (Olympic) Romania =7