Wasquehal

When the Nordiques de Croix disappeared in 1990/91, hockey around Lille had to start again from nothing. It took until September 1995 for anyone to rebuild, and the club that came out of it was first called the Hockey Club Centre Métropole. It entered Division 3 for the 1995-96 season.

The name Lions de Wasquehal Lille Métropole came in 2007, and the club has kept it since. The lions have spent most of their existence around the lower rungs of the French pyramid. Their best-known moments are two Division 3 titles, in 2014 and again in 2026, each of which sent them up to Division 2. The Ligue Magnus, the top division, has never been theirs.

Their surroundings are modest. The Patinoire Serge Charles holds 250 seated and up to 500 standing, so 750 in all. Dunkerque's Corsaires are the other regional opponent that draws attention.

The club puts real effort into its youth section, which suits a team that has to grow its own players. Aurélien Zajac is the player most often named from those ranks. Michel Breistroff served as president in the past, and Karine Deleville holds the post now.

The person tied most closely to the club is still Yves Fauchart. The Lions exist because he founded a club to fill the space the Nordiques left.