HKM Zvolen

Hokejový Klub mesta Zvolen is a professional Slovak ice hockey club based in Zvolen. The club has won the Slovak league championship three times (2001, 2013, 2021) and the IIHF Continental Cup in 2005. The team is nicknamed Rytieri; it means Knights in English.

HKM Zvolen
NicknameRytieri
CityZvolen, Slovakia
LeagueSlovak Extraliga
Founded1927 (1927)
Home arenaZvolen Ice Stadium
(capacity 5,675)
Coloursblue, yellow, red
     
General manager Ladislav Čierny
Head coach Peter Oremus
Captain Radovan Puliš
Websitewww.hkmzvolen.sk

History

Early history

The club was founded on 18 March 1927 as ZTC Zvolen. However, they played their first official game in 1932 against Slávia Banská Bystrica. They lost 0–18 in the first game and 1–20 in the second game against Slávia. Zvolen played their first home game on 14 February 1932. They lost 0–2 against Slávia. In the 1933–34 season they played for the first time in organized competition, the Championship of Stredoslovenská župa. In the next season they won their first official game against Sokol Kremnica. Hockey in Zvolen was even played during World War II. After WW II they had very successful years between 1947 and 1953. Then there was a decline.

Czechoslovak era

Renewal of hockey in Zvolen started in 1964, when the Lokomotíva Bučina Zvolen club was established. In 1970 they promoted to the 1. SNHL (1st. Slovak National Hockey League), second level of Czechoslovak hockey. They placed 6th in their first season at the 1. SNHL. In the 1971–72 season they finished 3rd and in the next season they won the 1. SNHL. The club's scoring leader was Jozef Golonka. Zvolen qualified for the preliminary round of the Czechoslovak Extraliga. There they lost 7 of 8 games and were not promoted to the Extraliga. Zvolen won the 1. SNHL again in the 1974–75 season. Zvolen forward Ján Letko was the top scorer of the 1. SNHL (48 goals). However, they lost in the preliminary round against Ingstav Brno and were not promoted to the Extraliga. In the 1975–76 season they repeated victory in the 1. SNHL. In the preliminary round they lost a series 3–4 against TJ Gottwaldov. Their fourth and last victory of the 1. SNHL came in the 1977–78 season, but in the preliminary round they lost a series 2–4 against TJ Gottwaldov. Thus Zvolen never played in the Czechoslovak Extraliga, the top level of Czechoslovak hockey.

Slovak era

Zvolen (in blue) vs. Dynamo Moscow at the 2004–05 IIHF Continental Cup

Zvolen was a member of the inaugural season of the Slovak Extraliga, but they finished last and were relegated to the Slovak 1.Liga. Zvolen won the 1996–97 Slovak 1.Liga season and promoted to the Extraliga after 3 years. In the 1997–98 season they placed fifth in the regular season and were eliminated by Dukla Trenčín in the quarterfinals. In the next season they progressed to the semifinals, beating Trenčín in the quarterfinals, but were defeated by Slovan Bratislava. Zvolen played in the playoffs finals for the first time in club history in the 1999–00 season. There they lost 2–3 against Slovan. The most successful season in the club history was the 2000–01 season. Zvolen finished first in the regular season, defeated 3–0 MHC Martin in the quarterfinals, 3–0 HK Poprad in the semifinals, 3–1 Dukla Trenčín in the finals and won their first Slovak Extraliga title ever. Ján Plch (79 pts), Richard Šechný (70 pts) and Petr Vlk (64 pts) were the top three scoring leaders of the Extraliga regular season. Šechný (19 pts) was also a scoring leader in the playoffs. Since 2001 Zvolen was playoffs finalist four times but won the title only once more in the 2012–13 season.

Continental Cup

Besides their triumph at the Slovak championship in 2001, Zvolen is a winner of the IIHF Continental Cup. In the 8th edition of the cup in 2005 they played in the final stage against HC Dynamo Moscow, Alba Volán Székesfehérvár and the Milano Vipers. Zvolen won all three games and became the third Slovak winner after HC Košice and HC Slovan Bratislava.

Honours

Domestic

Slovak Extraliga

Slovak 1. Liga

1st. Slovak National Hockey League

International

IIHF Continental Cup

Pre-season

Rona Cup

  • Winners (2): 2001, 2008

Players

Current roster

Source: hkmzvolen.sk[1]Source: eliteprospects.com[2]As of February 16, 2022.

No. Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
30 Adam Trenčan G L 31 2020 Banská Bystrica, Czechoslovakia
77 Branislav Kubka D R 33 2020 Detva, Czechoslovakia
35 Robin Rahm G L 35 2020 Torsby, Sweden
22 Václav Stupka LW L 35 2020 Trnava, Czechoslovakia
67 Peter Hraško (A) D L 30 2020 Detva, Czechoslovakia
47 Kirill Dyakov D L 28 2021 Nizhny Tagil, Russia
88 Maroš Jedlička C L 19 2020 Trnava, Slovakia
41 Ján Chlepčok RW L 23 2018 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
18 Nick Saracino C L 30 2021 St. Louis, Missouri, United States
21 Radovan Puliš (C) C L 30 2020 Hliník nad Hronom, Czechoslovakia
90 Marek Viedenský C R 31 2020 Handlová, Czechoslovakia
24 Peter Zuzin (A) RW L 31 2020 Zvolen, Czechoslovakia
75 Patrik Marcinek RW L 23 2017 Zvolen, Slovakia
20 Peter Krieger C L 28 2021 Oakdale, Minnesota, United States
44 Jakub Meliško D L 25 2019 Žiar nad Hronom, Slovakia
71 Juraj Mikúš C R 35 2020 Skalica, Czechoslovakia
25 Ville Leskinen LW L 26 2021 Pieksämäki, Finland
81 Karol Csányi RW L 31 2021 Komárno, Czechoslovakia
59 Oldrich Kotvan D L 31 2020 Skalica, Czechoslovakia
91 Kyle Osterberg LW L 27 2021 Lakeville, Minnesota, United States
7 Samuel Hain D R 25 2021 Topoľčany, Slovakia
19 Nikolas Gubančok RW L 20 2020 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
79 Jérémy Roy D R 24 2021 Richelieu, Quebec, Canada
8 Jozef Sládok D L 33 2021 Zvolen, Czechoslovakia
26 Tomáš Török LW L 26 2021 Martin, Slovakia

Sponsorship

HKM Zvolen has a list of sponsors such as Urpiner,[3] Doprastav,[4] OS Zvolen, COOP Jednote Krupina,[5] ZOS Loko, INMEDIA, KOŠÚT Plus, BDI, Almik, Geis, Vezopax, J&K Invest Group, Betamont, Retech and Instaforex.[6]

References

Notes

  1. No playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia.
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