HC Ceské Budejovice
Encyclopedia
HC Mountfield České Budějovice are a professional men's ice hockey
club, based in České Budějovice
in the Czech Republic
. The club plays home games at Budvar Arena
, and are members of the Czech Extraliga
. České Budějovice were Czechoslovakia champions in 1951.
As the winners of the 2007-08 Czech Extraliga regular season, they qualified for the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League
.
students devised a plan to build a bandy
team. Their first hockey rings were situated exactly where Malše
river merges into Vltava
river. Obviously, it could happened only in winter, when the temperature was low and ice crust was solid enough to play safety. Since 1912 the team started to play under coach, manager, player and administrator Dr. Zdeněk Černý. They managed to play many matches till beginning of World War I
. This world conflict surely meant deceleration of expansion in bandy. First World War victims were also players from České Budějovice, such Áda Schrabal, Karel Selinka, Jan Vrkoč and Leo Feigl. On December 3, 1921 spectators in town of Strakonice
could see the first match in real ice (Canadian) hockey between teams SK České Budějovice and Strakonice.
First season they finished third after LTC Praha and AC Sparta Praha
. The league included 8 teams and each team played 7 matches. In 1950/51 season the club started the decade with success with the Czechoslovak ice hockey league title, which is still the one and only in the club history. The fact is, that strongest teams from Prague lost their best players by ban thanks nonsensical allegations from communists. Since then to 1958/59 season they had mixed success in the league and their best was third place in 1952/53 season. In 1957/58 they avoided relegation finishing 10th. Next season wasn't any better and club relegated into 2. League which they managed to win and did get back to Czechoslovak league year after.
we can see how many times was the name changed. There are names like Sokol Stadion Č. B. (1948/49), ZSJ Obchodní domy Č. B. (1949/50), SKP Č. B. (1950/51), Slavoj České Budějovice and from 1965 Motor. The name HC České Budějovice is dated since 1992. Today's midname Mountfield is for sponsorship reasons.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
club, based in České Budějovice
Ceské Budejovice
České Budějovice is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the largest city in the South Bohemian Region and is the political and commercial capital of the region and centre of the Roman Catholic Diocese of České Budějovice and of the University of South Bohemia and the Academy of Sciences...
in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. The club plays home games at Budvar Arena
Budvar Arena
Budvar Arena is an indoor sporting arena located in České Budějovice, Czech Republic. The capacity of the arena is 6,421 people and was built in 2002. It is currently home to the HC Mountfield ice hockey team....
, and are members of the Czech Extraliga
Czech Extraliga
The Czech Extraliga is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. As of 2009, it is ranked by the IIHF as the third strongest league in Europe....
. České Budějovice were Czechoslovakia champions in 1951.
As the winners of the 2007-08 Czech Extraliga regular season, they qualified for the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League
2008–09 Champions Hockey League
-Group stage:The draw for the group stage took place on Friday, 25 April 2008 in Zurich, Switzerland. The twelve teams were drawn into groups of three. Each group played a double round-robin. If the games were decided after 60 minutes, the winner was awarded 3 points and the loser 0 points...
.
Bandy era in České Budějovice
The long history started in 1911, when group of young GymnasiumGymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
students devised a plan to build a bandy
Bandy
Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
team. Their first hockey rings were situated exactly where Malše
Malše
The Malše is a river in Austria and in the Czech Republic, and a right tributary of the Vltava.The Malše originates on the north slope of Viehberg, near the village of Sandl in Bezirk Freistadt, Upper Austria. It flows northward and forms of Austria-Czech border before fully entering the Český...
river merges into Vltava
Vltava
The Vltava is the longest river in the Czech Republic, running north from its source in Šumava through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, and Prague, merging with the Elbe at Mělník...
river. Obviously, it could happened only in winter, when the temperature was low and ice crust was solid enough to play safety. Since 1912 the team started to play under coach, manager, player and administrator Dr. Zdeněk Černý. They managed to play many matches till beginning of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. This world conflict surely meant deceleration of expansion in bandy. First World War victims were also players from České Budějovice, such Áda Schrabal, Karel Selinka, Jan Vrkoč and Leo Feigl. On December 3, 1921 spectators in town of Strakonice
Strakonice
Strakonice is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Estimated population: 24,000.-History:The settlement of this region took place in the second half of 12th century when a castle was built...
could see the first match in real ice (Canadian) hockey between teams SK České Budějovice and Strakonice.
History of the club
On 10 of January 1928 AC Stadion were founded by merging two clubs in the town - Viktoria and Slovan. The history of national elite ice hockey league begins in 1936-37. AC Stadion České Budějovice became a vital part of the league and produced many international players.First season they finished third after LTC Praha and AC Sparta Praha
HC Sparta Praha
HC Sparta Praha is a Prague based Czech ice hockey team playing in Czech Extraliga.-Team History:Founded in 1903 by Canadian expatriate Lyle P. O'Connor, HC Sparta Praha was among the first bandy teams to play on a semi-professional level in the Austro-Hungarian Empire...
. The league included 8 teams and each team played 7 matches. In 1950/51 season the club started the decade with success with the Czechoslovak ice hockey league title, which is still the one and only in the club history. The fact is, that strongest teams from Prague lost their best players by ban thanks nonsensical allegations from communists. Since then to 1958/59 season they had mixed success in the league and their best was third place in 1952/53 season. In 1957/58 they avoided relegation finishing 10th. Next season wasn't any better and club relegated into 2. League which they managed to win and did get back to Czechoslovak league year after.
Club names
First clubs name was, AC Stadion České Budějovice but during Communism in CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
we can see how many times was the name changed. There are names like Sokol Stadion Č. B. (1948/49), ZSJ Obchodní domy Č. B. (1949/50), SKP Č. B. (1950/51), Slavoj České Budějovice and from 1965 Motor. The name HC České Budějovice is dated since 1992. Today's midname Mountfield is for sponsorship reasons.
Other players
- See :Category:HC České Budějovice players for a list of HC České Budějovice players past and present.