Lev Poprad
Encyclopedia
Hockey Club Lev also known as HC Lev Poprad, is a professional ice hockey
team based in Poprad
, Slovakia
that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League
(KHL).
, Czech Republic
. It had been intended to join the KHL for the 2010–11 season
, for which it fulfilled all necessary conditions except that the Czech Ice Hockey Association
refused to give permission to the club. Because of that, Lev's management decided to move the club to Slovakia, whereupon is has been accepted by the KHL's administration to participate in the league in the 2010–11 season. However later the KHL excluded the team from the league for the 2010–11 season because the team was not part of any national ice hockey governing body.
After further efforts, including joining the Slovak Hockey Federation (SZĽH), HC Lev was officially admitted to the KHL in May 2011. From the 2011–12 season
on, they will play in the Bobrov division of the KHL, while HK Poprad will continue playing their Slovak Extraliga
matches in the same arena.
, but because of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash
, the start of the season was postponed and Lev had their first game on 12 September against Metallurg Magnitogorsk
. However, for their first win they had to wait until the sixth game, a 2–0 away win against Dinamo Riga
on 26 September.
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...
team based in Poprad
Poprad
Poprad is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the biggest town of the Spiš region and the tenth largest city in Slovakia with a population of approximately 55,000.The Poprad-Tatry Airport is...
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe....
(KHL).
History
The team was originally called Lev Hradec Králové and was based in Hradec KrálovéHradec Králové
Hradec Králové is a city of the Czech Republic, in the Hradec Králové Region of Bohemia. The city's economy is based on food-processing technology, photochemical, and electronics manufacture. Traditional industries include musical instrument manufacturing – the best known being PETROF pianos...
, 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....
. It had been intended to join the KHL for the 2010–11 season
2010–11 KHL season
The 2010–11 KHL season is the third season of the Kontinental Hockey League. It was held from 8 September 2010 and ended on 16 April 2011.The season started with the Opening Cup game between the last season's finalists, Ak Bars Kazan and the new team that was created by merging last season's...
, for which it fulfilled all necessary conditions except that the Czech Ice Hockey Association
Czech Ice Hockey Association
The Czech Ice Hockey Association is the governing body of ice hockey in the Czech Republic....
refused to give permission to the club. Because of that, Lev's management decided to move the club to Slovakia, whereupon is has been accepted by the KHL's administration to participate in the league in the 2010–11 season. However later the KHL excluded the team from the league for the 2010–11 season because the team was not part of any national ice hockey governing body.
After further efforts, including joining the Slovak Hockey Federation (SZĽH), HC Lev was officially admitted to the KHL in May 2011. From the 2011–12 season
2011–12 KHL season
The 2011–12 KHL season is the fourth season of the Kontinental Hockey League. The regular season originally began on 7 September 2011 with the Opening Cup game, but because of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash, which killed all but one member of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team, the start of the...
on, they will play in the Bobrov division of the KHL, while HK Poprad will continue playing their Slovak Extraliga
Slovak Extraliga
Slovak Extraliga is the name of the highest-level ice hockey league in Slovakia. As of 2009, it is ranked by the IIHF as the fifth strongest league in Europe. The name of the league is leased to sponsor and changes frequently. From 1993/94 to 1997/98 season it was called Extraliga, then the name...
matches in the same arena.
2011–12 season
Almost two months after being officially admitted to the KHL, Lev announced the signings of the first five players (3 Czechs and 2 Slovaks) on 30 June 2011. Lev's regular season was planned to start on 10 September 2011 with a match at home against Avangard OmskAvangard Omsk
Avangard Omsk are a professional ice hockey team from Siberia based in the city of Omsk, Russia. They are members of the Chernyshev Division of the Kontinental Hockey League.-Overview:...
, but because of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash
The Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash occurred at 16:05 MT on Wednesday, 7 September 2011, when a Yak-Service Yakovlev Yak-42, carrying the players and coaching staff of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl professional ice hockey team, crashed near the Russian city of Yaroslavl...
, the start of the season was postponed and Lev had their first game on 12 September against Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Metallurg Magnitogorsk is a professional ice hockey team based in Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. They are members of the Kharlamov Division of the Kontinental Hockey League...
. However, for their first win they had to wait until the sixth game, a 2–0 away win against Dinamo Riga
Dinamo Riga
Dinamo Riga was an ice hockey club, based in Riga, Latvia. It was founded in 1946 and disestablished in 1995 as Pārdaugava Rīga.-History of Dinamo Riga:...
on 26 September.