HC ’05 Banská Bystrica

HC '05 Banská Bystrica
City:	Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
League:	Slovak Extraliga
Founded:	1922 as Slávia
Home Arena:	Banská Bystrica Ice Stadium; (capacity 3,518)
Colors:	red, white, black;

HC '05 Banská Bystrica, known as HC MONACObet Banská Bystrica since the 2024–25 season for sponsorship reasons, is a professional Slovak ice hockey club based in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. They have won the Slovak Extraliga 3 times and the Slovak 1.Liga, second–level ice hockey league in Slovakia, 4 times. The team is nicknamed Barani, which means Rams in English.

History

Czechoslovak era

HC '05 was founded in 2005 but professional hockey in Banská Bystrica was playing long before. The previous club was established in 1922. The club was named Slávia but later changed name several times. In 1962, the club was named Iskra (Spark in English) and this name kept up until 2005. In interwar period and during the World War II, the club played in the Slovak League. Their best placement was second in 1930, 1931, and 1934. They were members of the first postwar Czechoslovak Extraliga season. In the 1945–46 season, they finished 6th in Group A and were relegated from the Top level. Banská Bystrica returned to the Extraliga in the 1947–48 season but they finished 6th in Group A and were relegated again. This season was their last at the Top level until the 1995–96 Slovak Extraliga season. Since 1963–64, Iskra played in the 1. SNHL (1st Slovak National Hockey League), the second level in Czechoslovak hockey. They were members of all seasons of the 1. SNHL since its introduction in 1963 until dissolution of league in 1993. Iskra won the 1. SNHL in the 1968–69 season and were qualified to the preliminary round for the Czechoslovak Extraliga. They lost 5 of 6 games in the preliminary round against Škoda Plzeň, VŽKG Ostrava, and Mladá Boleslav and did not promote to the Extraliga.

Slovak era

After dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the club was included to the Slovak 1.Liga, the second level in Slovak hockey. In their first season, they finished second. In the next season, Iskra won the 1. Liga and was promoted to the Slovak Extraliga. Iskra placed ninth in the 1995–96 season and they had to play the relegation round. Iskra saved the Extraliga for the 1996–97 season but this season was less productive and they were relegated from the Top level. They returned in the 1998–99 season but were relegated again, by missing the cut by three points. In 2005, the club was transformed to an incorporated company and renamed to HC '05. They were promoted to the Extraliga in the 2007–08 season after their victory in the playoffs finals against HK Spišská Nová Ves. In the 2010–11 season, they finished third in the regular season, defeated their big rival HKm Zvolen in the quarterfinals, and lost 3–4 against HK Poprad in the semifinals. This season was their most successful since their 1. SNHL victory in 1969.