Lviv Championship

The Lviv Championship (known as the Lwów Championship during Polish times) was a competition held in the city of Lviv, today part of Ukraine.

History

The first championship in Lviv was contested in 1910, when the city was situated in Austria-Hungary. It was played at the Stryi park rink and won by Charny.

The next competition was not arranged until 1925. On December 20, the championship was staged between the Pogon, Lechia, Czarni, Hasmonea, Sparta, AZS, and LTL clubs. The title was won by Pogoń Lwów, who went undefeated. In January 1926 the, newly-formed hockey union organized the first championship of the province, which was attended by 8 teams, divided into 2 groups. The first group included the teams: AZS, Lechia, Pogoń and Sparta. The second: Czarni, Dror, Hasmonea Lwów and LTL. The first group was won by Pogoń, who outscored their opponents 16:1. Czarni claimed the second sub-group. The final match for the championship on February 10, which was won 3-1 by Pogoń.

The next city championship began on January 9, 1927, and featured seven teams: Pogoń, Czarni, Lechia, LTL, AZS, Hasmonea, and Dror. Dror later withdrew from the competition. Pogoń was a class above the other teams, winning every game and outscoring their opponents 44:1. Pogon defeated AZS 23:0 and the game between them and Czarni was interrupted when the score was 2:0 in favor of Pogon. It was eventually recorded as a 5:0 forfeit win for Pogon. Starting this year, the winner of the championship earned a spot in the Polish Championship.

Pogon remained on top of the league until 1931, when they were unseated by Czarni Lwów. They finished first in an incomplete 1932 season. In 1933, the competition was known as a combined "Lwow/Tarnopol Championship".

The 1933-34 season began with Pogon falling in December. Czarni won the district title, losing only one point. Pogoń finished second, ahead of Lechia, Ukraina, AZS and Hasmonea. Czarni repeated as district champions in 1935, followed by Lechia, Pogon, Ukraina, AZS, and Kresy Tarnopol.

The competition was not staged in 1936 - thanks to a very warm winter. Czarni won in 1937; Pogon finished third. In 1938 the final ranking was as follows: Czarni, Ukraina, Pogon, Lechia and AZS.

The last season of the Polish Lwów Championship was 1939. After this, the area fell under Soviet control and many teams were dissolved or renamed.

Champions

• 1910: Charny
• 1925 (December): Pogon Lwow
• 1926 ("Province" Championship): Pogon Lwow
• 1927: Pogon Lwow
• 1928: Pogon Lwow
• 1929: Pogon Lwow
• 1930: Pogon Lwow
• 1931: Czarni Lwów
• 1932: Pogon Lwow
• 1933: Pogon Lwow
• 1934: Czarni Lwow
• 1935: Czarni Lwow
• 1936: not played
• 1937: Czarni Lwow
• 1938: Czarni Lwow
• 1939: Czarni Lwow
• 1940: Dynamo Lviv (Universities Championship was won by Institute of Soviet Trade)
• 1941: Petrel Lviv