HK Dukla Trenčín

HK Dukla Trenčín
City:	Trenčín, Slovakia
League:	Slovak Extraliga
Founded:	1962
Home Arena:	Pavol Demitra Ice Stadium; (capacity 6,150)
Colors:	yellow, red;

Hokejový Klub Dukla Trenčín is a professional Slovak ice hockey club based in Trenčín, playing in the Slovak Extraliga. The club has won three Slovak league championships (1994, 1997, 2004) and one Czechoslovak league championship (1992). The team is nicknamed Vojaci, it means Soldiers in English.

History

Czechoslovak era

The club was founded on 19 January 1962, relocating army hockey club from Opava to Trenčín. They were members of inaugural season (1963–64) of the 1. SNHL (1st. Slovak National Hockey League). They won the 1965–66 1. SNHL season and promoted to the preliminary round for the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League. There they lost 5 of 6 games against VŽKG Ostrava, VTŽ Chomutov and Spartak Motorlet Praha and did not promote to the First League. Dukla won the 1. SNHL again in 1967–68, 1970–71 and 1976–77. In 1976–77 they were first time successful in the preliminary round and first time in the club history they promoted to the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League. Dukla was placed 11th in their first season at the Top level. After five seasons they was relegated from the Top level in the 1981–82 season. However, in the next season they won 1. SNHL and in the preliminary round defeated Olomouc and promoted to the Top level again. They was placed 6th after their comeback in the 1983–84 season. In 1985–86 there was introduced playoffs tournament in the Czechoslovak Extraliga. Dukla was qualified to the playoffs in 1985–86 and there they lost 1–3 against Tesla Pardubice in the quarterfinals. They qualified to the playoffs again in 1987–88 and there they lost 1–3 in the quarterfinals against their Slovak rival VSŽ Košice. Dukla progressed to the finals against Tesla Pardubice in the 1988–89 season. There they lost 1–3. In the next season they progressed to the finals again where they lost 1–3 against HC Sparta Praha. In 1990–91 Dukla lost in the semifinals against Litvínov but they won the bronze medals against VSŽ Košice. The most successful season in the club history is the 1991–92 season when Dukla won the Czechoslovak Extraliga first time. In the quarterfinals they defeated Poldi Klano 3–2, in the semifinals defeated Litvínov 3–1 and in the finals they won 3–1 against Škoda Plzeň. Žigmund Pálffy was scoring leader of Dukla in the regular season (48 Pts) and in the playoffs (26 Pts). Róbert Švehla, defenceman of Dukla, won the Golden Hockey Stick in the same season. In the last season before split Czechoslovakia Dukla won the bronze medals.

Slovak era

After dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, Dukla began playing independent new Slovak Championship which was named the Slovak Extraliga. Dukla and HC Košice were playoffs finalists in first 4 seasons of the Slovak Extraliga. Dukla won the first Extraliga season in 1993–94, then they lost in the finals in two next seasons and won again in 1996–97. In the 1997–98 season Dukla was eliminated in the semifinals by HC Slovan Bratislava. In the 2000–01 season they played again in the playoffs finals. There they lost 1–3 against HKm Zvolen. Zvolen was opponent in the playoffs finals again in the 2003–04 season. Dukla won 4–2 in the finals and they won third Slovak title in their history. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout several former Dukla players came back to Trenčín, including Pavol Demitra, Marián Hossa and Marián Gáborík. Pavol Demitra played complete regular season and he was a scoring leader of the Extraliga (82 Pts). Despite a star lineup Dukla lost 3–4 in the excited semifinals against HC Slovan Bratislava. In the 2006–07 season Dukla played in the final series against HC Slovan Bratislava but they lost 0–4. In the 2009–10 season Dukla did not qualify to the playoffs first time since the 1986–87 season.