HC Lev Praha
 | |
| Full name | Hockey Club Lev Praha |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Lions, Pride |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Based In | Prague, Czech Republic |
| Arena |
Tipsport Arena (capacity: 13,150) O2 Arena (capacity: 17,360) |
| League | Kontinental Hockey League |
| Division | Bobrov |
| Conference | Western |
| Team Colors | |
 | |
| Owner(s) | Sportovní holding Praha |
| Affiliates | Sparta Praha (Czech Extraliga), HC Stadion Litoměřice (Czech 1. Liga) |
| Website | www.levpraha.com |
main
Hockey Club Lev Praha (stylized as HC LEV Praha) is a professional ice hockey team located in Prague, Czech Republic, which made their first Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) season in 2012–13.
In their first two seasons played, Lev has made the Gagarin Cup playoffs both times. In 2012-13, they finished 7th in the Western Conference and were swept in four straight games by HC CSKA Moscow in the first round. In 2013-14, they finished 3rd in the west, then beat KHL Medvescak Zagreb, HC Donbass and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to become Western Conference Champions. In the Gagarin Cup Finals, they faced Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The series went to a seventh and decisive game before Metallurg prevailed on home ice 7-4.
Lev home attendance in the 2012-13 regular season was an average of 7,161 spectators, making it the highest-attended Prague hockey club and the sixth highest in the KHL.[1] Lev holds the record for the five largest home crowds in KHL history, with a record of 17,073 attending game four of the Gagarin Cup Finals at O2 Arena on April 24, 2014.[2] However, after two seasons, because of financial problems caused by the withdrawing of two major sponsors, Lev is not playing in the 2014–15 KHL season.[3] According to shareholders, this decision does not rule out the possibility of the KHL returning to Prague in the future. They are not considering moving the team to another city or another league; the KHL in Prague remains their priority.[4]
History
HC Lev in Hradec Králové and Poprad
- Main article: HC Lev Poprad
A team named HC Lev Hradec Králové was originally founded in 2010 and based in Hradec Králové, Bohemia, Czech Republic, with the intention to join the KHL. However, the Czech Ice Hockey Association refused to give permission to the club.[5] Therefore, the team was moved to Poprad, Slovakia and was finally able to join the KHL for the 2011–12 season. But after only one KHL season the team was disbanded.
New team in Prague (2012)
Late in Lev Poprad's 2011–12 season, a change of owners renewed speculation about a move to Prague, Czech Republic. In March 2012, the Czech Ice Hockey Association (ČSLH) granted permission for a KHL team to play in the Czech Republic,[6] and at the end of April, a newly found team with the same name, HC Lev, but as a different organization, officially applied to the KHL to play in Prague.[7]
Lev Praha has a working agreement with local Extraliga club HC Sparta Praha and the two teams share Tipsport Arena. During their first two seasons, Lev also played a total of 11 home games at the larger and newer O2 Arena.
Honors
Achievements
Kontinental Hockey League (1): 2014
KHL Western Conference (1): 2014
Prague Hockey Cup (1): 2013[8][9]
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTW = Overtime/Shootout Wins, OTL = Overtime/Shootout Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | OTW | OTL | L | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2012–13 | 52 | 23 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 76 | 132 | 133 | 4th, Bobrov | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 0-4 (CSKA Moscow) |
| 2013–14 | 54 | 23 | 12 | 6 | 13 | 99 | 149 | 107 | 2nd, Bobrov | Lost in Finals, 3-4 (Metallurg Magnitogorsk) |
References
- ↑ KHL v Praze bavila, Lev šestý v návštěvnosti KHL
- ↑ Ve finále KHL je vyrovnáno: Lev před rekordní návštěvou v Praze padl
- ↑ "Naděje vyhasla. Lev Praha definitivně končí v KHL". 2014-06-01. http://sport.aktualne.cz/nadeje-vyhasla-lev-praha-definitivne-konci-v-khl/r~d296cb2a011e11e4a60c0025900fea04/. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
- ↑ Lev won´t play in 2014/2015
- ↑ "HC Lev will not play in 2010-11 KHL Championship". khl.ru. 2010-06-09. http://en.khl.ru/news/2010/6/9/23871.html.
- ↑ "Permission granted". khl.ru. 2012-03-30. http://en.khl.ru/news/2012/03/30/24548.html.
- ↑ "Lev, drugs and healthy nutrition". khl.ru. 2012-04-25. http://en.khl.ru/news/2012/4/25/24590.html.
- ↑ "The Lion´s Roar: HC LEV storm to Prague Hockey Cup win". 16 August 2013. http://praguehockeycup.cz/eng/zapas.asp?id=Lev-prehral-Kazan-a-slavi-vyhru-na-PHC-8. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
- ↑ "Pohár zůstane v Praze. Lev oplatil Kazani porážku a vyhrál Prague Hockey Cup" (in Czech). 16 August 2013. http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/sport/hokej/238485-pohar-zustane-v-praze-lev-oplatil-kazani-porazku-a-vyhral-prague-hockey-cup/. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
External links
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