HKm Zvolen

HKm Zvolen
City:	Zvolen, Slovakia
League:	Slovak Extraliga
Founded:	1927
Home Arena:	Zvolen Ice Stadium; (capacity 5,675)
Colors:	blue, yellow, red;

Hokejový Klub HKM a.s. Zvolen is a professional Slovak ice hockey club based in Zvolen. The club has won the Slovak league championship three times (2001, 2013, 2021) and the IIHF Continental Cup in 2005. The team is nicknamed Rytieri; it means Knights in English.

History

Previous names

ZTK Zvolen (1927 – 1964)
LB Zvolen (1964 – 1983)
ZTK Zvolen (1983 – 1993)
HK Hell Zvolen (1994)
HKm Zvolen (1995 – 2005)
HKM a.s. Zvolen (since 2006)

Early history

The club was founded on 18 March 1927 as ZTC Zvolen. However, their first official game they played in 1932 against Slávia Banská Bystrica. They lost 0–18 in first game and 1–20 in second game against Slávia. Zvolen played first home game on 14 February 1932. They lost 0–2 against Slávia. In the 1933–34 season they played first time in organized competition, it was Championship of Stredoslovenská župa. In the next season they won their first official game against Sokol Kremnica. Hockey in Zvolen was even played during the World War II. After WW II they had very successful years between 1947–1953. Then there was attenuation.

Czechoslovak era

Renewal of hockey in Zvolen started in 1964. There was established club Lokomotíva Bučina Zvolen. In 1970 they promoted to the 1. SNHL (1st. Slovak National Hockey League), second level of Czechoslovak hockey. They placed 6th in their first season at the 1. SNHL. In the 1971–72 season they finished 3rd and in the next season they won the 1. SNHL. Scoring leader of club became Jozef Golonka. Zvolen was qualified to the preliminary round for the Czechoslovak Extraliga. There they lost 7 of 8 games and did not promote to the Extraliga. Zvolen won the 1. SNHL again in the 1974–75 season. Top scorer of the 1. SNHL became Zvolen forward Ján Letko (48 goals). However, they lost in the preliminary round against Ingstav Brno and did not promote to the Extraliga. In the 1975–76 season they repeated victory in the 1. SNHL. In the preliminary round they lost series 3–4 against TJ Gottwaldov. Their fourth and last victory of the 1. SNHL came in the 1977–78 season but in the preliminary round they lost series 2–4 against TJ Gottwaldov thus Zvolen never played in the Czechoslovak Extraliga, top level of Czechoslovak hockey.

Slovak era

Zvolen was member of inaugural season of the Slovak Extraliga but they finished last and were relegated to the Slovak 1.Liga. Zvolen won the 1996–97 Slovak 1.Liga season and promoted to the Extraliga after 3 years. In the 1997–98 season they placed fifth in the regular season and was eliminated by Dukla Trenčín in the quarterfinals. In the next season they progressed to the semifinals, beating Trenčín in the quarterfinals, but there were defeated by Slovan Bratislava. Zvolen played in the playoffs finals first time in club history in the 1999–00 season. There they lost 2–3 against Slovan. The most successful season in the club histrory is the 2000–01 season. Zvolen finished first in the regular season, defeated 3–0 MHC Martin in the quarterfinals, 3–0 HK Poprad in the semifinals, 3–1 Dukla Trenčín in the finals and won their first Slovak Extraliga title ever. Since 2001 Zvolen was playoffs finalist four times but won the title only once more in 2012–13 season

Continental Cup

Besides triumph at Slovak championship in 2001, Zvolen is a winner of the IIHF Continental Cup. In the 8th edition of cup in 2005 they played in final stage against HC Dynamo Moscow, Alba Volán Székesfehérvár and Milano Vipers. Zvolen won all three games and became third Slovak winner after HC Košice and HC Slovan Bratislava.