HC Slovan Bratislava

Hockey Club Slovan Bratislava (Hokejový klub Slovan Bratislava) is a professional ice hockey club based in Bratislava, Slovakia. In 2012, it left the Slovak Extraliga and joined the international Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). In 2019, it returned to the Tipos Extraliga. The club has won nine Slovak championships (most recently in 2022), one Czechoslovak championship (1979) and one IIHF Continental Cup (2004), making it the second most successful hockey club in Slovak history after their biggest rival HC Košice. The team plays its home games at Ondrej Nepela Arena, also known as Slovnaft Arena. The team is nicknamed Belasí, which means the "sky blues" in English.

History
The sports club Slovan Bratislava was founded in 1919 as a football club, then called 1.CsSK Bratislava. In 1921, a hockey section was founded as "CsSK hockey". It played its first game in December 1924 against Wiener EV from Vienna, losing 6–1. In 1948, the name of the club was changed to Slovan Bratislava, which has been kept until today.

For many years following World War II, Slovan was the only Slovak representative in the highest Czechoslovak league, and achieved several second-place finishes in the championship. The only title in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League was achieved under coach Ladislav Horsky in the 1978–79 season. Additionally, the youth teams won several championships.

After the separation of Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 1993, Slovan played in the Slovak Extraliga and won eight championship titles over 19 years.

In addition to the success achieved in Slovakia, Slovan also performed well internationally, with three Spengler Cup wins in a row in 1972, 1973 and 1974. It is also one of only four clubs to play all four seasons of the European Hockey League, progressing to the playoff stage each year. Another highlight was winning the IIHF Continental Cup in the 2003–04 season. From 2011 to 2013, Slovan participated in the European Trophy international pre-season tournament.

KHL
In March 2012, Slovan filed an application to play in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). On 21 June 2012, Slovan Bratislava was officially admitted to the KHL, after they fulfilled all necessary conditions. Founded in 1921, they were the oldest KHL team by a large margin, as there were no ice hockey leagues in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics prior to 1946.

2012–13 season
In May, Slovan signed Rostislav Čada as the new head coach for the first KHL season, who had had a KHL experience from working at Avangard Omsk. After playing two friendly matches against KHL teams and the European Trophy during the summer months, Slovan opened the 2012–13 season with a home game against Ukrainian HC Donbass on 6 September 2012, losing 2–4 in front of a capacity crowd. The first win was achieved 4 days later by defeating Spartak Moscow 2–1 after a shootout. During the NHL lockout between September 2012 and January 2013, the two defenders Ľubomír Višňovský and Andrej Sekera enhanced the team. Slovan ended the season with 78 points as 6th of the Western conference and thus clinched a play-off spot in their first KHL season. In the first play-off round, Slovan played against then-defending champion Dynamo Moscow and lost all four matches.

During the regular season, Slovan had sold out 25 out of its 26 home games with an average attendance of 9,977 spectators, which was the seventh-highest average attendance in Europe that season.

Mascot
Before the start of 2013–14 season, it was announced that the franchise will have a new mascot called Harvy. The mascot's name was determined by fans and its appearance will be of a bald eagle, which is also on HC Slovan's logo.

Rivalries
While competing in the Czechoslovak league, Slovan's main rival was HK Dukla Trenčín. While competing in the Slovak Extraliga, Slovan had various rivals around the country, most notably HC Košice and Trenčin

In Slovan's first two seasons in the KHL, its biggest rival was Lev Prague. The rivalry started when, in their first game, HC Lev's Zdeno Chára body-checked Slovan's team captain Miroslav Šatan, after which Šatan was out of the lineup for the rest of the season. The fairness of this hit was the centre of many discussions. The games between Slovan and Lev were among the most anticipated of the season for both teams. However, Lev Praha folded after the 2013–14 season.

Season-by-season record
''This is a partial list of the last ten seasons completed by HC Slovan Bratislava. For the full season-by-season history, see List of HC Slovan Bratislava seasons.''

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, OTW = Overtime/shootout wins, OTL = Overtime/shootout losses, L = Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Domestic

 * Slovak Extraliga
 * Winners (9): 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12, 2021–22
 * Runners-up (2): 1998–99, 2009–10
 * 3rd place (5): 1994–95, 1995–96, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2008–09


 * Czechoslovak Extraliga
 * Winners (1): 1978–79
 * Runners-up (8): 1948–49, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1969–70, 1971–72
 * 3rd place (9): 1945–46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1962–63, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1979–80


 * Slovak Hockey League
 * Winners (2): 1940–41, 1941–42
 * Runners-up (2): 1942–43, 1943–44


 * 1st. Slovak National Hockey League
 * Winners (2): 1981–82, 1989–90


 * 2nd. Czechoslovak Hockey League
 * Runners-up (1): 1954–55

International

 * IIHF European Cup
 * 3rd place (1): 1979–80


 * IIHF Continental Cup
 * Winners (1): 2003–04
 * 3rd place (1): 2000–01


 * IIHF Champions Hockey League
 * Groupe Stage (2): 2021–22, 2022–23

Pre-Season

 * Spengler Cup
 * Winners (3): 1972, 1973, 1974
 * Tatra Cup
 * Winners (5): 1974, 1975, 1990, 1997, 1998
 * Rona Cup
 * Winners (1): 1998

Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten-point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed season. Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game
 * – current Slovan player

Head coaches
These are the head coaches of HC Slovan Bratislava since they joined the Czechoslovak Extraliga: • Josef Maleček 1945 – 1948

• Michal Polóni 1948 – 1952

• Zdeněk Bláha 1952 – 1955

• Jiří Anton 1955 – 1957

• Michal Polóni 1957 – 1958

• Ladislav Horský 1958 – 1963

• Rastislav Jančuška 1963 – 1966

• Ladislav Horský 1966 – 1968

• Ján Starší 1968 – 1972

• Karol Fako 1972/73

• Ján Starší 1972 – 1974

• Juraj Mitošinka 1974 – 1976

• Ladislav Horský 1976 – 1981

• Jaroslav Walter 1981 – 1982/83

• Július Haas 1982/83

• Břetislav Guryča 1983/84

• Július Haas 1984/85

• Jozef Golonka 1985 – 1987/88

• Július Haas 1987/88

• R.Tománek 1988/89

• Július Haas 1988/89

• Ján Filc 1989/90

• Jaroslav Walter 1990 – 1992

• Dušan Žiška 1992 – 1997

• Ernest Bokroš 1996 – 1999/00

• František Hossa 1999/00 – 2001

• Miloš Říha 2001/02

• Július Šupler 2002/03

• Ľubomír Pokovič 2003/04

• Miloš Říha 2004/05

• Ján Jaško 2005/06

• Rostislav Čada 2006/07

• Zdeno Cíger 2006/07 – 2008/09

• Antonín Stavjaňa 2008/09 – 2010

• Pavel Hynek 2010/11

• Zdeno Cíger 2010/11

• Štefan Mikeš 2011/12

• Jan Neliba 2011/12

• Rostislav Čada 2012 – 2014

• Miloš Říha 2015 – 2017

• Vladimír Országh 2018

• Roman Stantien 2019 – 2021

• Robert Dome 2021 –

Hall of Fame
The following players associated with HC Slovan Bratislava have been inducted in various Halls of Fame:

Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

IIHF Hall of Fame
The IIHF Hall of Fame is intended to honor individuals who have made valuable contributions both internationally and in their home countries.