KHL Medveščak Zagreb
Encyclopedia
KHL Medveščak Zagreb is a Croatia
n ice hockey
team. It is by far the most successful and the most popular ice hockey team in Croatia. Currently the team plays in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga
, and is the only Croatian team in the league. Last season club attracted over 200,000 spectators on live matches in Dom Športova
that increased the League
audience by 15%. Club also plays annual (usually in January) series of games in 15,024 capacity Arena Zagreb.
, Medveščak solidified as the second most popular team in Zagreb to football team Dinamo, playing their games in an outdoor rink in the upper class neighbourhood of Šalata
, with a draw of around 5,000 spectators a game. In 1971 the team moved into an indoor rink in Zagreb called the Dom Športova
, with the capacity to hold up to 6,400 fans. Over the first two decades of their existence Medveščak middled in success however never won the Yugoslav championship and by the early 1980s was mired in a financial crisis to almost suffer relegation from the top league in 1985.
The following season in 1986 the club was sponsored by the Gortan Building company, owned by Zdenko Gradecki, to become the de facto owners. With much needed investment, Gradecki transformed the club and recruited heavily, leading with Russian Hall of Famer, Vyacheslav Anisin
. By the late 1980s the team became the best in the Yugoslav Ice Hockey League, winning three consecutive championships from 1989, culminating with an appearance in the 1991 IIHF European Cup
in which they progressed to the second round.
With the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1991, Gortan Building company along with a host of sponsors plunged into financial crisis and pulled out of their backing of the team. Without funding, the club lost its best players and professional status left to compete as an amateur outfit in the Croatian Ice Hockey League. However, from the late 1990s to late 2000s the team would dominate the league, winning almost every championship. Medveščak strengthened its position in the 2000s in establishing a farm team
, KHL Medveščak II
. In search of more competitive play in the team also participated in the Slovenian Hockey League
from 2007, finishing in second place in their inaugural season. The following season, Medvescak was by far the best team in the Slovenian league (without the best two Slovenian teams which joined Erste Bank Eishockey Liga
a year earlier) during the regular season, losing only one game in regulation.
Starting in the 2009–10 season, Medveščak once again moved up in competitive level, joining the Austria
n Erste Bank Eishockey Liga
. In marking their moves up the professional ranks the Bears recruited famed North American coach, Ted Sator from fellow EBEL team Alba Volán Székesfehérvár
. With a commitment to continue to participate in the Croatian Ice Hockey League playoffs, Medveščak made their Austrian debut in front of a sellout crowd at the Dom Športova in a 6-5 victory against Slovenia
n member HK Acroni Jesenice
on September 11, 2009. The Bears enjoyed over 200,000 spectators throughout the season home games and were rewarded as the last team to qualify for a position in the Playoffs
. In their inaugural season, they stunned top seeded Graz 99ers
in the Quarterfinals in win in 6 games, before suffering elimination to eventual champions EC Red Bull Salzburg in the semi-finals.
, Manchester United F.C.
and Boca Juniors
from Argentina
. The Bears were selected after success in its inaugural season in the EBEL from hosting more than 200,000 spectators watching live matches without a single incident and its support to the campaign organised for emergency relief in Haiti
. Under the co-operation between Medveščak and the UNICEF, the Bears will actively work on the campaign to Stop Violence Among Children and will wear an UNICEF sleeve logo and change the club's blue logo color to that of UNICEF's cyan at joint events.
, Generali, Siemens
, Vindija, Pliva
, American Express and others.
Sports Director: Dragutin Ljubić
Equipment Manager: Željko Lončar
Team Doctor: Dr. Igor Borić
Masseur/Physiotherapist: Dario Grgic
Assistant Coach: Don MacLean
Assistant Coach: Ivo Ratej Jr.
Goalie Coach: Dave Marlin
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team. It is by far the most successful and the most popular ice hockey team in Croatia. Currently the team plays in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga
Austrian Hockey League
The Austrian Hockey League , called the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level ice hockey league in Austria.-History:...
, and is the only Croatian team in the league. Last season club attracted over 200,000 spectators on live matches in Dom Športova
Dom Sportova
Dom Sportova is an indoor sporting arena, located in Zagreb, Croatia. The venue was built in 1972, on Trešnjevka, in the western part of the city. It has 32,000 m² of floorspace, and it features six halls...
that increased the League
Austrian Hockey League
The Austrian Hockey League , called the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level ice hockey league in Austria.-History:...
audience by 15%. Club also plays annual (usually in January) series of games in 15,024 capacity Arena Zagreb.
History
The team was established in 1961, from the team SD Zagreb. In its first 10 seasons in the Yugoslav Hockey LeagueYugoslav Ice Hockey League
The Yugoslav Ice Hockey League was the top ice hockey league in the old Yugoslavia.In 1939 Yugoslavia became a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. That year also, the country held his first national League, with Ilirija Ljubljana emerging as champion.The League folded in 1991, when...
, Medveščak solidified as the second most popular team in Zagreb to football team Dinamo, playing their games in an outdoor rink in the upper class neighbourhood of Šalata
Šalata
Šalata is an upper-class residential neighborhood in Zagreb, Croatia. It is administratively part of the Gornji Grad - Medveščak city district in the northern part of Zagreb and it has a population of 1,929....
, with a draw of around 5,000 spectators a game. In 1971 the team moved into an indoor rink in Zagreb called the Dom Športova
Dom Sportova
Dom Sportova is an indoor sporting arena, located in Zagreb, Croatia. The venue was built in 1972, on Trešnjevka, in the western part of the city. It has 32,000 m² of floorspace, and it features six halls...
, with the capacity to hold up to 6,400 fans. Over the first two decades of their existence Medveščak middled in success however never won the Yugoslav championship and by the early 1980s was mired in a financial crisis to almost suffer relegation from the top league in 1985.
The following season in 1986 the club was sponsored by the Gortan Building company, owned by Zdenko Gradecki, to become the de facto owners. With much needed investment, Gradecki transformed the club and recruited heavily, leading with Russian Hall of Famer, Vyacheslav Anisin
Vyacheslav Anisin
Vyacheslav Anisin is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the Soviet Hockey League.Anisin played for HC CSKA Moscow, Krylya Sovetov Moscow, and HC Spartak Moscow. He also played for the Soviet team during the 1972 Summit Series against Canada. He was inducted into the Russian...
. By the late 1980s the team became the best in the Yugoslav Ice Hockey League, winning three consecutive championships from 1989, culminating with an appearance in the 1991 IIHF European Cup
IIHF European Cup 1991
The 1990-1991 European Cup was the twenty-sixth edition of the European Cup, IIHF's premier European club ice hockey tournament. The season started on October 19, 1990, and finished on December 30, 1990....
in which they progressed to the second round.
With the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1991, Gortan Building company along with a host of sponsors plunged into financial crisis and pulled out of their backing of the team. Without funding, the club lost its best players and professional status left to compete as an amateur outfit in the Croatian Ice Hockey League. However, from the late 1990s to late 2000s the team would dominate the league, winning almost every championship. Medveščak strengthened its position in the 2000s in establishing a farm team
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
, KHL Medveščak II
KHL Medveščak II
KHL Medveščak II is a Croatian ice hockey team. It is the farm team of KHL Medveščak Zagreb. Currently the team plays in the Slohokej Liga.-09-10 Roster:- External links :**...
. In search of more competitive play in the team also participated in the Slovenian Hockey League
Slovenian Hockey League
The Slovenian Ice Hockey League Championship is the highest level ice hockey league in the country of Slovenia. The Championship is open only to Slovenian teams. During the regular season these teams play in the Slohokej Liga and the Austrian Hockey League...
from 2007, finishing in second place in their inaugural season. The following season, Medvescak was by far the best team in the Slovenian league (without the best two Slovenian teams which joined Erste Bank Eishockey Liga
Austrian Hockey League
The Austrian Hockey League , called the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level ice hockey league in Austria.-History:...
a year earlier) during the regular season, losing only one game in regulation.
Starting in the 2009–10 season, Medveščak once again moved up in competitive level, joining the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n Erste Bank Eishockey Liga
Austrian Hockey League
The Austrian Hockey League , called the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level ice hockey league in Austria.-History:...
. In marking their moves up the professional ranks the Bears recruited famed North American coach, Ted Sator from fellow EBEL team Alba Volán Székesfehérvár
Alba Volán Székesfehérvár
SAPA AV19 Székesfehérvár is a Hungarian ice hockey team that currently plays in OB I bajnokság, in the Austrian Erste Bank Hockey League and in MOL Liga...
. With a commitment to continue to participate in the Croatian Ice Hockey League playoffs, Medveščak made their Austrian debut in front of a sellout crowd at the Dom Športova in a 6-5 victory against Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n member HK Acroni Jesenice
HK Acroni Jesenice
HK Acroni Jesenice is a Slovenian ice hockey team that currently plays in the Austrian Erste Bank Hockey League. They play their home games at Dvorana Podmežakla in Jesenice.- Before World War 2 :...
on September 11, 2009. The Bears enjoyed over 200,000 spectators throughout the season home games and were rewarded as the last team to qualify for a position in the Playoffs
Erste Bank Eishockey Liga Playoffs
-2008-09 season playoffs:-2007-08 season playoffs:-2006-07 season playoffs:-2005-06 season playoffs:-2004-05 season playoffs:-2003-04 season playoffs:...
. In their inaugural season, they stunned top seeded Graz 99ers
Graz 99ers
-Current roster: Roster Updated as of: December 30, 2010 -Former players:...
in the Quarterfinals in win in 6 games, before suffering elimination to eventual champions EC Red Bull Salzburg in the semi-finals.
UNICEF Partnership
On August 24, 2010, KHL Medveščak formed an official partnership with UNICEF to become the first and only European Hockey team to cooperate with UNICEF, joining prestigious sporting clubs in FC BarcelonaFC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
from Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. The Bears were selected after success in its inaugural season in the EBEL from hosting more than 200,000 spectators watching live matches without a single incident and its support to the campaign organised for emergency relief in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. Under the co-operation between Medveščak and the UNICEF, the Bears will actively work on the campaign to Stop Violence Among Children and will wear an UNICEF sleeve logo and change the club's blue logo color to that of UNICEF's cyan at joint events.
Sponsors
Medvescak sponsors include companies such as: CitroenCitroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
, Generali, Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
, Vindija, Pliva
Pliva
Pliva d.d. is a Croatian pharmaceutical company, based in Zagreb, Croatia. One of the world's largest producers of generic Adderall, it has seen drastic increases in revenue with an increasing number of patients being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder . It is the largest pharmaceutical...
, American Express and others.
Honours
- Yugoslav Ice Hockey LeagueYugoslav Ice Hockey LeagueThe Yugoslav Ice Hockey League was the top ice hockey league in the old Yugoslavia.In 1939 Yugoslavia became a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. That year also, the country held his first national League, with Ilirija Ljubljana emerging as champion.The League folded in 1991, when...
: 3- 1989, 1990, 1991
- Yugoslav Ice Hockey CupYugoslav Ice Hockey LeagueThe Yugoslav Ice Hockey League was the top ice hockey league in the old Yugoslavia.In 1939 Yugoslavia became a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. That year also, the country held his first national League, with Ilirija Ljubljana emerging as champion.The League folded in 1991, when...
: 4- 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
- Croatian Ice Hockey ChampionshipCroatian Ice Hockey ChampionshipThe Croatian Ice Hockey League is the top ice hockey league in Croatia. At the end of the season the Croatian Championship is held. The league is operated by the Croatian Ice Hockey Federation.-History:...
: 15- 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,
2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011
- 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,
Team Staff
General Manager: Markoantonio BelinićSports Director: Dragutin Ljubić
Equipment Manager: Željko Lončar
Team Doctor: Dr. Igor Borić
Masseur/Physiotherapist: Dario Grgic
Coaches
Head Coach: Marty RaymondMarty Raymond
Marty Raymond is an Canadian professional ice hockey player who is the current head coach of the KHL Medveščak in the Austrian Hockey League...
Assistant Coach: Don MacLean
Assistant Coach: Ivo Ratej Jr.
Goalie Coach: Dave Marlin
External links
- Sektor B - most loyal fans of KHL Medveščak Zagreb
- Croatian Ice Hockey Federation
- Medveščak at Elite Prospects
- Ice Hockey Fights Its Way Back in Croatia (The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
) - Erste Bank Eishockey Liga