HK Dukla Trenčín

HK Dukla Trenčín
Nickname Vojaci
City Trenčín, Slovakia
League Tipsport Liga
Founded 1962 (1962)
Home arena Pavol Demitra Ice Stadium
(capacity 6,150)
Colours yellow, red
         
General manager Slovakia Július Penzeš
Head coach Slovakia Peter Oremus
Captain Slovakia Branko Radivojevič
Website www.hkdukla.sk

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, meaning "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 advanced to the playoffs in 1985–86 and there they lost 1–3 against Tesla Pardubice in the quarterfinals. They advanced 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 Kladno 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 lost 0–4. In the 2009–10 season Dukla did not qualify for the playoffs for the first time since the 1986–87 season.

NHL alumni

After the fall of the Iron Curtain many players who were born in Trenčín or grew out in Dukla youth system had success in the NHL. Marián Gáborík and Zdeno Chára are the most successful players on the present who were born in Trenčín. Gáborík was drafted 3rd overall by Minnesota Wild in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, becoming a first signed player in club history. Gáborík's teammate in the Wild was Ľubomír Sekeráš who spent in Minnesota three seasons. Chára, drafted 56th overall by New York Islanders in 1996, is a first Slovak NHL captain who won the Stanley Cup. Chára is also a first Slovak winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy. In the same year as Chára there was drafted Richard Lintner, other NHL player who was born in Trenčín. Dukla youth system raised several talented players from near or far surroundings. Pavol Demitra, Marián Hossa, Marcel Hossa, Andrej Meszároš, Andrej Sekera, Tomáš Kopecký, Branko Radivojevič are regarded for Trenčín players even though that they were born otherwhere. Trenčín Ice Stadium was named after Pavol Demitra who died in the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash on 7 September 2011.

Honours

Champions

Runners-up

Retired numbers

Current roster

Updated June 23, 2018.[1]

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
Slovakia Michal Valent G L 32 2017 Martin, Slovakia
Slovakia Milan Bartovič LW L 37 2018 Trenčín, Slovakia
Slovakia Mário Bližňák C L 31 2018 Trenčín, Slovakia
Slovakia Tomáš Bokroš D R 29 2018 Trenčín, Slovakia
Slovakia Marek Šimko G L 30 2018 Zvolen, Slovakia
Slovakia Ondrej Mikula LW L 30 2017 Bánovce nad Bebravou, Slovakia
Slovakia Ján Pardavý RW L 24 2013 Trenčín, Slovakia
Slovakia Marek Hudec D L 24 2018 Trenčín, Slovakia
Slovakia Peter Sojčík RW L 32 2015 Dubnica nad Váhom, Slovakia
Slovakia Peter Frühauf D L 36 2017 Dubnica nad Váhom, Slovakia
Czech Republic Radek Dlouhý LW L 36 2017 Praha, Czech Republic
Slovakia Juraj Cebák D R 36 2016 Prievidza, Slovakia
Slovakia Branko Radivojevič RW R 37 2017 Piešťany, Slovakia
Slovakia Matúš Holenda D L 23 2012 Trenčín, Slovakia
Slovakia Tibor Varga RW R 33 2017 Bratislava, Slovakia
Slovakia Boris Sádecký C L 21 2018 Trenčín, Slovakia
Slovakia Lukáš Bohunický D L 30 2016 Bratislava, Slovakia
Slovakia Marek Hecl RW L 20 2018 Trenčín, Slovakia
Czech Republic Martin Rýgl D R 32 2018 Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic
Slovakia Denis Hudec RW L 25 2015 Trenčín, Slovakia
Slovakia Jozef Švec LW L 23 2016 Trenčín, Slovakia

Notable players

References

  1. ↑ "Team – HK Dukla Trenčín" (in Slovak). hkdukla.sk. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
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