Motor České Budějovice

ČEZ Motor České Budějovice
City České Budějovice, Czech Republic
League

Czech 1.liga
2004-05, 2013–present

Czech Extraliga
1993-2004, 2005–2013
Founded 1928 (1928)
Home arena Budvar Arena
Colors                    
General manager Czech Republic Stanislav Bednařík
Head coach Czech Republic Václav Prospal
Website hcmotor.cz
Franchise history
1928–1948 AC Stadion České Budějovice
1948–1949 Sokol Stadion České Budějovice
1949–1950 ZSJ Obchodní domy České Budějovice
1950–1952 SKP České Budějovice
1965–1992 Motor České Budějovice
1992–2006 HC České Budějovice
2006–2013 HC Mountfield
2013–present ČEZ Motor České Budějovice

ČEZ Motor České Budějovice is a professional men's ice hockey club, based in České Budějovice, Czech Republic. It is a member of the Czech 1.liga after reforming when the original club, now known as Mountfield HK, moved to Hradec Králové over a sponsorship dispute.[1]

History

Bandy era in České Budějovice

The long history started in 1911, when group of young gymnasium students devised a plan to start a bandy team. Their first hockey rinks were situated exactly where the Malše river and Vltava river merge. Dr. Zdeněk Černý was the first coach, manager, as well as a player of the team. The bandy club lasted until World War I. Some of the first victims of the war were players from České Budějovice such as Áda Schrabal, Karel Selinka, Jan Vrkoč, and Leo Feigl.

Adaptation to ice hockey

On December 3, 1921, SK České Budějovice played its first amateur ice hockey match in Strakonice.

On January 10, 1928, a club known as AC Stadion České Budějovice was founded by the merging two clubs in České Budějovice - Viktoria and Slovan. The club joined Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League, the nation's top ice hockey league, in 1936. In their first season, they finished third behind LTC Praha and AC Sparta Praha.

Lone championship & decades of failure

In the 1950–51 season, the club, now called SKP České Budějovice, won its first and only championship in any top-tier league. The club has failed to finish higher than third place (1952–53) in the highest league ever since.

After a disastrous 1962–63 season in which the team won none of the 32 games, the club was relegated to the Czechoslovak Second League until 1968. Overall, HC České Budějovice had been relegated to the second-tier league five other times since the 1958-59 season as of 2013; in each case the club re-earned promotion to the top league the following season.

Although it lost in the semifinals of the 2007–08 Czech Extraliga season, HC České Budějovice qualified for the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League as the winner of the regular season. However, its success was short-lived, as it finished eleventh and survived a relegation round the following season.

War of the Beers

Following the 2012–13 season, the Czech Extraliga reached a sponsorship deal with Radegast to sell its beer in all Extraliga arenas. This agreement conflicted with the naming rights deal České Budějovice already had with Budweiser Budvar Brewery for their arena. Under the agreement, the club and the city of České Budějovice would face stiff penalties for selling any beer other than Budvar products.[2][3] Unable to resolve the dispute, the club decided on June 18, 2013 that no agreement could be reached between the parties involved and voted to immediately relocate to Hradec Králové for the 2013-14 season.[4][5]

In July 2013, plans were unveiled to resume professional hockey in České Budějovice, with a club playing in the Czech First National League.[6]

Honours

Champions

1st, gold medalist(s) Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League Championship (1): 1951
1st, gold medalist(s) Czechoslovak Second Ice Hockey League Championship (6): 1960, 1968, 1970, 1992, 2005, 2017

Runners-up

3rd, bronze medalist(s) Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League Championship (1): 1953

Players

Alumni

  • See Category:HC České Budějovice players for a list of HC České Budějovice players past and present.

References

  1. ↑ "Hradec Králové schválil přesun HC Mountfield" (in Czech). ceskatelevize.cz. 2013-06-18. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
  2. ↑ "V Českých Budějovicích kvůli sporu o pivo mohou přijít o extraligový hokej" (in Czech). ihned.cz. 2013-05-29. Archived from the original on 2014-04-13. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
  3. ↑ Tuniz, Davide (2013-06-06). "The War of the Beers". eurohockey.com. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
  4. ↑ "Hradec Králové schválil přesun HC Mountfield" (in Czech). ceskatelevize.cz. 2013-06-18. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
  5. ↑ Tuniz, Davide (2013-06-29). "HC Mountfield definitely moves to Hradec Kralove". eurohockey.com. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
  6. ↑ Lhota, Ladislav (2013-07-20). "HC Motor získal prvoligovou licenci" (in Czech). ihned.cz. Archived from the original on 2013-07-23. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
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