ČEZ Motor České Budějovice | |
---|---|
City | České Budějovice, Czech Republic |
League |
Czech 1.liga 1993-2004, 2005–2013 |
Founded | 1928 |
Home arena | Budvar Arena |
Colors | |
General manager | Stanislav Bednařík |
Head coach | Petr Rosol |
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 |
Czech 1.liga
2004-05, 2013–present
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.
The long history started in 1911, when group of young gymnasium students devised a plan to start a bandy team. Their first hockey rings were situated exactly where Malše river merges into Vltava river. 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.
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.
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[update]; in each case the club re-earned promotion to the top league the following season.