HC '05 Banská Bystrica | |
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Nickname | barani |
City | Banská Bystrica, Slovakia |
League | Slovak Extraliga |
Founded | 1922 as Slávia |
Home arena |
Banská Bystrica Ice Stadium (capacity 2,840) |
Colours | red, white, black |
General manager | Vlastimil Plavucha |
Head coach | Vladimír Országh |
Captain | Michal Hudec |
Website | www.hc05.tipsportextraliga.sk |
Hockey Club '05 Banská Bystrica is a professional Slovak ice hockey club based in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. The team is nicknamed Barani, it means Rams in English.
HC '05 was founded in 2005 but professional hockey in Banská Bystrica was playing long before. The previous club was established in 1922. The club was named Slávia but later changed name several times. In 1962, the club was named Iskra (Spark in English) and this name kept up until 2005. In interwar period and during the World War II, the club played in the Slovak League. Their best placement was second in 1930, 1931, and 1934. They were members of the first postwar Czechoslovak Extraliga season. In the 1945–46 season, they finished 6th in Group A and were relegated from the Top level. Banská Bystrica returned to the Extraliga in the 1947–48 season but they finished 6th in Group A and were relegated again. This season was their last at the Top level until the 1995–96 Slovak Extraliga season. Since 1963–64, Iskra played in the 1. SNHL (1st Slovak National Hockey League), the second level in Czechoslovak hockey. They were members of all seasons of the 1. SNHL since its introduction in 1963 until dissolution of league in 1993. Iskra won the 1. SNHL in the 1968–69 season and were qualified to the preliminary round for the Czechoslovak Extraliga. They lost 5 of 6 games in the preliminary round against Škoda Plzeň, VŽKG Ostrava, and Mladá Boleslav and did not promote to the Extraliga.