Ice hockey in Croatia
Hockey is one in Croatia not to the "traditional" sports, such as football, handball, basketball or tennis, but also fulfills a niche.
History
Beginnings of hockey in Croatia
On December 9, 1935, the associations of figure skating and ice hockey from Zagreb were founded. The sport of ice hockey had been known for 30 years earlier in what is now Croatia.
The first ice hockey matches were played between the Hask ( Croatian sports club of academics ) and the First Croatian sports fans ( PHSD ) in winter 1916 in Zagreb. 1922 Winter Sports Association in Zagreb was founded by the sport of figure skating, hockey and skiing were offered and encouraged. The first hockey game for Canadian hockey rules took place between Hask Zagreb and the figure skating community on February 3, 1924. The final result was 4:1 for the Croatian Sports Club of academics ( Hask ). 1930 four Hockey clubs were founded in Croatia, but as subsections of the following, Croatian sports teams: the "Marathon" sports community, " Cocordia " sports community, the Karlovac Sports Association, 1931, in coming from Sisak Sports Community " Slavija " and in 1935 in Sports Community Varaždin. 1938, the first Ice Hockey Championship was held in the Croatian Banovina. It was attended by the Hockey clubs from Zagreb, Sisak, Karlovac and Varaždin.
In times of Yugoslavia
As heyday of Croatian sport of ice hockey is considered the time after the Second World War and associated with Dragutin Fridrich. Fridrich founded in 1946 the Zagreb hockey club " Mladost " ( youth). The club won the 1946 and 1949 All-Yugoslav Ice Hockey Championship. 1947 HK Zagreb was founded in Zagreb. This hockey club won the 1956 Croatian Hockey Championship, which was held alongside the gesamtjugoslawischen Hockey Championships.
1953 was used in Belgrade to hockey games, the first artificial ice and had all year for hockey and other ice sports, regardless of the winter period. This meant that qualitative Croatian Hockey professional players to Belgrade changed.
The early 1960s had become scarce financial resources for the sport of ice hockey in the Croatian part of Yugoslavia. This merged as the hockey club HK Zagreb with the newly formed Hockey Club Medveščaka from Zagreb. Under the new club name HK Medveščak Zagreb, this took part in ice hockey competitions. During this time was used in Zagreb for the first time at the hockey games artificial ice. This led to better and fuller quality training and education conditions for the sport of ice hockey in Croatia.
1966 Zagreb received allocated to the organization of the Ice Hockey World Championship group B. After the completion of the Cathedral Športová 1971 in Zagreb, the Croatian ice hockey also another Hockey received training and training center. 1984, the own Croatian Ice Hockey Federation was founded.
Between 1988 and 1990, re-established hockey club HK Zagreb was three times gesamtjugoslawischer Hockey champion and won a total of four to All-Yugoslav Hockey Cup playoffs. In addition to this Croatian hockey club played the HK Medveščak Zagreb against the best Slovenian and Serbian Hockey Clubs: HK Jesenice and HDD Olimpija Ljubljana, HK Partizan Belgrade and HK Red Star Belgrade in the gesamtjugoslawischen Hockey League season games.
The second half of the 1980s is true for the gesamtjugoslawischen sport of ice hockey in the former SFRY as the "golden age". During this period changed from the two best hockey clubs in Slovenia, the HK Jesenice and HDD Olimpija Ljubljana players in the Serbian Hockey Teams Crvena Zvezda and Partizan Belgrade. In addition, players from the U.S. and Canada and other European Hockey Nations in the former Yugoslavia have been contracted.
Re sovereignty of Croatia
After the fall of Gesamtjugoslawischen Ice Hockey Federation broke up the Croatian Ice Hockey Federation in 1991, at the same time it was the independence years of the country. Since 6 May 1992, the Croatian national ice hockey team is an official member of the World Federation IIHF Ice Hockey. In 2005, the Croatian Ice Hockey Federation celebrated its 70 anniversary.
Men
In Croatia, take a total of seven professional teams participate in the game of ice hockey championship mode. These are KHL Medveščak Zagreb KHL Mladost Zagreb, Sisak INA HK, HK Šalata Stars, SD Hask Zagreb KHL Zagreb and Varaždin HK. The most recognized hockey clubs in Croatia are based in Zagreb clubs KHL Medveščak, KHL Mladost and KHL. In addition, 15 Hockey referees are charged with the direction of the ice hockey games.
Venues
For the hosting of the Croatian Hockey League games are available in Croatia two hockey halls (one of which is the multi-functional hall Dom Športová ) and three recordable Hockey fields with no shelter available.