History
Ilustračné foto, Štartfoto
Ilustračné foto, Štartfoto
Canadians are justly proud of their bringing ice hockey – one of the most tremendous games to the whole world. Overseas it was already played in the last century but began entering Europe step by step, too. The first European Championship took place in 1910. During that time Canadian (ice) hockey was a rival to bandy hockey and definitely took the lead after the Olympic Games in Chamonix in 1924.

Bandy hockey was number one in Slovakia, too. Canadian hockey got only popularised during the European Championship in High Tatras in 1925.

The year 1929 is the milestone of the ice hockey in Slovakia, when the first volume of the Tatra Cup (the second oldest tournament in Europe – after the Spengler Cup) was organised in Starý Smokovec. Two days later, on January 31st, 1929, the first Slovak hockey organisation was established under the name of Slovenská župa kanadského hokeja as a part of the Czechoslovak Ice Hockey Federation.

The founding members were Ski klub Bratislava, ŠK Slávia Banská Bystrica, ŠK Vysoké Tatry, ČsŠK Košice and ŠK Žilina. So the hockey finally got its “mother” organisation in Slovakia and this date is considered as the initial day of history of ice hockey in Slovakia.

The first organised competition, The Slovak Championship, was launched already in 1930 and the first Slovak team managed to fight its way to the National Czechoslovak Hockey League in 1936. It was the HC Tatry. The university club VŠ Bratislava became the second participant the following year.

The first Slovak player included into the Czechoslovak National Team was Ladislav Troják, player of HC Košice. In 1934 he left for Prague to play for LTC Praha, one of the best hockey clubs in Czechoslovakia those times. That was a springboard to the representation team for him. Neither did he staid away from the Team Czechoslovakia at the Winter Olympic Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 1936, where the representation selects ended up on the 4th place. However the clouds of fascism and the World War II had already been flying over the Europe then.

After the disintegration of Czechoslovakia in 1938 and during the time of establishment of Separate Slovak State the Slovenská župa kanadského hokeja changed to the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation and the first Slovak National Team resulted from that change. The Slovak representation selects played 10 international games with the balance of 3 wins, 2 ties and 5 losts in period between 1940-1943. In country under the High Tatras ice hockey was generally enjoyed by public, particularly where the natural conditions were suitable. Banská Bystrica, for example, was one of such towns and had the largest number of players representing Slovakia.

The Slovak Ice Hockey Federation became a part of the Czechoslovak Ice Hockey Federation after the World War II and four Slovak teams (ŠK Bratislava, VŠ Bratislava, ŠK Banská Bystrica, HC Vysoké Tatry) participated to the restored national competition.

The first post-war World Championship was played in Prague in 1947 and Team Czechoslovakia again also consisted of Ladislav Troják, who unfortunately died at the air crash over the La Manche together with 5 other members of National Team. It was his fifth championship. Matej Buckna, Slovak of Canadian origin was a Head Coach of the National Team.

Many more Slovak teams like VŠ Bratislava, ŠK Banská Bystrica, Žilina, Poprad (for 5 seasons) were introduced to the national competition during the first decade after the World War II. Only the HC Slovan Bratislava, where the best hockey players (also from villages) started to assemble, managed to hold their permanent place there. It was particularly their contribution to arising the number of the Slovak players in the National Team during the 50-ties.

Bratislava hosted the world hockey elite in 1959. One group of the World Championship was played there. Canadian National Team enjoyed great interest together with the Team Czechoslovakia. The cradle of ice hockey was represented by the club Belleville McFarlands. It was them (Czechoslovakia and Canada), who were promoted to the final round played in Prague. That championship had an enormous share on the further popularisation and development of ice hockey in Slovakia.