HC Slovan Bratislava

Hockey Club Slovan Bratislava (Slovak: Hokejový klub Slovan Bratislava) is a professional ice hockey club based in Bratislava, Slovakia. In 2012, they left the Slovak Extraliga and joined the international Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The club has won eight Slovak championships (most recently in 2012) and one Czechoslovak championship (1979). They play their home games at the Ondrej Nepela Arena, also known as Slovnaft Arena. The team is nicknamed Belasí, which means the "sky blues" in English.

History
The sports club Slovan Bratislava was founded in 1919 as a football club, then called 1.CsSK Bratislava. In 1921, a hockey section was founded as "CsSK hockey". They played their first game in December 1924 against Wiener EV from Vienna, losing 1-6. In 1939 the name of the club was changed to Slovan Bratislava, which has been kept until today.

After World War II, Slovan was for a long time the only Slovak representative in the highest Czechoslovak league, and achieved several second places in the championship. The only title in the Czechoslovak Extraliga was achieved under coach Ladislav Horsky in the 1978–79 season. Additionally, the youth teams won several championships.

After the separation of Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 1993, Slovan played in the Slovak Extraliga and won eight championship titles. Also the junior teams kept winning several Slovak championships.

In addition to the successes achieved in Slovakia, Slovan also performed well internationally, with 3 Spengler Cup wins in a row in 1972–1974. It is also one of only four clubs, which played all 4 years of the European Hockey League and always progressed to the play-off stages. Another highlight was winning the IIHF Continental Cup in the 2003–04 season. Since 2011, Slovan is also participating in the European Trophy.

Kontinental Hockey League
In March 2012, Slovan filed an application to play in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). On 21 June 2012, Slovan Bratislava was officially admitted to the KHL, after they fulfilled all necessary conditions. Founded in 1921, they are the oldest KHL team by a large margin, as there were no ice hockey leagues in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics prior to 1946.

2012–13 season
In May, Slovan signed Rostislav Čada as the new head coach for the first KHL season, who had had a KHL experience from working at Avangard Omsk. After playing two friendly matches against KHL teams and the European Trophy during the summer months, Slovan opened the 2012–13 season with a home game against Ukrainian HC Donbass on 6 September 2012, losing 2–4 in front of a capacity crowd. The first win was achieved 4 days later by defeating Spartak Moscow 2–1 after shootout. During the NHL lockout between September 2012 and January 2013, the two defenders Lubomír Višňovský and Andrej Sekera enhanced the team. Slovan ended the season with 78 points as 6th of the Western conference and thus clinched the play-off in their first KHL season. In the first play-off round Slovan played against Dynamo Moscow and lost all four matches.

During the regular season, Slovan had sold out 25 out of its 26 home games with an average attendance of 9,977 spectators which is the 7th highest average attendance in Europe.

Mascot
Before the start of 2013-14 season it was announced that the franchise will have a new mascot called Harvy. The mascot's name was determined by fans and its appearance will be of a bald eagle, which is also on HC Slovan's logo.

Season-by-season record
''This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by HC Slovan Bratislava. For the full season-by-season history, see List of HC Slovan Bratislava seasons.''

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTW = Overtime/Shootout Wins, OTL = Overtime/Shootout Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Domestic
Slovak Extraliga Czechoslovak Extraliga
 * Winners (8): 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12
 * Runners-up (2): 1998–99, 2009–10
 * 3rd place (5): 1994–95, 1995–96, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2008–09
 * Winners (1): 1978–79
 * Runners-up (8): 1948–49, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1969–70, 1971–72
 * 3rd place (9): 1945–46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1962–63, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1979–80

Slovak Hockey League 1. Slovenská národná hokejová liga
 * Winners (2): 1940-41, 1941-42
 * Runners-up (2): 1942-43, 1943-44
 * Winners (2): 1981–82, 1989–90

International
IIHF European Champions Cup
 * 3rd place (1): 1980

IIHF Continental Cup
 * Winners (1): 2004
 * 3rd place (1): 2001

Spengler Cup
 * Winners (3): 1972, 1973, 1974