Slovenia

Slovenia is a country in South-Central Europe. Ljubljana is the capital and largest city. Slovenia was a part of Yugoslavia until 1991.

History of hockey in Slovenia
The first ice hockey game was played in Slovenia in 1929. SK Ilrija Ljubljana, which was founded a year earlier in 1928, was the best team in Yugoslavia prior to World War II. The team was declared Yugoslav champions in 1937 and 1938 without having to play a game. HK Jesenice won the Yugoslav Ice Hockey League 15 years in a row between 1957 and 1971. Overall, Slovenian teams won 36 out of 49 Yugoslav championships. Slovenian teams also won 12 out of 18 Yugoslav Cups, with HK Jesenice winning eight of them. Most players on the Yugoslav national team came from Slovenia.

When Yugoslavia disintegrated in 1991, the Ice Hockey Federation of Slovenia was founded, and the country joined the IIHF on May 6, 1992.

The Slovenian Championship was first contested in the 1991-92 season. HDD Olimpija Ljubljana has won 12 Slovenian titles, while HK Jesenice has been champions eight times. Since the 2009-10 season, the Slohokej Liga, which also has teams from Croatia and Serbia participating, has existed alongside the Slovenian Championship, which is held at the end of the year. The Slovenian Cup has been contested three times, in 1996, and in January and September of 2000. The Slovenian Supercup was contested only in 1999.

The men's national team played its first game on March 20, 1992, a friendly game against Austria, which they lost 1-0. They participated in the World Championship C Pool Qualification tournament in 1992, and qualified for the 1993 World Championship C Pool. They first played in the top division of the World Championships in 2002, finishing in 13th place. They have played in the top division on five other occasions since then. The national team has yet to qualify for the Olympics.

The women's national team first appeared on the international scene in 2000, playing in Division II of the Women's World Championships. They won the Division III tournament in 2005.

The junior national team participated in the World Championship Group C Qualification tournament in 1992, 1993, and 1994. They made their debut at the world juniors in 1995, finishing in second place in the C2 Pool. Their best finish was second place in the Division IB tournament in 2011.