Current season, competition or edition: 2022–23 Croatian Ice Hockey League season | |
| Sport | Ice Hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | Croatian Ice Hockey Federation |
| No. of teams | 4 |
| Country | Croatia |
| Most recent champion(s) | KHL Sisak |
| Most titles | Medveščak (21) |
| Official website | hshl |
The Croatian Ice Hockey League is the top ice hockey league in Croatia. The league is operated by the Croatian Ice Hockey Federation.
The league was formed in 1991 with the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Until then, Croatian teams played in the Yugoslav Ice Hockey League. The hockey teams Mladost and Medveščak were playing in the first division, while Sisak and Zagreb were playing in the second division of the Yugoslav league. The former two were much stronger, but as financing went away their best players did not stay with the clubs. This resulted in a more balanced competition, in which KHL Zagreb went on to win three times in a row. Medveščak however managed to remerge as the country's dominant team, as it won the competition for eleven straight seasons.
Due to the very short duration of the season, Croatian teams often play in other leagues, such as the Slohokej League, Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, Interliga and Panonian League.
| Team | City | Arena | Capacity | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current teams | ||||
| Medveščak Admiral |  Zagreb | Admiral Ice Dome | 850 | 2024 |
| Mladost | Zagreb | Dvorana Velesajam | 500 | 1946 |
| Sisak | Sisak | Ledena dvorana Zibel | 1,960 | 1934 |
| Zagreb | Zagreb | Dvorana Velesajam | 500 | 1982 |
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| Club | Croatian Championship won | Total |
| Medveščak | 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 | 22 |
| Zagreb | 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2019, 2023 | 6 |
| Sisak | 2022, 2024 | 2 |
| Mladost | 2008, 2021 | 2 |
 Ice hockey in Croatia | |
|---|---|
| Croatian Ice Hockey League: | |
| Other articles: | |
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The Yugoslav Handball Championship was the highest level competition in men's team handball in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, played regularly for almost four decades between 1953 and 1992, before being abandoned due to the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Sport in Croatia has significant role in Croatian culture, and many local sports clubs as well as the Croatian national squads enjoy strong followings in the country. The most enduring sport by far in Croatia is football, and is played on amateur and professional levels amongst all age groups across the entire country. Several other major team sports are handball, basketball and water polo, with clubs in all parts of Croatia. Ice hockey is another popular team sport, namely in the Croatian interior. The most popular individual sports in Croatia are tennis, alpine skiing, and swimming, and to some extent table tennis and chess. Various amateur sport games are popular in Croatia, notably picigin.
Joel Melvin Prpic is a Canadian-born Croatian former professional ice hockey player of who played in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins and the Colorado Avalanche before ending his career with Croatian team, KHL Medveščak Zagreb, in the Austrian Hockey League.
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Domagoj Kapec was a Croatian ice hockey player who last played for KHL Zagreb. He was born in Zagreb, the capital of today's Croatia.
KHL Medveščak Admiral, also known as KHL Medveščak Zagreb, is a Croatian professional ice hockey team based in Zagreb, established in 1961. The team's name derives from the location of its original arena in the Medveščak area in central Zagreb, with KHL the abbreviation of the Croatian words for ice hockey club. It is by far the most successful and popular ice hockey team in the country.
Ice hockey has been played in Croatia at least since the late 19th century. It became organised on the national level in 1935 with the establishment of the Croatian Ice Hockey Federation, and at this period Croatian teams were playing in the Yugoslav Ice Hockey League. During the 1960s, Group B of the 1966 World Ice Hockey Championships took place in Zagreb, and KHL Medveščak Zagreb became a leading team, winning the national championship on several occasions. The breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991 led to the formation of the Croatian Ice Hockey League.
The Yugoslav Ice Hockey League was the top ice hockey league in the old Yugoslavia.
KHL Medveščak Zagreb II, also known as KHL Medveščak Mladi / KHL Medveščak Juniors, is a Croatian ice hockey farm team of KHL Medveščak Zagreb. They play in the Croatian Junior Ice Hockey League. Before they were senior champions in 2010, 2013, and 2014. They have also played in both the Panonian League and the Slohokej League.
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Andy Sertich is a former American-Croatian professional ice hockey player whose final team before retirement in 2017 was the Nottingham Panthers of the British EIHL.
The 1993–94 Croatian Ice Hockey League season was the third season of the Yugoslav Ice Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Croatia. Four teams participated in the league, and KHL Zagreb won the championship.
The 1994–95 Croatian Ice Hockey League season was the fourth season of the Yugoslav Ice Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Croatia. Four teams participated in the league, and KHL Medveščak Zagreb won the championship.
The 1995–96 Croatian Ice Hockey League season was the fifth season of the Yugoslav Ice Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Croatia. Four teams participated in the league, and Zagreb have won the championship.
The 2010–11 Croatian Ice Hockey League season was the 20th season of the Croatian Ice Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Croatia. Four teams participated in the league, and KHL Medveščak Zagreb won the championship.
The 2011–12 Croatian Ice Hockey League season was the 21st season of the Croatian Ice Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Croatia. Four teams participated in the league, and KHL Medveščak Zagreb won the championship.
The 2013–14 KHL season was the sixth season of the Kontinental Hockey League.
The 2012–13 Croatian Ice Hockey League season was the 22nd season of the Croatian Ice Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Croatia. KHL Medveščak Zagreb II won the championship by defeating KHL Mladost Zagreb in the final.
The 2013–14 Croatian Ice Hockey League season was the 23rd season of the Croatian Ice Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Croatia. KHL Medveščak Zagreb II won the championship by defeating KHL Mladost Zagreb in the final. Many KHL players from Medveščak's top team joined the second team for the playoffs.
The 2014–15 Croatian Ice Hockey League season was the 24th season of the Croatian Ice Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Croatia. KHL Medveščak Zagreb II won the championship by defeating KHL Mladost Zagreb in the final. Many KHL players from Medveščak's top team joined the second team for the playoffs.