KHL Sisak
| KHL Sisak | |
|---|---|
| File:KHL SISAK logo n.jpg | |
| Nickname | The Knights |
| City | Sisak, Croatia |
| League | Croatian Ice Hockey League 1992–present
|
| Founded | 1934 |
| Home arena | Klizalište Zibel (capacity: 5,000) |
| Colours | |
| Head coach | Dejan Dejanović |
| Website | www.khl-sisak.hr |
| Franchise history | |
Klub Hokeja na Ledu Sisak 2010–present
| |
KHL Sisak is a Croatian ice hockey team that plays in the Croatian Ice Hockey League. They play their home games at Klizalište Zibel, which was renovated in 2017.
History
The first hockey game was played in Sisak in 1930. It was played between the students of the 7'th High School. Over the years they played partial and irregular matches, mostly between students. Then, at the end 1934 the sports society "Slavia" organized a hockey club. The new Sisak club had its first success at the championship of Yugoslavia in 1937. The players were: Vjenceslav Holubek, Vladimir Berghauer, Želimir Golder, Josip Kovačić, Mate Starčević, Oliver Pötzl, Franjo Knebl, Branko Herlinger and Joža Stampf. At that time, Pötzl and Berghauer were members of the national team. In season 1938/39 the club participated in the Yugoslav league, Croatian division with teams from Zagreb, Karlovac and Varaždin. In 1958 and 1959 Sisak hockey players won the Croatian championship and became members of the Federal League. In 1961 they went on to become Croatian ice hockey champions, formed the club "Segesta," and played their first game against Zagreb's newly formed team Medveščak. Late in 1971 the Sisak rink "Recreational Center Zibel" was finished and the first international hockey match in Sisak was played between Medveščak and Tesla Pardubice from Czech Republic.
Hockey has continued to evolve in Yugoslavia; Sisak was sponsored by the INA oil company and bore their name. "INA" Sisak repeatedly won first place in the second division of the state championships, and appeared in the first division. Through several years of play, with greater or lesser success, Sisak's young hockey players from the club "INA" became the junior Croatian champions in 1979. In the 1980/81 Croatian league season, the youngest "INA" team won the championship. The club prospered until the war in the '90s, and has come back afterwards, slowly picking up pace as circumstances allowed. New generations took over, keeping the oldest Croatian club alive, now known as ice hockey club "Sisak."
Sponsors
KHL Sisak sponsors include companies such as: Croatia osiguranje and Splitska banka.