Vlci Žilina

Vlci Žilina is a professional Slovak ice hockey club based in Žilina. They currently play in the Slovak 1. Liga. The club has won the Slovak league championship in 2006. The team is nicknamed Vlci, it means Wolves in English.
==History==
The club was founded on 25 January 1925 as ŠK Žilina. They played first official game against Slávia Banská Bystrica on 16 December 1928. Žilina was beaten 0–3. They competed in the Championship of Central Slovakia before and during World War II. In the 1931–32 season they won this championship. After WW II and restored Czechoslovakia they played in the Czechoslovak Extraliga two seasons. Žilina finished last in the 1951–52 season and the 1952–53 season. They won the 1964–65 1. SNHL season and promoted to the qualification for the Czechoslovak Extraliga. In the qualification round they lost all games and did not promote. After dissolution of Czechoslovakia they were included to the Slovak 1.Liga, second level of Slovak hockey. Žilina won the 2000–01 Slovak 1.Liga season and promoted to the Slovak Extraliga first time. In the 2005–06 season they reached the most remarkable success. Žilina won the Slovak Extraliga first time after beating HK Poprad 4–3 in the final series. Michal Hreus was the top scorer of Žilina in the playoffs, recording 15 points (7G+8A). Through the victory in Extraliga they gained an option to play with the best European ice hockey teams in the IIHF European Champions Cup. Žilina was defeated 0–7 by HPK in first game but then won 4–2 against HC Sparta Praha and finished second in the Ragulin division.
In the 2018–19 season, Žilina were relegated to the Slovak 1. Liga after losing a best-of-seven relegation playoff to HK Dukla Michalovce.
Club's 100-percent shareholders, the City of Žilina, had sold the shares to a private company Lupiza in May 2020. The new owners had intended to rename the club to HK Vlci Žilina.
==Honours==
===Domestic===
Slovak Extraliga
* Winners (1): 2005–06
* 3rd place (1): 2016–17
Slovak 1. Liga
* Winners (1): 2000–01
* Runners-up (2): 1998–99, 2020–21
Slovak Hockey League
* 3rd place (1): 1940–41
1st. Slovak National Hockey League
* Winners (1): 1964–65
* 3rd place (2): 1965–66, 1967–68
===Pre-season===
Rona Cup
* Winners (1): 2006
==Current Roster==
as of December 6, 2022
Goaltenders	Goaltenders 	Goaltenders	Goaltenders	Goaltenders	Goaltenders
Nat. 	Player 	 	 	 	
 	Filip Kubiridžák	 	 	 	
 	Patrik Romančík 	 	 	 	
 	Tomáš Tomek 	 	 	 	
Defensemen	Defensemen 	Defensemen	Defensemen	Defensemen	Defensemen
Nat. 	Player 	 	 	 	
 	Martin Benko 	 	 	 	
 	Samuel Greguss 	 	 	 	
 	Dominik Hajas 	 	 	 	
 	Matúš Krendželák	 	 	 	
 	Ján Nahálka 	 	 	 	
 	Marek Pacalaj 	 	 	 	
 	Jakub Pišoja 	 	 	 	
 	Jakub Pobežal 	 	 	 	
 	David Růžička 	 	 	 	
 	Petr Šidlík 	 	 	 	
 	Adrián Sloboda 	 	 	 	
 	Andrej Vojtech 	 	 	 	
Forwards	Forwards 	Forwards	Forwards	Forwards	Forwards	Forwards
Nat. 	Player 	 	 	 	 	
 	Patrik Bečka 	 	 	 	 	
 	Jakub Dubravík 	 	 	 	 	
 	Tomáš Dudáš 	 	 	 	 	
 	Dávid Hajnik 	 	 	 	 	
 	Marco Halama 	 	 	 	 	
 	Marek Hovorka 	 	 	 	 	
 	Jakub Jakubík 	 	 	 	 	
 	Michal Kluka 	 	 	 	 	
 	Patrik Koyš 	 	 	 	 	
 	Samuel Krajč 	 	 	 	 	
 	Šimon Lopušan 	 	 	 	 	
 	Matej Macek 	 	 	 	 	
 	Peter Melcher 	 	 	 	 	
 	Bruno Mráz 	 	 	 	 	
 	Samuel Rehák 	 	 	 	 	
 	Skate Skalde 	 	 	 	 	
 	Andrej Štefánik	 	 	 	 	
 	Marek Synák 	 	 	 	 	
 	Jozef Tibenský 	 	 	 	 	
 	Róbert Varga 	 	 	 	 	
==Notable players==
Former players include:
*Ronald Petrovicky (in the 2004/05 season, during the NHL lock-out)
*Miroslav Lipovský (Slovak goalie, won the title in 2006)
==References==
==External links==
*Official club website 
Zilina, MsHK
Zilina, MsHK
Category:Established in 1925