Hockey Where You Would Least Expect It
Each continent has a couple of popular sports – sports so characteristic to that continent that no other sport can hope to match that kind of popularity. Millions are glued to television screens and stadium seats looking in awe at modern gladiators. Beer is being drunk, records are being broken, and stories are being told. Likewise, each country has a couple of popular sports – sports that are so popular that they are thought to be the pride of the country and a symbol of something that often transcends the game itself. Even every neighborhood has a couple of sports characteristic to that neighborhood – sports that are played on various courts and schoolyards. It’s here where many new friendships are made and egos are bruised.
I could scale it down even more, but there is no denying that, no matter how microscopic I go, nobody, and I mean nobody, would have mentioned hockey on any level a few years ago. Fast forward a couple of years and hockey is not “that game that Canadians play” anymore, but one of the most popular sports in the whole of Zagreb. Ice Hockey Club Medveščak Zagreb (KHL Medveščak) is now one of the most popular, if not the most popular, sports clubs in Zagreb. What a time to be alive...
Image credit: Roberta F.
Well, truth be told, although it may not seem so at first glance, hockey didn’t come to Croatia yesterday. It all started in 1961 when the club was formed. In the manner of all sports at that time, it didn’t take long for hockey to catch up and Medveščak quickly rose to fame, playing at a high level and quickly becoming the second most popular sports club in Zagreb, right behind football club Dinamo. For 11 years the team played on an open ice rink Šalata, drawing a crowd of thousands that were eager to witness something new, a sport never seen in this area before. The fact that Medveščak wasn’t just a punching bag but was equal to ATSE Graz, WEG Wien, and other Austrian clubs helped, too. Eleven years of continuous success was enough for Medveščak to earn a new arena and the club was moved to indoor rink Dom Sportova. This was the beginning of a true professional ice hockey in Zagreb.
Things were going pretty well for years. Medveščak was rightfully the best ice hockey club in the former Yugoslavia. During the '80s, Medveščak got a new sponsor – construction giant GRO Vladimir Gortan and changed its name to Medveščak Gortan. Some of the Europe's best hockey players at the time were swarming over the club and the results followed in return. Medveščak dominated its competition, both in Yugoslavia and throughout Europe. Led by legendary Russian trainer, Anatolij Kostrjukov, Medveščak was simply unstoppable during that period and the dominance continued year after year.
Image credit: Roberta F.
The success, unfortunately, didn’t last for too long. After the dissolution of Yugoslavia, Medveščak’s main sponsor was in financial troubles, leaving the club without the main source of funding. So, after three decades of immense popularity, the craze quickly began to fade away. Medveščak joined Croatia’s amateur hockey league where it amassed trophies, one after the other, without any real competition. The lack of any real competition, though, wasn’t too helpful for Medveščak’s popularity and it remained in obscurity during the ‘90s and the ‘00s.
Things changed for better in 2009, when Medveščak joined the Austrian Erste Bank Hockey League. Coupled with some great marketing, the former days of glory were restored in no time. Playing against some of the best clubs in Europe, Medveščak quickly became a hit in Zagreb, drawing 200 000 spectators throughout the season. This spectacular popularity was even improved in 2013 when Medveščak joined KHL – the second best hockey league on the planet. Numerous records were broken and the club remains to be extremely popular to this day.
Image credit: Roberta F.
As always in Croatia, there are some things that transcend the sport alone. Sure, playing in the gritty KHL helped, but there are so many reasons why Medveščak enjoys the popularity it does - the atmosphere, fans, beer, and the overall feeling of joy and unity. The atmosphere is so relaxing and inviting that more often than not you’ll completely forget that you left the house and went to watch a hockey game with a couple of thousands of strangers. Once you enter the arena, they will not look like your friends – they will become your friends. It’s intangibles such as these that make Medveščak ever so popular. Ice Hockey Club Medveščak is a reminder of why sports are often more than the game itself. It tells a much grander story and it does it so elegantly that it truly is the pride of Zagreb. Hockey, of all sports. In Croatia? Who would have thought...?
Header image credit: Darko Čefko
Author: Marko Pačar