HC '05 Banská Bystrica, known as HC MONACObet Banská Bystrica since the 2024–25 season for sponsorship reasons, is a professional Slovak

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

club based in

Banská Bystrica Banská Bystrica (, also known by other #Etymology, alternative names) is a city in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Greater Fatra, Veľká Fatra, and t ...

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

. They won 3 times Slovakian hockey league and 4 times

Slovak 1. Liga Slovak may refer to: * Something from, related to, or belonging to Slovakia (''Slovenská republika'') * Slovaks, a Western Slavic ethnic group * Slovak language, an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages * Slovak, Arkan ...

, second–level ice hockey league in Slovakia. The team is nicknamed ''Barani'', which means Rams in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

History

Czechoslovak era

HC '05 Banská Bystrica was founded in 2005 but professional hockey in Banská Bystrica was playing long before. The previous club was established in 1922. The club was named Slávia but later changed name several times. In 1962, the club was named Iskra (''Spark'' in

) and this name kept up until 2005. In interwar period and during the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the club played in the Slovak League. Their best placement was second in 1930, 1931, and 1934. They were members of the first postwar

Czechoslovak Extraliga The Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League was the elite ice hockey league in Czechoslovakia from 1936 until 1993, when the country split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Slovak Extraliga and Czech Extraliga formed from the split. History ...

season. In the 1945–46 season, they finished 6th in Group A and were relegated from the Top level. Banská Bystrica returned to the Extraliga in the 1947–48 season but they finished 6th in Group A and were relegated again. This season was their last at the Top level until the 1995–96 Slovak Extraliga season. Since 1963–64, Iskra played in the 1. SNHL (1st Slovak National Hockey League), the second level in Czechoslovak hockey. They were members of all seasons of the 1. SNHL since its introduction in 1963 until dissolution of league in 1993. Iskra won the 1. SNHL in the 1968–69 season and qualified for the preliminary round of the

. They lost 5 of 6 games in the preliminary round against

Škoda Plzeň Škoda means "pity" in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to: Czech brands and enterprises * Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav ** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto responsi ...

, VŽKG Ostrava, and

Mladá Boleslav Mladá Boleslav (; ) is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 47,000 inhabitants. It lies on the left bank of the Jizera (river), Jizera River. Mladá Boleslav is the second most populated city in the region. I ...

and were not promoted to the Extraliga.

Slovak era

After dissolution of

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

in 1993, the club was included to the Slovak 1.Liga, the second level in Slovak hockey. In their first season, they finished second. In the next season, Iskra won the 1. Liga and was promoted to the

Slovak Extraliga The Slovak Extraliga, known as the Tipsport liga since the 2025–26 season for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level ice hockey league in Slovakia. From 2018–19 to 2020–21, the league included one or two teams from Hungary. Teams fro ...

. Iskra placed ninth in the 1995–96 season and they had to play the relegation round. Iskra saved the Extraliga for the 1996–97 season but this season was less productive and they were relegated from the Top level. They returned in the 1998–99 season but were relegated again, by missing the cut by three points. In 2005, the club was transformed to an incorporated company and renamed to HC '05. They were promoted to the Extraliga in the 2007–08 season after their victory in the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

finals against

HK Spišská Nová Ves HK Spišská Nová Ves is a professional Slovak ice hockey club based in Spišská Nová Ves. They currently play in the Slovak Extraliga. The club is a four-time and current winner of the second highest competition Slovak 1. Liga, as it won in ...

. In the 2010–11 season, they finished third in the regular season, defeated their big rival

HKm Zvolen Hokejový Klub HKM a.s. Zvolen is a professional Slovakia, Slovak ice hockey club based in Zvolen. The club has won the Slovak league championship three times (2001, 2013, 2021) and the IIHF Continental Cup in 2005. The team is nicknamed ''Rytieri ...

in the quarterfinals, and lost 3–4 against

HK Poprad HK Poprad is a professional ice hockey team in the Slovak Extraliga, the top ice hockey league in Slovakia. It plays its games in Poprad, Slovakia. The squad's greatest successes include 2nd place in the Slovak Extraliga in 2006, 2011 and 2021. Th ...

in the semifinals. This season was their most successful since their 1. SNHL victory in 1969.

Honours

Domestic

* Winners (3): 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19 * Runners-up (2): 2014–15, 2015–16 * 3rd place (2):

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

, 2013–14

* Winners (4): 1994–95, 1997–98, 2005–06, 2007–08 * Runners-up (2): 1993–94, 1999–2000 * 3rd place (1): 2006–07

Slovak Hockey League Slovak may refer to: * Something from, related to, or belonging to Slovakia (''Slovenská republika'') * Slovaks, a Western Slavic ethnic group * Slovak language, an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages * Slovak, Arkan ...

* Runners-up (1): 1938–39 * 3rd place (1): 1939–40 1st. Slovak National Hockey League * Winners (1): 1968–69 * Runners-up (3): 1965–66, 1975–76, 1986–87 * 3rd place (2): 1981–82, 1990–91

Pre-season

Tatra Cup The Tatra Cup () is an annual ice hockey tournament held in Poprad, Slovakia. It is the second oldest club tournament in Europe, after the Spengler Cup. The first installment of the Tatra Cup took place in 1929 in Starý Smokovec. Between the ye ...

* Winners (1): 2022

Players

Current roster

NHL alumni

Ivan Majeský Ivan Majeský (born 2 September 1976) is a Slovak former ice hockey defenceman. Playing career Majeský was drafted by the Florida Panthers 267th overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft and played a full season with the Panthers scoring 4 goals ...

(1999, 2015–2017) * Vladimír Mihálik (2016–2020) *

Vladimír Országh Vladimír Országh (born May 24, 1977) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey player. Now he is head coach of HC MONACObet Banská Bystrica and assistant coach of Craig Ramsay at the Slovak national team. Playing career As a youth, Országh ...

(1996, 2009–2010) *

Michal Handzuš Michal Handzuš (; born 11 March 1977) is a Slovakia, Slovak former professional ice hockey centre (ice hockey), centre. Handzuš played for hometown club, HC ’05 Banská Bystrica of the Slovak Extraliga before joining the National Hockey Leag ...

(1994–1996, 2014–2017) *

Tomáš Surový Tomáš Surový (born September 24, 1981) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey left winger who last played for Slovan Bratislava of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Playing career As a youth, Surový played in the 1995 Quebec Internat ...

(1998–2000, 2016–2019) *

Clayton Stoner Clayton Stoner (born February 19, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted in the third round, 79th overall, by the Minnesota Wild at the 2004 NHL entry draft. Stoner played his entire career with the Wild a ...

(2012–2013) *

Richard Zedník Richard Zedník (born 6 January 1976) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey winger. He had a 15-year career in the National Hockey League (NHL), playing for the Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Florida Panthe ...

(1992–1994, 2010–2011) *

Jozef Čierny Jozef Čierny (; born May 13, 1974, in Zvolen, Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia) is a retired professional ice hockey left winger. Career He was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round, 35th overall, of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. He appe ...

(2005–2006) * Jason Bacashihua (2015–2017) *

Colby Cohen Colby Shane Cohen (born April 25, 1989) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played 3 games in the National Hockey League with the Colorado Avalanche and in the AHL with the Providence Bruins, the minor league affiliate of ...

(2014–2015) * Zdeněk Nedvěd (2009–2010) * Nathan Lawson (2016–2017) *

Tanner Glass Tanner Glass (born November 29, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. Known as a physical player, he played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, Pittsburgh Penguin ...

(2012–2013) * Theo Peckham (2014–2015) * Dana Tyrell (2012–2013) *

Akim Aliu Akim Olumide Aliu (born April 24, 1989) is a Nigerian-born Ukrainian-Canadian professional ice hockey player currently an unrestricted free agent. Aliu was a second-round selection of the Chicago Blackhawks, 56th overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry ...

(2017) *

Colton Gillies Colton Gillies (born February 12, 1989) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He spent time playing for both the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League, NHL. Gillies spent the last five years of ...

(2015–2016) *

Ty Wishart Ty Wishart (born May 19, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently playing with the Melbourne Mustangs in the AIHL. Wishart grew up in Comox, British Columbia, playing minor hockey there until his midget years. ...

(2016–2017) *

Mike Danton Michael Sage Danton (''né'' Jefferson, October 21, 1980) is a Canadian-Polish former professional ice hockey player who last played for Rivière-du-Loup 3L in the LNAH. Danton played for the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues of the Nationa ...

(2012–2013) * Eric Selleck (2018–2019)

References

External links

Official club website

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:HC '05 Banska Bystrica Banska Bystrica 2005 establishments in Slovakia Ice hockey clubs established in 2005