BK Mladá Boleslav

Lore & Background

BK Mladá Boleslav first joined the Czech Extraliga in 2008 after winning the 1st national hockey league and a promotion-relegation play-off against HC Slovan Ústečtí Lvi. In each of its first three seasons in the top league, the club had to win a best-of-seven promotion-relegation play-off to stay up, beating Slovan Ústečtí Lvi 4–3 in the last of them. During the 2010–2011 season, the team was docked 22 points for using incorrectly registered players, an affair also involving HC Plzeň and HC Kladno; an appeal was turned down. The club was later fined 3 million Czech crowns for deliberately withholding information about club debt. In September 2011, NHL player Radim Vrbata bought a 33% share in the club, which he held until 2015. In April 2012, the club finished last and lost the promotion-relegation play-off against Piráti Chomutov, leading to relegation to the 1st League.

Reader's Guide

BK Mladá Boleslav's significance lies in its resilience and repeated battles for promotion to the Czech Extraliga. After relegation in 2012, the club hired coach František Výborný and finished first in the 1st League regular season in 2012–2013 with 117 points. A new promotion-relegation system was implemented that season, involving the two lowest Extraliga teams and two highest 1st League teams. Mladá Boleslav entered the play-offs but, despite a strong home record, finished tied on points with two other teams and lost the final game to Liberec, remaining in the 1st League after a protest over umpiring decisions was rejected. The following season, 2013–2014, the club again finished first in the regular season with 126 points, defeated Benátky nad Jizerou and HC Horácká Slavia Třebíč in the play-offs, and on 18 April 2014 secured promotion back to the Extraliga despite a 5–4 overtime loss to Olomouc. In the 2014–2015 season, the club reached the Extraliga play-offs for the first time, defeating Plzeň in the preliminary round before losing to HC Oceláři Třinec. The 2015–2016 season saw them finish sixth in the regular season and win a quarter-final series against HK Mountfield Hradec Králové, but they were swept in the semi-finals by HC Bílí Tygří Liberec. Captain David Výborný suffered a career-ending knee injury in the quarter-finals and later became the club's sporting manager.

Did You Know?

• BK Mladá Boleslav was promoted to the Czech Extraliga on 18 April 2014 after a two-year absence.
• During the 2010–2011 season, the team was docked 22 points for using incorrectly registered players.
• NHL player Radim Vrbata owned a 33% share in the club from September 2011 to 2015.
• In the 2012–2013 promotion-relegation play-offs, the club submitted an official protest over umpiring decisions, which was rejected.