Mountfield HK
Czech ice hockey club relocated from České Budějovice in 2013.
Mountfield HK, officially Mountfield Hradec Králové, a.s., is a professional ice hockey team from the Czech city of Hradec Králové. It has competed in the Czech Extraliga since the 2013–14 season. The team’s colors are white, red, black, and yellow. Home games are held at the winter stadium Hradec Králové (ČPP arena), located beneath the White Tower, which seats 6,890 spectators. The club maintains partnerships with SC Retia Kolín and HC Příbram.
The club traces its origins to Královští Lvi, founded in Hradec Králové in 1926, whose men’s team operated until 2013. Meanwhile, Mountfield a.s., a Czech home and garden retailer, owned a hockey club in České Budějovice from 2006 to 2013. After the 2012–13 season, the Czech Extraliga made a sponsorship deal with Radegast to sell its beer in all league arenas. This conflicted with České Budějovice’s existing naming rights agreement with Budweiser Budvar Brewery for their arena, which imposed penalties for selling any other beer. Unable to resolve the dispute, the club voted on 18 June 2013 to relocate immediately to Hradec Králové for the 2013–14 season. Královští Lvi then became Mountfield HK’s youth program, while Motor České Budějovice took over Hradec Králové’s spot in the Czech 1.liga.
In domestic competition, Mountfield HK has been runners-up in the Czech Extraliga once (2022–23) and placed third once (2016–17). In the Czech 1. Liga, they finished third in 2006–07. Earlier, the club won the 1st Czech National Hockey League in 1992–93 and were runners-up in 1982–83, and won the 2nd Czechoslovak Hockey League in 1966–67 and 1967–68. Internationally, they were runners-up in the Champions Hockey League in 2019–20, losing the final to Frölunda of Sweden.
- field
- Ice hockey
- nationality
- Czech
- known_for
- Relocation from České Budějovice to Hradec Králové in 2013; runner-up in Champions Hockey League 2019–20
- home_arena
- Winter stadium Hradec Králové (ČPP arena)
- capacity
- 6,890
Lore & Background
Mountfield HK aligns itself with the history of Královští Lvi, a club formed in Hradec Králové in 1926 that operated a men's team until 2013. In the meantime, Mountfield a.s., a Czech-based home and garden retailer, owned and operated a hockey club in České Budějovice from 2006 to 2013. Following the 2012–13 season, the Czech Extraliga reached a sponsorship deal with Radegast to sell its beer in all Extraliga arenas. This agreement conflicted with the naming rights deal České Budějovice already had with Budweiser Budvar Brewery for their arena. Under the agreement, the club and the city would face stiff penalties for selling any beer other than Budvar products. Unable to resolve the dispute, the club decided on 18 June 2013 that no agreement could be reached between the parties involved and voted to immediately relocate to Hradec Králové for the 2013–14 season. At that point, Královští Lvi became Mountfield HK's youth program, while Motor České Budějovice inherited Hradec Králové's spot in the Czech 1.liga.
Reader's Guide
Mountfield HK's significance lies in its unique origin as a relocated franchise, resolving a beer sponsorship conflict that forced the move from České Budějovice to Hradec Králové in 2013. The club inherited the history of Královští Lvi (founded 1926) and quickly established itself in the Czech Extraliga, reaching the league finals as runners-up in 2022–23 and earning a third-place finish in 2016–17. Internationally, the team was runner-up in the Champions Hockey League in 2019–20, losing to Frölunda of Sweden. The club's legacy includes maintaining a youth program through Královští Lvi and partner clubs SC Retia Kolín and HC Příbram. Its home arena, the winter stadium Hradec Králové (ČPP arena), seats 6,890 spectators under the White Tower. The relocation also allowed Motor České Budějovice to take over Hradec Králové's spot in the Czech 1.liga, reshaping the landscape of Czech hockey.
Did You Know?
- Mountfield HK relocated from České Budějovice to Hradec Králové on 18 June 2013 due to a beer sponsorship conflict.
- The club was runner-up in the Champions Hockey League in 2019–20, losing to Frölunda of Sweden.
- Mountfield HK's youth program is based on the former club Královští Lvi, founded in 1926.
- The club's home arena, ČPP arena, has a capacity of 6,890 spectators.
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