EHC Red Bull München's CHL opponent Ocelari Trinec in portrait

Monday, 19. June 2023 | EHC Red Bull München's CHL opponent Ocelari Trinec in portrait

Number one for four years: portrait of Oceláři TřinecCHL trip to the "steel buddies"// CHL - PORTRAITTwice in the Czech Republic, once in Sweden: That's the itinerary for our fans for the CHL-season starting on August 31. Among other things, EHC Red Bull München will be traveling to Moravia-Silesia. There, the subscription champions Oceláři Třinec await.

At the eastern tip of our neighboring country and on the Polish border lies the small town of Třinec (pronounced "Tschinez") with its population of just about 36,000. The most important economic sector since the middle of the 19th century has been the steel industry through the construction of the "Trzynietz Ironworks". A number of food processing plants are also located in the town.

The city itself offers, among other things, one of the largest street workout parks in the entire country and, of course, numerous restaurants of the country's typical cuisine. The "Javorový" mountain at the gates of Třinec is a popular destination for hikers, especially in summer.

Four championship titles in a row

It is no coincidence that by far the most famous and successful sports club in the region bears the roots of the town in its name. "Ocelar" and the battle cry of the supporters "O-o-ocelar" mean nothing other than "steel manufacturer" or "steel miner". The home stadium, which bears the name "Werk Arena" (5,200 seats), also fits in with this.

However, the club, which was founded in 1929, has impressively demonstrated in recent years that it can not only work in ice hockey but also play outstandingly well. The club, which has been active in the Czech Extraliga since 1995, just won its fourth championship in a row. That is, since 2019, the champion has always been Oceláři Třinec. In 2018, the club was also in the final series. In total, there are five titles and seven final appearances in the past 13 seasons.

In most cases, the team entered the playoffs as the runner-up after the main round. Last season, however, the team only finished sixth. Things were not going well at home in particular, and offensively the team lacked a certain amount of penetrating power. In the final round, the red-and-whites showed a compact defense in mostly close series and ultimately prevailed with 4:2 victories in the best-of-seven mode against Mountfield HK.

Mixed results in the CHL

It is therefore not surprising that the club is one of the permanent guests in the Champions League. The Czech serial champion is represented in the top flight for the ninth time in total. As dominant as Třinec has been in the league for years, its path at international level ended early in the past. Most recently, the team was eliminated in the group stage four times in a row.

The biggest CHL success dates back to the 2017/18 season, when the "steal buddies" were only defeated in the semifinals by eventual champion JYP Jyväskylä (Finland). The overall record is quite balanced with 22 wins and 25 losses with a goal difference of 136:131.

Pure experience: mix of Eastern Europe and North America

"We expect a mixed selection and high-quality teams. I like this competition, it's a great experience," Třinec head coach Zdeněk Moták (59) is quoted as saying on the club's website, referring to the new Champions League round.

While Marek Mazanec was in goal for large parts of the main round last season, his Czech compatriot Ondřej Kacetl played almost the entire playoffs. With outstanding stats. In 18 appearances, the left wing recorded a 95.1 percent save percentage, a goals against average of 1.48 and three shutouts.

In front of the two goalies, defender Jakub Jeřábek (seven goals, 31 assists) boosts the offensive game. The Czech has already played 37 NHL games. Another player even has 227 appearances and seven seasons in the best league in the world to his credit. We're talking about Slovakian Martin Marinčin, who, like Jeřábek, is one of the cornerstones of the defense. New on board are Tomáš Kundrátek (HC Kometa Brno) and Richard Nedomlel (Bílí Tygři Liberec). The entire defensive group is heavily Eastern European with a lot of North American experience.

The same is true of the offense. Of the top ten point scorers in the Extraliga, three attackers wore the red and white jersey. Martin Růžička, already 37 years old, delivered 69 points (32 goals, 37 assists). Marko Daňo followed in second place with 60 points. The two wingers of the first line will have to do without center Tomáš Marcinko (44 points) in the future, who is moving to Kometa Brno. Andrej Nestrašil (62 points), however, remains on board. New signings include Viliam Čacho (Dukla Trencin) and Kamil Wałęga (Liptovský Mikuláš).

Die K.o.-Phase der CHL erklärt

// CHL - AKTUELLES

Oceláři Třinec

Year of foundation: 1929

Club colors: red, white

League: Tipsport Extraliga

Venue: Factory Arena

Capacity: 5,200

Head coach: Zdeněk Moták

Achievements: 5x Czech champion (2011, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023), 1x CHL semifinal (2018)