35th ANNIVERSARY OF WINNING FEDERAL TITLE

The championship season of 1978/79 was close from the start. A season played over 44 games in round-robin format (twice home, twice away) had a different victor in each quarter – first Vítkovice, then Jihlava in the second, and Slovan lead Jihlava after the third quarter, with eleven games to play. Our players were able to rely on fantastic support from the fans, who sold out every game at the stadium on Tehelné Pole. 10,000 fans even watched the game against last-placed Gottwaldovo.

With three games left, only Slovan and Jihlava remained in the title race, and we had a five-point lead. Horský’s charges stumbled in Vítkovice, but home to Pardubice they made sure of the hallowed title! Half-way through the game, on Friday, March 23^rd, they were ahead 4:1 and 11,100 fans chanted – Slovan are champions! The most immense joy erupted after 60 minutes, with the final score 6:2. Marián Bezák recalls the celebrations of that historic title: “As the end of the game approached, the fans were pressing up against the boards.  When the last second was up, there was this indescribable explosion of joy, they flooded onto the ice, and we couldn’t get back to the locker room for half an hour... I got to the changing rooms without my jersey, stick or gloves.”

Milan Kužela, captain at the time, humbly recalls that memorable day in the history of the club, in the book ‘Hokej menom Slovan’ (Hockey by the name Slovan): “Nothing groundbreaking had actually happened. The year before, a number of players had been plagued by injuries, but this time they avoided them. We had a great start, and the necessary sporting luck throughout the season.”

In Slovan’s championship season, their opponents faced the dangerous Šťastný brothers in attack, with defensemen Ľubomír Ujváry and Jozef Bukovinský (winner of the MVP for defense), who scored an impressive 117 goals. But the youngsters played their part too; the trio of Jaško – Pašek – Bezák made a name for themselves in the home game against Sparta Prague, scoring four goals in the 7:1 victory. In goal, the superb Marcel Sakáč stood out, coming just second to goaltender MVP Jiří Králik.

The Slovan team who earned the federal title in the 1978/79 season:

Goaltenders: Marcel Sakáč, Pavol Norovský

Defensemen: Ľubomír Ujváry, Jozef Bukovinský, Milan Kužela, Ľubomír Roháčik, Ivan Černý, Vladimír Urban

Forwards: Marián Šťastný, Peter Šťastný, Anton Šťastný, Milan Mrukvia, Miroslav Miklošovič, Dušan Žiška, Ján Jaško, Dárius Rusnák, Márian Bezák, Dušan Pašek, František Hejčík, Eugen Krajčovič

Coaches: Ladislav Horský, Miroslav Kubovič