Vlci à ½ilina is a professional Slovak ice hockey club based in à ½ilina. They currently play in the Slovak Extraliga. The club has won the Slovak league championship in 2006. The team is nicknamed Vlci, it means Wolves in English.
The club was founded on 25 January 1925 as à  K à ½ilina. They played first official game against Slávia Banská Bystrica on 16 December 1928. à ½ilina was beaten 0âÂÂ3. They competed in the Championship of Central Slovakia before and during World War II. In the 1931âÂÂ32 season they won this championship. After WW II and restored Czechoslovakia they played in the Czechoslovak Extraliga two seasons. à ½ilina finished last in the 1951âÂÂ52 season and the 1952âÂÂ53 season. They won the 1964âÂÂ65 1. SNHL season and promoted to the qualification for the Czechoslovak Extraliga. In the qualification round they lost all games and did not promote. After dissolution of Czechoslovakia they were included to the Slovak 1.Liga, second level of Slovak hockey. à ½ilina won the 2000âÂÂ01 Slovak 1.Liga season and promoted to the Slovak Extraliga first time. In the 2005âÂÂ06 season they reached the most remarkable success. à ½ilina won the Slovak Extraliga first time after beating HK Poprad 4âÂÂ3 in the final series. Michal Hreus was the top scorer of à ½ilina in the playoffs, recording 15 points (7G+8A). Through the victory in Extraliga they gained an option to play with the best European ice hockey teams in the IIHF European Champions Cup. à ½ilina was defeated 0âÂÂ7 by HPK in first game but then won 4âÂÂ2 against HC Sparta Praha and finished second in the Ragulin division.
In the 2018âÂÂ19 season, à ½ilina were relegated to the Slovak 1. Liga after losing a best-of-seven relegation playoff to HK Dukla Michalovce. They played in the second tier of Slovak hockey until regaining promotion after winning the 2023âÂÂ24 season.
Club's 100-percent shareholders, the City of à ½ilina, had sold the shares to a private company Lupiza in May 2020. The new owners had intended to rename the club to HK Vlci à ½ilina.
<small>As of 8 December 2024.</small>
1st. Slovak National Hockey League