Paneuropa Kings: The First Finalists and a Strong Slovak Presence

During the inaugural season, Paneuropa Kings introduced several outstanding personalities to the league. One of the most notable was Marek Marušiak, who was later selected for the first All-Star Team in EUHL history. The 2013/2014 season also marked the beginning of one of the league’s earliest major rivalries:

Prague versus Bratislava.

This Czech-Slovak clash became a symbolic starting point for the international character of the EUHL.

The First EUHL All-Star Team

Following the conclusion of the inaugural season, the league recognised its best players for the first time.

The 2013/2014 EUHL All-Star Team consisted of:

Goaltender

Vojtěch Vokatý – UK Prague

Defencemen

Richard Vojsovic – Paneuropa Kings
Filip Okuliar – CityU Gladiators Trenčín

Forwards

Radek Holík – UTB Zlín
Marek Marušiak – Paneuropa Kings
Dominik Novák – UK Prague

The All-Star Team was coached by Ľudovít Jurinyi of Paneuropa Kings. Miloš Fiala of UK Prague served as university manager, while Tomáš Bílý of Paneuropa Kings was appointed student manager.

An Interesting Fact: The First All-Star Line-up Was Entirely Czech and Slovak

Today, the EUHL is a truly international competition. During its inaugural season, however, the situation was very different. All six players selected for the first All-Star line-up represented teams from Slovakia and the Czech Republic. This provides a clear illustration of how the league has developed over time. What began as a regional university hockey project in 2014 gradually grew into an international competition.

The Game That Made History

Some games are important because of their result. Others matter because they mark the beginning of something much greater. The final between UK Prague and Paneuropa Kings represented both. UK Prague secured a 6–4 victory and became the first champions in EUHL history. The Prague team’s goalscorers included Křepelka, Alexa and Hučko, while Jančovič was among those who found the net for Paneuropa Kings.

The most important detail, however, was the final score:

UK Prague – Paneuropa Kings 6–4

The first champions. The first trophy. The first great chapter in EUHL history.

University Hockey Took on a New Meaning

The inaugural season was about much more than the team that eventually lifted the trophy. The EUHL was also created to answer an important question: What comes next for hockey players after they leave the junior ranks? Not every player progresses to professional hockey, and not every player wants to give up their university education. University hockey created a space in which these two worlds could come together.Players were able to continue their  studies while remaining actively involved in competitive hockey. This idea gradually became the foundation of the EUHL’s entire philosophy.

The Inaugural Season Laid the Foundations for the Future

Looking back, the first season may appear straightforward. Organising it, however, was a major challenge.

Almost everything had to be built from the ground up, including:

• the rules and competition format,
• organisational and team structures,
• the system for organising games,
• league management,
• promotion and communication,
• and, above all, the trust of universities and players.

Despite these challenges, the competition successfully reached its first final and crowned its inaugural champion.

The 2013/2014 Season in Numbers

🏆 Champions: UK Prague

🥈 Runners-up: Paneuropa Kings Bratislava

🏒 Final result: UK Prague – Paneuropa Kings 6–4

⭐ First All-Star goaltender: Vojtěch Vokatý

⭐ All-Star defencemen: Richard Vojsovic and Filip Okuliar

⭐ All-Star forwards: Radek Holík, Marek Marušiak and Dominik Novák

👑 Captain of the championship-winning team: Petr Hučko

What Did the First Season Reveal About the Future?

Looking back, perhaps the most important development was what happened after the season ended. The EUHL did not disappear – on the contrary, it began to grow. After only two seasons, the league’s management was already discussing further expansion and holding talks with new universities. Additional Czech universities, Slovak teams and even a university from Poland expressed interest in joining the competition. The inaugural season therefore fulfilled its most important purpose: it demonstrated that there was genuine interest in university hockey and that the project had the potential to grow.

The First Chapter Is Now Part of History

When we look at the EUHL today, we see an international competition featuring numerous teams, players from different countries, new formats and major tournaments.

However, it all began on a much smaller scale.

One new project.
The first teams.
The first game.
The first play-offs.
And ultimately, the first champions.

UK Prague will forever be remembered as the first champions in EUHL history.

When the players lifted the trophy in April 2014, they may not have realised how significant their achievement would remain more than a decade later. Today, we know that they were not merely the league’s first champions. They became part of the very first chapter in EUHL history.

EUHL 2013/2014 – Historical Overview

Champions: UK Prague
Runners-up: Paneuropa Kings Bratislava
Final result: 6–4
First champions in EUHL history: UK Prague
First All-Star Team: Vokatý – Vojsovic, Okuliar – Holík, Marušiak, Novák
Captain of the championship-winning team: Petr Hučko
Historical significance: The inaugural season of the European University Hockey League

And the story was only beginning.

Coming Next

EUHL 2014/2015: Prague defend their title, Petr Hučko dominates the individual awards, and a new force from Banská Bystrica enters the league.