Punks Vilnius

Mindaugas Kieras coached the club he had captained as a player, ran its academy from the year he co-founded it in 2014, and stayed behind the bench until his death in 2025. He arrived after Punks had already spent years finding their level: a first season in the Lithuanian second tier in 2010 produced one win and a goal difference of -41, and promotion to the top-flight National Ice Hockey League followed only in 2013–14.

The team itself began in 2007, set up by former national-team players Šarūnas Kuliešius and Martynas Šlikas to build a following for the sport in Vilnius. Darius Kasparaitis turned out for the club sporadically between 2013 and 2017, not for the level of hockey but to satisfy the residency rule that let him switch his international allegiance from Russia to Lithuania; he still managed 22 points in seven games.

Two playoff final defeats, in 2016 and 2019, came before the title finally arrived: the 2021–22 season ended with Punks top of the table on 61 points, ahead of Energija Elektrenai, with Tadas Kumeliauskas contributing 54 points along the way. A third final followed in 2024–25, lost again to Elektrėnų Energija. Home games are played in front of the black, red and white support at the Pramogų Arena, and the fiercest of them are against Geležinis Vilkas in the Vilnius derby.

Kieras did not see the 2025–26 season start. The club replaced him with Finnish coach Elmo Aittola.