Spisska Nova Ves

Spišská Nová Ves sits in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia, and the hockey club built there has carried the region's name into its own: supporters still call the team "Spišiakov," while on the ice it plays as the Rysy, the Lynxes.

It grew out of a general sports society, AC Spišská Nová Ves, founded in 1932. The rink where it plays now has changed its sponsor's name more than once, moving from the plain Zimný štadión Spišská Nová Ves to its current sponsor tag, Tipsport Aréna.

Four times the club has won the Slovak 1. Liga — in 1995–96, 2001–02, 2008–09 and 2020–21 — and each of those titles bought a season in the Extraliga. Three of those spells ended the same way, with relegation back down in 2000, 2003 and 2010.

The sharpest date on the calendar is the visit of HC Košice, known locally as the Eastern Derby, with games against HK Poprad carrying much the same edge.

Two defencemen carried the club's name furthest from Spiš: Martin Štrbák and Richard Lintner both went on to the NHL and were part of the Slovak squad that won the World Championship in 2002.