The Slovenian Hockey League has been around since the country first gained independence in 1991. The league’s top two teams, NK Olimpija Ljubljana(11) and HK Acroni Jesenice(8), have won every title in the leagues 19 year history. It’s probably the biggest rivalry in the world that you’ve never heard of.
Slovenian Hockey Players: World’s Angriest Champions
↵Last Friday Acroni beat their arch rivals in the league finals to win that eighth title with former Olimpija coach and AHL player Mike Posma at the helm, which had to make the title even that much sweeter. Then, as you can imagine, a little bit of a celebration ensued.
↵As you probably did not imagine, that celebration ended with six Acroni players beating their coach with wooden street signs. Posma only suffered minor injuries, but that doesn’t really make the event any less alarming. Maybe I’m underestimating just how serious a Slovenian hockey party is, but this seems like a little bit much. The circumstances surrounding the incident are even more troubling than the trouncing itself.
↵↵Slovenian media say that both the six players and Posma were drunk while celebrating the team’s third consecutive national league title.
↵The six players were reportedly angry at Posma because he allegedly told a 19-year-old backup goaltender to drive a car -- even though he knew the man was drunk. The goaltender subsequently crashed the car.
↵The six then turned on the coach, reportedly beating him with wooden traffic signs that they found by the side of the road.
↵↵Thursday, the team released the six players involved and suspended contract negotioations with Posma, who is on his way back to the United States to lick his wounds. And call me crazy, but it’s not likely you’ll see him on the bench at the start of next season.
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