However small and seemingly insignificant the hockey club, a 80 year anniversary deserves to be properly celebrated and given public attention. This weekend, KLH Vajgar Jindřichův Hradec celebrated its anniversary with an impressive lineup of Czech NHL and KHL stars.

KLH Vajgar Jindřichův Hradec may not ring a bell for most international hockey fans. The club lives a quiet life in the middle of the Czech 2. Liga (third tier), comfortably outside the international limelight. KLH Vajgar was established in 1929 as VBK Vajkar. For many years, the club played on the ponds on the outskirts of the small Southern Bohemian town of Jindřichův Hradec. VBK Vajgar attended the Southern Bohemian Championship in 1930 and finished third. In 1934, Vajgar played its first international game when they beat Möldlinger EC Vienna of Austria 2-0. The team reached its peak in 1937/38 when it won the Southern Bohemian championship. Its most famous players included Ludek Musil, Mazzetti and the goaltender, Jiri Novak. At the 80 year anniversary, Ludek Musil, who has just turned 90, was awarded a special trophy as the all time top goalscorer of KHL Vajgar.

After WWII, KLH Vajgar merged with Slovan Hradec, and many players left the team. This caused a decline from which the club never rebounded. From the 1950s to the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1992, the team played in the regional league of Southern Bohemia. It was only in 1973 that KHL Vajgar finally got an artificial rink, but still without a roof. In 1985, the rink was rebuilt to an indoor arena and with 3,500 seats it became one of the most modern hockey arenas of Czechoslovakia at the time.

Since 1980/81, KLH Vajgar has focused on youth hockey, and its has been very successful in this regard. Some of the notable players the club has produced include Ales Kotalik, Milan Michalek, Jan Marek, Zbynek Michalek, Josef Straka and Petr Sailer. As a youth development club, KLH Vajgar is indeed not insignificant.

Indeed, it was Ales Kotalik (and his father, Viktor) who paid tribute to his youth years with KLH Vajgar by helping the club to successfully invite an impressive lineup of Czech hockey stars to celebrate the club's 80 year anniversary (Viktor Kotalik was also instrumental in organizing a similar exhibition game three years ago). In the main event of the anniversary, Vajgar played an exhibition game versus HC Ceske Budejovice, today's pride of Southern Bohemia. Among others, Vajkar was reinforced with Ales Kotalik (New York Rangers), Milan Michalek (San Jose Sharks, NHL), Zbynek Michalek (Phoenix Coyotes, NHL), Petr Prucha (Phoenix Coyotes, NHL), Tomas Plekanec (Montreal Canadiens), Martin Hanzal (Phoenix Coyotes, NHL) and Jan Marek (Avangard Omsk, KHL). Ceske Budejovice won the game 9-7 in front of a capacity crowd of 3,350.

KLH Vajgar J. Hradec -  HC Ceske Budejovice 7-9 (2-4, 1-3, 4-2)
0-1 (2") Gulaš (Spencer), 1-1 (8") Prucha (Vašíček), 1-2 (9") Hudec, 1-3 (10") Veselý (Hudec, Melichar), 2-2 (12") Ondřej (Šachl), 2-4 (14") Gulaš, 2-5 (21") Veselý (Melichar), 2-6 (32") Snopek (Vak), 2-7 (36") Gulaš (Macháček), 3-7 (37") Kotalík (Plekanec), 4-7 (41") M. Michálek, 5-7 (45") M. Michálek (Zíb), 5-8 (52") Květoň, 5-9 (52") Kotrla (Šimánek, Melichar), 6-9 (54") Marek (Kotalík), 7-9 (57") Zíb (Marek).
Vajgar 1x2, Ceske Budejovice 1x2, Att: 3,350. Played 1 August 2009

Vajgar: Hudáček (31.Šindelář) – Z. Michálek, Sičák – Zíb, Vašíček – Bolf, Krajíček – Novák – Kotalík, Marek, Sailer – Novotný, M. Michálek, Hanzal – Ondřej, Šachl, Kraus – Průcha, Plekanec.

HC Ceske Budejovice: Turek (31. Kovář) – Gřegořek, Melichar, Macháček, Snopek, Ptáček, Jank, Poživil, Frolo – Hudec, Mertl, Veselý – Gulaš, Vak, Spencer Rezek – Květoň, Huml, Hřebejk – Šimánek, Melichárek, Kotrla.

KLH Vajgar Jindřichův Hradec