News

Taking on the new name is a continuation of the many years of cooperation with Unipetrol group, the club’s majority owner. Benzina, which belongs to Unipetrol group, has been the Litvínov hockey club’s general partner since the 2007/2008 season.

Benzina’s partnership already led to a change in the way the club is financed in the season before last. This new method of financing now takes into account achieved successes to a greater extent. In addition to the annual financial support provided to it, which in itself is extraordinary within the Extraleague, the club has been able to obtain a “bonus” of up to 15 percent based on good results since 2007. This new player-motivation system proved effective very quickly, as the club improved dramatically from the previous season, taking third place in the basic competition. “The change of the club’s name is only a logical outcome of the excellent cooperation with the Litvínov hockey players,” says Martin Durčak – member of the Board of Directors of Unipetrol and Executive of Benzina – about the change of the club’s name, adding: “Litvínov hockey belongs to the best that Czech hockey has to offer, and we are pleased to be able to add what is most valuable to us – the Benzina brand.”

The new club logo has not changed much visually: only the name Benzina will now appear in the well-known yellow-black puck. “We appreciate Benzina’s highly sensitive approach, as Benzina could have demanded a more significant change in the all of the club’s colours and even the logo,” says Litvínov hockey player icon Robert Reichel about the subtle transformation of the club’s insignia.

Starting this season, hockey fans can look forward to some more news – the Ivan Hlinka stadium now has a monster screen worth more than six million crowns. It was co-financed by Benzina and the City of Litvínov. Not only will spectators have a greater hockey experience, smaller club sponsors will also have a new marketing platform.

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HC BENZINA Litvínov, a. s., is the direct successor to the club established on 8 November 1945. Its shareholder structure is as follows: Unipetrol, a. s. 70.95%; City of Litvínov 22.14%; and HC Benzina Litvínov, o. s. 6.91%. During its more than sixty years of existence, the club has become one of the most successful sports organisations in the Czech Republic. In only 14 years, it progressed from the regional competition to the national one (1959), and has been only one of three clubs to have remained in the national league continuously. Litvínov has traditionally placed a great emphasis on working with youth. The club has produced fourteen world champions and eight Olympic champions. Of all the Czech clubs, Litvínov has seen the greatest number of its players recruited to the Canadian-American NHL (23).

BENZINA, spol. s r. o., is a company with the most extensive network of petrol stations in the Czech Republic, operating more than 330 at this time, with 107 of these bearing the premium trademark Benzina plus. These petrol stations offer not only high quality additive fuels, but also VERVA premium fuel, in addition to other Benzina goods and services.

UNIPETROL, a.s. is a group of companies that is active in the Czech petrochemical industry. In 2005, UNIPETROL become part of PKN ORLEN group, the largest petroleum processor in Central Europe. UNIPETROL group focuses on petroleum processing, fuel distribution, and petrochemical production. UNIPETROL group is a key player in all these areas in both the Czech Republic and the Central European market. The group is one of the biggest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover and employs more than 4000 people.

For more information contact:
Blanka Růžičková, Public Relations Officer, UNIPETROL, a. s.
Tel.: 225 001 407
Cell.: 731 881 111
e-mail: blanka.ruzickova@unipetrol.cz