Hockey may once again return to Prague’s Štvanice Island.

The University Hockey League has unveiled plans to build a new multifunctional stadium there by 2030, designed to serve as the home of university hockey and a venue for other major sporting events.

University hockey in Czechia has grown quickly. Today, twelve teams from eight cities compete in the league, and the 2024/25 season marked a turning point.

Spectator numbers climbed to nearly 80,000, an increase of more than a third compared to the previous year. The “Battle of Prague,” a showcase match between the capital’s universities, drew 9,200 fans and set a national record for university sports attendance.

League officials argue that this growth demands proper infrastructure. Current facilities are either outdated or too small, forcing university teams, youth leagues, and women’s hockey to compete for limited ice time.

A mid-size arena could close that gap while also accommodating other sports such as basketball and floorball.

The Štvanice Proposal

Štvanice has deep ties to Czech hockey history. The former stadium there hosted several Czechoslovak world championship medals, making the site symbolic for a modern revival. But challenges remain: the area lies in a floodplain, which means additional technical measures would be required, and the city must decide how to allocate the land.

The estimated cost of the project is between 600 and 700 million crowns, based on comparable university arenas abroad that seat around 2,500 to 3,000 spectators. Funding is expected to combine public support, city ownership, and private investment.

While university hockey would be the main tenant, the arena would also serve a wider sporting community to ensure financial sustainability.

Outdated Infrastructure

Sports facilities in Prague are under pressure. Since the early 1970s, the city has seen no new mid-sized hockey arena beyond training rinks, while existing venues in Holešovice and Eden are in poor condition.

Supporters of the Štvanice plan argue that Prague needs modern infrastructure if it is to keep pace with demand, pointing out that the city hosts over 120,000 university students.

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