Ján Jendek

After the end of World War II Ján Jendek spent time on the tennis courts in Bratislava where he would help as a ball boy. In the winter months the courts would freeze over, with Jendek playing ice hockey on the frozen surfaces. He began playing with TKNB Bratislava in 1946 before joining HC Slovan Bratislava in 1948 and remaining at the club for most of his career. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the team did well in the league, finishing runners-up on five occasions, and third twice, but Jendek never won a title whilst at the club.

In 1952 Jendek competed for Czechoslovakia at the Academic World Championships. He went on to make 10 senior appearances for the national team, becoming one of the first Slovakian players to represent Czechoslovakia. In 1955 he won bronze at the World Hockey Championships and a year later took part in the ice hockey tournament at the 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo Olympics. Following his career Jendek became a coach and was inducted into the Slovakian Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.