Vlado Jug, legendary Slovenian hockey player, dies at 77

Vlado Jug, one of Slovenia’s most prominent ice hockey players of the 20th century, has passed away at the age of 77 in Poreč. Born in Jesenice on April 6, 1947, Jug was a leading defenseman who played for Jesenice and Olimpija Ljubljana.

Jug was a key figure for the Yugoslav national team, notably contributing to their ninth-place finish at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, which remains the highest achievement for the former Yugoslav federation. He was also named the best defenseman at the 1973 Group B World Championship in Graz, recording four goals and three assists over seven games.

In 2000, he was selected by the editorial staff of Delo as part of the best Slovenian hockey lineup of the previous century. His legacy continues through his son, Tom Jug, who was also a prominent defenseman for the Slovenian national team during the first decade of the country’s independence.