We’re always happy to connect with passionate fans and readers of All Habs Hockey Magazine through the website and via social media. It’s also gratifying to know that our message is reaching Habs fans all over the planet. This is a guest post from a new hockey fan in Croatia who agreed to share her story with you.

By Danijela Prgomet, Special to All Habs Hockey Magazine

SPLIT, CROATIA — The Villa Dalmatia is a tranquil destination for tourists providing gorgeous panoramic views of the Adriatic Sea. Right now a film crew is busy turning the area into a filming set for season 5 of Game of Thrones.  It’s been rumored that the Villa Dalmatia will be transformed into Dorne, the southernmost region of the Seven Kingdoms.

The Villa is located in Split, Croatia which is the place I call home.  My name is Danijela and I’m a Habs fan.

Croatia is becoming more well-known by viewers of Game of Thrones with the city of Dubrovnik serving as King’s Landing for the show.  For the upcoming season you will become familiar with the towns of Šibenik, Imotski, Kaštela and my hometown of Split.

Living in a sunny Mediterranean climate, where it very rarely snows, means that hockey is not a well-known sport but that may be changing.  This may be due to the fact that Croatia has a hockey team in its capital city called Zagreb Medveščak (Bears) who in 2013 joined the KHL. Former captain of the Hamilton Bulldogs, Martin St. Pierre, is playing for the Bears this season.

Sadly, being on the coast, Split doesn’t yet have a hockey club, but given the growing popularity of the sport, one day we could be cheering on our own team.

Split is the largest city of Dalmatia and the second largest city in Croatia located on the Adriatic coastline. The city is most known for its wealth of history. In the city center you will find the Diocletian palace, considered to be the best preserved monument from the Roman Empire in the world.

To me the best part of the city, and one of the most visited spots is the Split Riva, a walking trail on the south side of the palace. The Riva is the main hang out for the people of Split filled with cafes and restaurants.  It is an ideal place to relax and go for a stroll.

The city is adorned by a park and forest known as Marjan. A walk or jog to the top of the Marjan is a popular activity of the residents of Split. Once you reach the top, the view of the city is breathtaking.

Split has given birth to many of Croatian’s current sporting stars. Soccer is the most popular sport in the city. The love for our team, Hajduk, is indescribable and so is my love for it.

Residents of Split become fans of Hajduk at birth. The team was founded in 1911 (just two years after the Canadiens.) We celebrated the 100 year anniversary in 2011 with an unforgettable celebration for the oldest soccer club in Croatia. Games against our main rival in soccer, Zagreb Dinamo, always have a certain charm. Perhaps one day they will become our rivals in hockey too!

So how did my love and passion for hockey and the Montreal Canadians happen?

It started with a guy who lives in Montreal and is a very big fan of the Habs. He introduced me to this fascinating world of hockey. It wasn’t your typical guy meets girl story, but he sparked my interest for hockey and sent me my first set of Habs gear.  (Thanks Steph!)

The first time I ever watched hockey was a Montreal vs. Boston game last season. Of course the Habs beat the Bruins. And that was it, I was hooked!

The game truly left me speechless! The energy coming from both the players and the fans swept me of my feet. It was love at first sight. Since then, I have never missed a game.

I learned the rules of hockey over the Internet and by watching games.  I’ve spent time reading articles about the Canadiens, watching videos and listening to fan songs. It may be a bit of a learning process, but I do know one thing, I am definitely a Habs fan for life!

I mainly watch games online but sometimes hockey is shown on our sport channels. I have some friends who also follow NHL, but none of them support the Habs. It doesn’t bother me that they are Rangers, Capitals or Maple Leafs fans as it can be amusing when the Habs win.

Nothing stops me from supporting my Habs, not even the six hour time difference between Montreal and Split. Matches here start after midnight, so while the whole of Croatia is asleep, I’m up all night watching and supporting my team.

My favourite players are P.K. Subban and Carey Price. Subban is amazing due to his speed, his competitiveness and his determination to fight for a win. I love how he celebrates every goal he scores. This automatically makes me cheer louder! As a reliable player for the Habs, he is one of my favourites for captain.

My second favourite player, Carey Price, is an excellent goalie. While I’m getting eaten up alive due to my excitement or anxiety, he looks incredibly calm and collected. Price does his job easily and gracefully.

As a true Habs supporter, I don’t like the Boston Bruins, especially their forward Milan Lucic. His behaviour on the ice is childish. I still remember the incident in the handshake line during the playoffs with Lucic threatening Dale Weise and Alexei Emelin.

It’s always exciting for me to get stopped by fellow Habs fans when I’m out wearing my Canadiens shirt and hat.  Split is a popular tourist destination in the summer with many Canadians visiting our city. Habs supporters are always happy to see their team colours displayed in Croatia.

I do hope to wear my Canadiens gear in Canada. It’s my dream to visit the Old Port of Montreal, the beautiful cathedrals, Mont Royal, the botanical gardens and, of course, do some shopping and take in the night life of the city. I even want to camp under the aurora borealis.

But the thing I want to do most is to support my Habs live at Bell Centre. I imagine myself in that amazing hockey atmosphere among the fans. One day this will become a reality.

Until then I will keep watching games online loudly cheering “Go Habs Go!” from Split, Croatia. My heart is now split in half: one half belongs to Hajduk while other half belongs to the Habs.

I am very grateful for being introduced into the world of hockey. I must say that the All Habs website is amazing — I really enjoy reading articles and watching videos. Just keep on with your great work for Habs fans around the world! And watch out Canada, you have yourself a crazy Dalmatian Habs fanatic!