Wikipedia

List of ice hockey leagues

This is a list of ice hockey leagues, both professional and amateur, from around the world; parentheses denote year of establishment and, where applicable, year of disestablishment.

North America

Major professional

Minor professional

Semi-pro

Junior

Main article: Junior ice hockey

Major junior

Note: that the major junior level is considered professional by some authorities, including the NCAA, as its players earn a small stipend.

Junior A

Hockey Canada junior A leagues
USA Hockey junior leagues
Tier I
Tier II
Tier III
  • Eastern Hockey League (Premier and 19U Elite) (2013) – formerly the Atlantic Junior Hockey League (2003)
  • North American 3 Hockey League (1970) – formerly the Central States Hockey League
United Hockey Union (AAU) junior leagues
Independent junior leagues
  • Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (2006)
  • Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League (1970) - sanctioned by Hockey Manitoba
  • United States Premier Hockey League (NCDC, Premier, and Elite) (2013) – formerly a Tier III USA Hockey junior league. The National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) was initially designed to be the USPHL's Tier II USA Hockey junior league but was denied sanctioning which resulted in the entire junior league to operate independently in 2017.
  • Ontario Junior Super League (2020)

Junior B

Hockey Canada junior B leagues

(*) Quebec Junior "AA" is roughly equal to Ontario Junior "B"

Junior C

Hockey Canada junior C leagues

(*) Quebec Junior "A" is roughly equal to Ontario Junior "C"

Junior D

  • Ligue Interzone de hockey mineur BC Rive Nord (Junior B) (Canada) *

(*) Quebec Junior "B" is roughly equal to Ontario Junior "D"

College

Main article: College ice hockey

U Sports hockey (Canada)

NCAA hockey (United States)

Note: The Northeast-10 sponsors a championship for its members that play men's ice hockey, but the NCAA doesn't currently sponsor a national championship at Division II level for either sex. All members of that conference with women's teams participate in the NEWHA.

NAIA hockey (United States)

Note: there are also independent teams outside of the WHAC.

ACHA hockey (United States and Canada)

  • American Collegiate Hockey Association (United States; Canada)
    • Men's Division 1
    • Men's Division 2
      • Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL)
      • Colonial States College Hockey Conference (CSCHC)
      • Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA) (Gold Division)
      • Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association (MACH)
      • Mountain West Collegiate Hockey League (MWCHL)
      • Northeast Collegiate Hockey Association (NECHA) (Patriot & American Conferences)
      • Northern Collegiate Hockey League (NCHL)
      • Pacific 8 Intercollegiate Hockey Conference (PAC-8)
      • Pacific Collegiate Hockey Association (PCHA)
      • Super East Collegiate Hockey League (SECHL)
      • Texas Collegiate Hockey Conference (TCHC)
      • Tri-State Collegiate Hockey League (TSCHL)
      • Upstate New York Club Hockey League (UNYCHL)
      • West Coast Hockey Conference (WCHC)
      • Western Collegiate Club Hockey Association (WCCHA)
    • Men's Division 3
      • Blue Ridge Hockey Conference (BRHC)
      • College Hockey Association (CHA) (Contains Non-ACHA members)
      • College Hockey East (CHE)
      • Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference (DVCHC)
      • Empire Collegiate Hockey Conference (ECHC)
      • Indiana Collegiate Hockey Conference (ICHC)
      • Mason-Dixon Collegiate Hockey Association (MDCHA)
      • Metropolitan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC) (Contains Non-ACHA members)
      • Michigan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC)
      • Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA) (Silver division)
      • North Central Collegiate Hockey Association (NCCHA)
      • Northeast Collegiate Hockey Association (NECHA) (Colonial Conference)
      • South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference (SECHC)
      • Southern Collegiate Hockey Conference (SCHC)
    • Women's Division 1
      • Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association (CCWHA)
      • Eastern Collegiate Women's Hockey League (ECWHL)
      • Western Women's Collegiate Hockey League (WWCHL)
      • Women's Midwest College Hockey (WMCH)
    • Women's Division 2
      • College Hockey East (CHE)
      • Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference (DVCHC Women's)

Note: there are also many independent teams in all three ACHA divisions in addition to the many within the hockey conferences and leagues.

Women's

  • National Women's Hockey League (2015)
  • NCAA National Collegiate women's ice hockey championship (2000)
  • NCAA Division III women's ice hockey
  • U Sports women's ice hockey championship (1998)
  • Junior Women's Hockey League (2007)
  • Hockey collégial féminin RSEQ (1999)
  • Livonia League
  • Mid-Atlantic Women's Hockey League (1975)
  • Provincial Women's Hockey League (2004)

Senior

Sanctioned by Hockey Canada or USA Hockey

Canada
  • Alberta
  • Ontario
    • Allan Cup Hockey (Ontario Sr. AAA) (1953) formerly Major League Hockey
    • WOAA Senior AA Hockey League (Ontario Sr. AA and A) (1948) formerly the Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League
  • Quebec
  • Saskatchewan
United States
  • Great Lakes Hockey League (1937)
  • Mountain West Hockey League (2012)

School and youth

High school

Defunct leagues

South America

  • Brazilian Ice Hockey Championship (2008–2010)

Africa

  • South Africa

Asia

China

  • Chinese Ice Hockey Championship

Taiwan

Hong Kong

  • Hong Kong Ice Hockey League

India

  • Indian Ice Hockey Championship

Indonesia

  • Indonesia Ice Hockey League

Israel

  • Israeli League

Japan

  • All-Japan Championship (amateur cup tournament)
Defunct
  • Japan Ice Hockey League

Iran

  • Iran Hockey Championship (league in both Europe and Asia)

Kuwait

  • Kuwait Hockey League

Kyrgyzstan

  • Kyrgyzstan Championship

Macau

  • Macau Ice Hockey League

Malaysia

  • Malaysia Ice Hockey League

Mongolia

  • Mongolia Hockey League

North Korea

  • North Korean Championship

Philippines

  • Philippine Hockey League
  • Philippine Minor Hockey League
  • Manila Ice Hockey League

Qatar

  • Qatar International Ice Hockey League

Singapore

  • Singapore National Ice Hockey League

South Korea

  • Korea Domestic Championship (1955–2010)

Thailand

  • Thai World Hockey League

Turkey

(Leagues involve teams from both Europe and Asia)

  • Turkish Ice Hockey Super League (1993)
  • Turkish Ice Hockey First League (2005)
  • Turkish Ice Hockey Women's League (2007)

Turkmenistan

  • Turkmenistan Championship (2013)

United Arab Emirates

  • Emirates Ice Hockey League

Uzbekistan

  • Uzbekistan Hockey League

Eurasia

  • Kontinental Hockey League (Belarus; China; Finland; Kazakhstan; Latvia; Russia)
  • Supreme Hockey League (Kazakhstan; China; Russia; Uzbekistan)
  • Women's Hockey League (China; Russia)

Europe

Multinational

Active
  • Alps Hockey League - multinational league with teams from Austria, Italy and Slovenia.
  • Austrian Hockey League - multinational league with teams from Austria, Hungary, Italy, Croatia and the Czech Republic.
  • Baltic Hockey League - multinational league with teams from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
  • BeNe League - multinational league with teams in the Netherlands and Belgium.
  • Champions Hockey League - multinational league/competition featuring top teams from first-tier leagues across Europe.
  • Erste Liga - multinational league with teams from Hungary, Romania and Austria.
  • Kontinental Hockey League - multinational league with teams from Russia, Belarus, China, Finland, Latvia and Kazakhstan.
  • Tipsport liga - Slovak league with two teams from Hungary.
  • Elite Women's Hockey League - multinational league/competition featuring teams from across Europe.
Defunct
  • Alpenliga (1991–1999) - multinational league with teams from Austria, Italy and Slovenia. Replaced by the International Ice Hockey League (1999–2007)
  • Champions Hockey League (2008–09)
  • Eastern European Hockey League (1995–2005) - multinational league with teams from Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia and Poland.
  • North Sea Cup (2010–2012) - temporary successor of the Eredivisie.
  • Panonian League (2002–2009) - multinational league with teams from Hungary, Romania, Croatia and Serbia.

Armenia

  • Armenian Hockey League

Austria

Men

Women

  • Austria women's ice hockey Bundesliga

Belarus

  • Belarusian Extraleague

Belgium

Defunct

Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • Bosnia and Herzegovina Hockey League

Bulgaria

Men

  • Bulgarian Hockey League

Women

  • Bulgarian Women's Hockey League

Croatia

  • Croatian Ice Hockey League

Czech Republic

Czechoslovakia

  • Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League

Denmark

  • Metal Ligaen

East Germany

  • DDR-Oberliga

Estonia

  • Meistriliiga

Finland

Men

Defunct
  • SM-sarja

Women

  • Naisten Liiga (1982; renamed from Naisten SM-sarja in 2017)
  • Naisten Mestis (renamed from I-divisoona in 2013)
  • Naisten Suomi-sarja

France

Men

Women

  • France women's ice hockey league

Georgia

  • Georgian Ice Hockey League

Germany

Men

  • German Ice Hockey League (DEL) (1994-)
  • Ice hockey Bundesliga (1958–1994, replaced by DEL)
  • DEL2 (2013-)
  • 2nd Bundesliga (1973-2013, replaced by DEL2)
  • Oberliga (1948-)
  • Bavarian ice hockey leagues (1976-)
  • Regionalliga (1961-)

Women

  • German women's ice hockey Bundesliga (1988-)

Greece

  • Greek Ice Hockey Championship

Hungary

  • OB I bajnokság

Iceland

  • Icelandic Hockey League

Ireland

Italy

Semi-pro

  • Serie A (former Elite.A and Serie A1) (1925-2017)
  • Serie B (former Seconda Divisione and Serie A2)

Amateur

  • Serie C

Junior and youth

  • Under 20 (2 national divisions)
  • Under 18 (2 national divisions)
  • Under 16 (many regional divisions)
  • Under 14 (many regional divisions)
  • Under 12 (many regional divisions)
  • Under 10 (many regional divisions)
  • Under 8 (many regional divisions)

Women

  • Serie A

Latvia

  • Latvian Hockey Higher League

Amateur

  • Independent Amateur Hockey League (Neatkarīgā Amatieru hokeja līga/NAHL)

Lithuania

Luxembourg

  • Luxembourg Championship (1993-2003)

The Netherlands

  • Eerste Divisie
Defunct
  • Eredivisie merged with Belgian Hockey League to form the BeNe League

Junior and youth

  • U17
  • U14
  • U12

Norway

Junior and youth

  • Norway U20 Elite
  • Norway U18 Elite

Poland

  • Polska Hokej Liga reorganized from Ekstraklasa and Polska Liga Hokejowa
  • Polish 1. Liga

Romania

  • Liga Naţională de hochei

Russia

Men

Major professional

  • Kontinental Hockey League

Minor professional

  • Supreme Hockey League

Semi-pro

  • Supreme Hockey League Championship

Junior

  • Junior Hockey League formerly the Minor Hockey League (Molodezhnaya Hokkeinaya Liga)
  • National Junior Hockey League formerly Minor (or Junior) Hockey League Division B

Youth

  • Moscow Region
  • Northwest Region Hockey
  • Ural Region

Amateur

  • Night Hockey League

Women

  • Women's Hockey League (2015)

Defunct

  • Russian Superleague (1996-2008)
  • International Hockey League (1992–96)
  • Vysshaya Liga (1992-2010)
  • Russian Second League

Serbia

  • Serbian Hockey League

Slovakia

  • Tipsport liga (1993–present after dissolution of Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League (1931–1993))
  • Slovak 1. Liga (12 teams, first 8 participate in play-offs and the winner plays with the worst team from Extraliga, last four teams participate in a play-out and 4th team after play-out plays a relegation game with the best team in 2.Liga)
  • Slovak 2. Liga

Slovenia

  • Slovenian Ice Hockey League

Soviet Union

  • Soviet Championship League played last season as the CIS Championship (1992)

Spain

Men

  • Liga Nacional de Hockey Hielo

Women

  • Liga Nacional de Hockey Hielo Femenino

Sweden

Men

  • Swedish Hockey League (New name for the top league in 2013. The national championship has been played since 1922 in other forms. 14 teams)
  • HockeyAllsvenskan (The Swedish second league. The four best teams compete in the end of the season with the two worst placed team in SHL. 14 teams.)
  • Hockeyettan, Division 1 (Divided into 4 regions: North, East, West, and South. The five best teams in each region make 2 new series called Allettan at the conclusion of the regions. The two Allettan winners, and the two teams that survive a three-round playoff, compete with the last two teams in HockeyAllsvenskan for their spots in the higher league. 48 teams at present. This is the lowest tier organised nationally.)
  • Hockeytvåan (Divided into 9 regions.)
  • Hockeytrean (Divided into 14 regions.)
  • Hockeyfyran (Divided into 7 regions. The league does not cover all of Sweden.)
  • Division 5 (Divided into 2 regions, both in Stockholm.)

Junior and youth

  • J20 SuperElit (Under 20, junior league.)
  • J20 Elit (Under 20, junior second league. Divided into 4 regions: North, East, West, and South.)
  • J18 Elit (Under 18, divided into 4 regions.)

Women

  • Swedish Women's Hockey League (Highest league, 8 teams.) formerly named Riksserien

Switzerland

Men

  • National League (1908)
  • Swiss League
  • MySports League (new league, created in 2017, between the Swiss League and the 1. Liga)

Amateur

  • Regio League
  • 1. Liga
  • 2. Liga

Women

  • Switzerland women's ice hockey league

Ukraine

  • Ukrainian Hockey League

Junior

  • Junior Hockey League (2012)

Defunct

  • Major League (1992-2011)
  • Professional Hockey League (2011–2013)
  • Ukrainian Hockey Extra League (2015–2016)

United Kingdom

Defunct Leagues

English Ice Hockey Association Women's Leagues

West Germany

  • Eishockey-Bundesliga

Yugoslavia

  • Yugoslav Ice Hockey League

Oceania

Australia

Men

Junior

  • Australian Junior Ice Hockey League

Women

  • Australian Women's Ice Hockey League

New Zealand

Disabled hockey leagues

Leagues for disabled hockey players:

References

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