Swiss League

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Swiss League
National League logo

Current season Season 2019/20
sport ice Hockey
abbreviation SL
Association Swiss Ice Hockey Federation
Teams 12
Country countries SwitzerlandSwitzerland Switzerland
Title holder SC Langenthal
TV partner MySports
Website sihf.ch/de/national-league
^ National League

The Swiss League (formerly National League B, National League B ) is the second highest ice hockey league in Switzerland after the National League . It has consisted of twelve teams since 2019.

history

Since 1986, the playoffs have been held at the end of the season, in which the champions of the league are determined. In 2007 the league was renamed National League B. Another change followed in 2017, when it was renamed the Swiss League.

For three seasons (2006/07–2008/09) the Swiss U20 national team also played one game per season against each club. The juniors themselves played out of competition and could neither relegate nor take part in the playoffs . The Swiss ice hockey national team always enjoyed hospitality in the opponent's stadium and, before the game, featured young players who were otherwise involved in their home clubs.

TV contract

From the 2017/18 season , UPC and Suisse Digital secured the TV rights for five years and a record amount of an average of 35.4 million Swiss francs annually. A selected game of the Swiss League can be seen on the newly created sports channel MySports every Wednesday and a selected game in the playoffs every round.

mode

In the 2006/07 season , a new award of points was introduced analogous to the National League . The season is divided into two parts; a qualification and a final round. In the qualification, the eleven clubs played five times against each opponent (two double rounds and one single round) up to the 2015/16 season , so each team played 50 games. Today twelve clubs are represented in the league, consequently 48 rounds are played. During the 2009/10 , 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons , the league comprised only ten clubs. As a result, 45 rounds were held.

After qualifying, the top eight teams will determine the Swiss B champions in playoff style, who will play against the loser in the National League playouts for promotion. The quarter-finals , semi-finals and the final are played according to the best of seven mode .

Easier ascent

At the meeting of the National League on February 11, 2015, some innovations were decided, which should be valid until the 2018/19 season. The aim is to increase the Swiss League and to facilitate the promotion for the Regio League teams . So that the current clubs and future newcomers have a certain degree of security when planning the game, the sporting descent will be suspended until and including 2018/19. Teams from the Regio League do not have to become champions, nor do they have to play in the first division (third-highest division).

Clubs that want to join the Swiss League can do so in two ways, as a "farm team" of a National League club or as an independent team. The majority of farm teams must be owned by an NL team and may not be promoted to the highest league.

The Rapperswil-Jona Lakers made an application for promotion to the then National League B for SC Herisau , which should have become the farm team, and the nine-time Swiss champions EHC Arosa . The SC Herisau currently plays in the 2nd division, the EHC Arosa was relegated from the 1st division to the 2nd division at the end of the season.

While the project in Herisau automatically became obsolete with the descent of the Lakers, Arosa did not receive a license, but the amateur Swiss champion EHC Winterthur did .

In the 2016/17 season , the HCB Ticino Rockets were accepted into the then National League B as the farm team of HC Ambrì-Piotta and the EVZ Academy as the farm team of EV Zug.

Attendees

In the season 2019/20 twelve teams are represented:

The SL clubs 2019/20
team Location Ice rink capacity
HC Ajoie Porrentruy Patinoire du Voyeboeuf 4,200
HC La Chaux-de-Fonds La Chaux-de-Fonds Patinoire des Mélèzes 7'200
GCK Lions Küsnacht KEK Küsnacht 2,800
EHC Kloten Balls Swiss Arena 7,624
SC Langenthal Langenthal Schoren ice rink 4,320
EHC Olten Olten Kleinholz ice rink 6'500
HC Sierre Sierre dig 4,500
HC Thurgau Weinfelden Güttingersreuti 2,880
EHC Visp Visp Lonza Arena 5'150
EHC Winterthur Winterthur Target building arena 2,496
HCB Ticino Rockets Biasca Raiffeisen BiascArena 3'800
EVZ Academy train Academy Arena 1,500

Former teams

Since the renaming of National League B to National League B in 2007, the following clubs have also been represented in the league:

See also

Web links

Commons : National League B  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ NLB mode. Accessed April 24, 2017 .
  2. ^ NL meeting of February 11, 2015. Swiss Ice Hockey Federation, accessed on March 28, 2015 .
  3. ^ Official application for an NLB license in Herisau. Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, accessed on March 28, 2015 .
  4. ↑ So the EHC Arosa wants to return to the national league. Swiss radio and television, accessed on March 28, 2015 .
  5. ↑ NLB with EVZ Academy and Biasca. In: www.hockeyfans.ch. Retrieved April 3, 2016 .