1st Czech Republic Hockey League

Last updated
Chance liga
Upcoming season or competition:
Hockey current event.svg 2022–23 Czech 1. Liga season
1st Czech Republic Hockey League logo.png
Sport Ice hockey
Founded1993
No. of teams14
CountryFlag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic
Most recent
champion(s)
HC Dukla Jihlava (4th title)
Promotion to Czech Extraliga
Relegation to Czech 2.liga
Related
competitions
Czech Extraliga
Czech 2.liga
Official website Chance Liga

The Chance Liga is the second-highest level of professional ice hockey in the Czech Republic, after the Extraliga. It began in 1993 and is run and administered by Czech Ice Hockey Association.

Contents

Until 2015, the league was known as the 1st Czech National Hockey League. It was then known as the WSM Liga until 2018.

Format (2023-24)

In the first phase, every team plays each other four times—twice at home and twice away—which makes for a 52-game regular season.

After the 52-game regular season, the first six teams directly qualify for the quarter-finals, while teams which placed 7 to 10 play a round-robin to determine the final two participants in the quarter-finals.

The playoffs end with the finals, with the winning team go on to face the bottom team from the Extraliga in a round-robin. The winner of the round-robin is promoted to Extraliga for the following season.

The last placed team at the end of the regular season is directly relegated to the Second League for the following season. They are replaced by the winner of a 3 team round-robin group between the winners of the East, the Central and the West divisions of the Second League.

Three points are awarded for a win in regulation time and two points for an overtime or shootout victory, while the team defeated in overtime or shootout gets one point.

The level of 1. národní hokejová liga is slightly lower than the Czech Extraliga, but there are a lot of players moving between those two leagues every season. Each team in this league is allowed to have five imports. The league has no salary cap, with an average salary of USD 2200 per month, but some of the best players reportedly sign contracts for more than USD 5000 per month, plus most of the teams cover accommodation expenses for their players during the season.

Current teams (2023-24)

TeamCityArenaCapacityAffiliate Team
HC Baník Sokolov Sokolov Zimni stadion Sokolov5,000independent
VHK ROBE Vsetín Vsetín Zimní stadion Na Lapači 5,386independent
HC Slavia Praha Prague Zimní stadion Eden 4,000independent
HC Stadion Litoměřice Litoměřice Kalich arena 1,750independent
HC ZUBR Přerov Přerov Zimní stadion Přerov3,000independent
HC Frýdek-Místek Frýdek-Místek Hala Polárka 2,056 HC Oceláři Třinec (ELH)
LHK Jestřábi Prostějov Prostějov Zimní hokejový stadion Prostějov5,125independent
HC Dukla Jihlava Jihlava CZ LOKO Arena 6,500independent
SK Horácká Slavia Třebíč Třebíč Zimní stadion města Třebíče5,000independent
HC RT TORAX Poruba Poruba Zimní stadion Ostrava - Poruba5,000independent
HC Dynamo Pardubice B Chrudim Zimní stadion Chrudim1,744 HC Dynamo Pardubice (ELH)
SC Kolín Kolín Zimní stadion Kolín5,500 Mountfield HK (ELH)
Orli Znojmo Znojmo Nevoga Arena 4,500independent
PSG Berani Zlín Zlín Zimní stadion Luďka Čajky 7,000independent

Champions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HC Slovan Ústečtí Lvi</span> Ice hockey team in Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic

HC Slovan Ústečti Lvi is an ice hockey team in the Czech 2nd League. Their home arena is MEO Arena in Ústí nad Labem. The Team was known as HC Slovan Ústí nad labem

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BK Mladá Boleslav</span> Ice hockey team in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic

BK Mladá Boleslav is a Czech ice hockey team, which plays in the Czech Extraliga, the country's highest level. They were promoted into the league on 18 April 2014 after a two-year absence. They play their home games at Ško-Energo Aréna.

The 2009–10 Czech Extraliga season was the 17th season of the Czech Extraliga since its creation after the breakup of Czechoslovakia and the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League in 1993. In the regular season, Plzeň 1929 finished atop the league, Roman Červenka led the league in points and assists, and Petr Ton led the league in goals.

Martin Rýgl is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays with HC Bílí Tygři Liberec in the Czech Extraliga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czech Extraliga</span> Highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic

The Czech Extraliga is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. It was created in 1993 following the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia midway through the 1992–93 Czechoslovak Extraliga season.

Marek Hovorka is a Slovak professional ice hockey forward currently playing for Vlci Žilina of the Slovak 1. Liga.

The 2008–09 Czech Extraliga season was the 16th season of the Czech Extraliga since its creation after the breakup of Czechoslovakia and the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League in 1993.

The 2007–08 Czech Extraliga season was the 15th season of the Czech Extraliga since its creation after the breakup of Czechoslovakia and the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League in 1993.

The 2005–06 Czech Extraliga season was the 13th season of the Czech Extraliga since its creation after the breakup of Czechoslovakia and the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League in 1993.

The 1998–99 Czech Extraliga season was the sixth season of the Czech Extraliga since its creation after the breakup of Czechoslovakia and the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League in 1993.

The 2002–03 Czech 1.liga season was the tenth season of the Czech 1.liga, the second level of ice hockey in the Czech Republic. 14 teams participated in the league, and HC Kladno won the championship.

The 2003–04 Czech 1.liga season was the 11th season of the Czech 1.liga, the second level of ice hockey in the Czech Republic. 14 teams participated in the league, and HC Dukla Jihlava won the championship.

The 2004–05 Сzech 1.liga season was the 12th season of the Czech 1.liga, the second level of ice hockey in the Czech Republic. Fourteen teams participated in the league, and HC Ceske Budejovice won the championship.

The 2005–06 Czech 1.liga season was the 13th season of the Czech 1.liga, the second level of ice hockey in the Czech Republic. 14 teams participated in the league, and HC Slovan Usti nad Labem won the championship.

The 2006–07 Czech 1.liga season was the 14th season of the Czech 1.liga, the second level of ice hockey in the Czech Republic. 14 teams participated in the league, and HC Slovan Usti nad Labem won the championship.

The 2008–09 Czech 1.liga season was the 16th season of the 1st Czech Republic Hockey League, the second level of ice hockey in the Czech Republic. 16 teams participated in the league, and HC Slovan Ustecti Lvi won the championship.

The 2009–10 Czech 1.liga season was the 17th season of the Czech 1.liga, the second level of ice hockey in the Czech Republic. 16 teams participated in the league, and KLH Chomutov won the championship.

Milan Řehoř is a Czech professional ice hockey goaltender.

The 2013–14 Czech 1.liga season was the 20th season of the Czech 1.liga, the second level of ice hockey in the Czech Republic. 14 teams participated in the league, and BK Mladá Boleslav and HC Olomouc qualified for the qualification round of the Czech Extraliga for the second time in a row. Both of the teams were successful at qualifying for the 2014–15 Czech Extraliga season.

The 2020–21 Czech Cup, known as the MOL Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the 28th season of the annual knockout football tournament of the Czech Republic. It began with the first round on 11 August 2020 and ended with the final on 20 May 2021. The winner of the cup gained the right to play in the third qualifying round of the 2021–22 UEFA Europa League.