Ice hockey is a contact team sport played on ice, usually in a rink, in which two teams of skaters use their sticks to shoot a vulcanized rubber puck into their opponent's net to score points. The sport is known to be fast-paced and physical, with teams usually consisting of six players each: one goaltender, and five players who skate up and down the ice trying to take the puck and score a goal against the opposing team.
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada. Teams play for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, with the winner moving on to play for the Memorial Cup, Canada's national junior championship. WHL teams have won the Memorial Cup 19 times since the league became eligible to compete for the trophy. Many players have been drafted from WHL teams, and have found success at various levels of professional hockey, including the National Hockey League (NHL).
William Milton "Riley" Hern was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He was the first professional goaltender to play on a Stanley Cup-winning team.
The British ice hockey league champions are the winners of the highest ice hockey league in the United Kingdom, currently the Elite Ice Hockey League. Previously, the highest league has been the British National League (1954–60), the Premier Division (1983–96) and the Ice Hockey Superleague (1996–2003).
The Latvian Hawks are an ice hockey team based in Dundalk, Ireland. They play all of their games in the Dundalk Ice Dome in Dundalk, Ireland and play in the Irish Ice Hockey League. The team's name is an homage to the large contingent of Latvian expatriates who settled in Ireland.
The Johnstown Jets were a professional ice hockey team from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The Jets were founded in the Eastern Amateur Hockey League for the 1950–51 season, playing at the newly constructed Cambria County War Memorial Arena. The Jets won consecutive EHL championships in 1951–52 and 1952–53.
The North Sea Cup was a short-lived hockey league that temporarily succeeded the Dutch Eredivisie from 2010-2012. It was the only professional ice hockey league in the Netherlands and the highest level of competition sanctioned by the Nederlandse IJshockey Bond and sanctioned by the Royal Belgian Ice Hockey Federation during the years that it operated.
The Mississauga Chiefs were a professional women's ice hockey team that plays in Mississauga, Ontario. The team played in the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) and the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL). The team played its home games in Hershey Centre and in Iceland Mississauga of the Greater Toronto Area.
The 2002–03 Belgian Hockey League season was the 83rd season of the Belgian Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Belgium. Five teams participated in the league, and Phantoms Deurne won the championship.
The 2009–10 Belgian Hockey League season was the 90th season of the Belgian Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Belgium. Five teams participated in the league, and the Chiefs Leuven won the championship.
The 2007-08 Irish Ice Hockey League season was the first season of the Irish Ice Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Ireland. Five teams participated in the league, and the Dundalk Bulls won the championship.
The 2008-09 Irish Ice Hockey League season was the second season of the Irish Ice Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Ireland. Six teams participated in the league, and the Dundalk Bulls won the championship.
The Eredivisie was, during its existence, the only professional ice hockey league in the Netherlands and the highest level of competition organized by the Nederlandse IJshockey Bond. Formed in 1945 and playing continuously since 1964, the league mainly featured Dutch teams, although in some seasons certain Belgian teams competed. The league featured a mix of Dutch, European and overseas players. The winner of the Eredivisie was crowned the Dutch National Champion and represented the Netherlands in the IIHF Continental Cup. In 2015, with most of its teams facing financial problems and its top team, Tilburg Trappers, joining the German Oberliga, the Eredivise was suspended with the remaining teams joining the BeNe League.
The 2012–13 Belgian Hockey League season was the 93rd season of the Belgian Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Belgium. 10 teams participated in the league, and the Chiefs Leuven won the championship.
The 2011–12 Belgian Hockey League season was the 92nd season of the Belgian Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Belgium. Three teams participated in the league, and HYC Herentals won the championship.
The Champions Hockey League is a European ice hockey tournament. Launched in the 2014–15 season by 26 clubs, 6 leagues and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the tournament features top teams from the first-tier leagues of countries across Europe.
The BeNe League is the highest-level ice hockey league in Belgium and the Netherlands. The league was founded in 2015, following a merger between the Belgian Hockey League and the Dutch Eredivisie and thus became the top tier of the sport in both nations. In terms of league structure, the BeNe League is made up of 13 teams, 9 from the Netherlands and a further 4 from Belgium, and they all play in a single group. The league features a mix of Belgian, Dutch, European and overseas players.
The 1929–30 British Ice Hockey season was the inaugural season where an organised league structure was implemented. The format consisted of a Southern and Northern British league and a Scottish League.
