Current season, competition or edition: 2023–24 Swiss League season | |
Formerly | National League B 1947–2017 Swiss League 2017–present |
---|---|
Sport | Ice hockey |
Founded | 1947 |
No. of teams | 10 |
Country | Switzerland |
Most recent champion(s) | EHC Kloten |
TV partner(s) | Sky Switzerland |
Promotion to | National League |
Relegation to | MySports League |
Related competitions | National League |
Official website | www.swissleague.ch |
The Swiss League is the second tier of the main professional ice hockey league in Switzerland, behind the National League. The winners of the league each season plays a best-of-seven series against the bottom team of the NL, and if they win, they are promoted, while the National League team is relegated to the Swiss League.
Prior to the 2017–18 season, the league was formerly called National League B. [1] The league attendance in 2018–19 was about 2,700 spectators.
Team | Location | Arena | Capacity | Founded | Joined league | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
City | Canton | |||||
EHC Basel | Basel | Basel-Stadt | St. Jakob Arena | 6,700 | 1932 | 2022 |
HC La Chaux-de-Fonds | La Chaux-de-Fonds | Neuchâtel | Patinoire des Mélèzes | 7,200 | 1919 | 2001 |
GCK Lions | Küsnacht | Zürich | Eishalle Küsnacht | 2,200 | 1932 | 2000 |
EHC Olten | Olten | Solothurn | Kleinholz Stadion | 6,500 | 1934 | 1994 |
HC Sierre | Sierre | Valais | Patinoire de Graben | 4,500 | 1933 | 2019 |
Bellinzona Rockets | Bellinzona | Ticino | Centro Sportivo | 3,800 | 1987 | 2016 |
HC Thurgau | Weinfelden | Thurgau | Güttingersreuti | 3,200 | 1989 | 2006 |
EHC Visp | Visp | Valais | Lonza Arena | 5,150 | 1941 | 1999 |
EHC Winterthur | Winterthur | Zürich | Zielbau Arena | 3,000 | 1929 | 2015 |
The National League (NL) is a professional ice hockey league in Switzerland and is the top tier of the Swiss league system. Prior to the 2017–18 season, the league was known as National League A. During the 2018–19 season, the league had an average of 6,949 spectators per game which is the highest among European leagues. The capital city's club SC Bern has been ranked first of all European clubs for 18 seasons and had an average attendance of 16,290 after the regular season. The ZSC Lions are another club in the top ten of European ice hockey attendance, ranking seventh with 9,694 spectators.
Schlittschuh Club Langenthal known as SC Langenthal is a Swiss ice hockey team that currently competes in the third tier, MyHockey League. They played in the Swiss League, the second tier of the main professional ice hockey league in Switzerland, from 2001 to 2023. In 2012, 2017 and 2019 the team has won the Swiss League title. The club withdrew from professional hockey following the 2022-23 season.
Hockey Club Thurgau is a Swiss professional ice hockey club based in Weinfelden, Switzerland. The club was founded in 1989 and currently plays in the Swiss League (SL) at the Güttingersreuti, with a capacity of 3,200.
Eric Himelfarb is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for HC Thurgau of the NLB. SCL Tigers Langnau 2017 - 2018
Philippe Seydoux is a Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for SC Langenthal in the Swiss League (SL) on loan from fellow SL club, EHC Kloten.
The Women's League, also known as the PostFinance Women's League for sponsorship reasons, is the premier ice hockey league in the Swiss Women's Hockey League (SWHL) system. The league was founded in 1986 as the Leistungsklasse A, abbreviated LKA, and was also officially known as the Ligue nationale A in French and the Lega Nazionale A in Italian, both abbreviated as LNA. During 2014 to 2019, the league was called the Swiss Women's Hockey League A, abbreviated SWHL A; the abbreviation continues to be used by the league following the 2019 name change. An amateur league, it is organized by the Regio League, an organ of the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation.
Clarence Kparghai is a Liberian-born Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He was most recently contracted with HC Lugano in the National League (NL). He has previously played for SC Langenthal, EHC Chur, HC Thurgau, EHC Olten, HC Davos and EHC Biel.
Ronny Keller is a Swiss former ice hockey defenceman. Between 1997 and 2013, Keller played 14 seasons in the Swiss National League A and National League B.
The Swiss hockey 2013–14 National League B season was played from September 2013 to February 2014. 10 teams participated in the league, and EHC Visp won the championship.
Heinz Ehlers is a Danish professional ice hockey coach and former ice hockey player. He was most recently the head coach of the SCL Tigers in the National League A (NLA) and the Denmark national hockey team.
The 2014–15 National League B season was the 68th ice hockey season of Switzerland's second tier hockey league, the National League B
The 2015–16 National League B season was the 69th ice hockey season of Switzerland's second tier hockey league, the National League B.
Jeffrey "Jeff" Tomlinson is a Canadian-German professional ice hockey coach. He was most recently the head coach of the EHC Kloten in the National League (NL).
The 2016–17 National League A season was the tenth ice hockey season of Switzerland's top hockey league, the National League A. Overall, it was the 79th season of Swiss professional hockey.
The 2016–17 National League B season is the 70th ice hockey season of Switzerland's second tier hockey league, the National League B.
The 2017–18 Swiss League season was the 71st ice hockey season of Switzerland's second tier hockey league. It was the first season completed as the rebranded Swiss League.
The 2018–19 National League season was the 81st season of Swiss professional ice hockey and the second season as the National League (NL).
Pascal Caminada is a Swiss former professional ice hockey goaltender who last played for SC Langenthal of the Swiss League (SL).
The 2021–22 Swiss League season was the 75th season of Switzerland's second tier hockey league.