Polska Hokej Liga
| Polska Hokej Liga | |
| 2023–24 Polska Hokej Liga season | |
| |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Founded | 1955 |
| CEO | Janusz Wierzbowski |
| Inaugural season | 1955–56 |
| No. of teams | 11 |
| Country(ies) | Poland |
| Most recent champion(s) | Unia Oświęcim |
| Most championship(s) | Podhale Nowy Targ (19) |
| TV partner(s) | TVP Sport |
| Official website | http://www.hokejliga.pl/ (Polish) |
| Related competitions | Polish 1. Liga |
The Poska Hokej Liga (polish - Ekstraliga w hokeju na lodzie) is the premier ice hockey league in Poland. Previously, it was known as the I Liga or Ekstraklasa from 1927–1999, and the Polska Liga Hokejowa from 1999–2013. In 2013, it was reorganized as a limited liability company and renamed the Polska Hokej Liga.
History
The championship was started by the Polish Ice Hockey Federation (Polski Związek Hokeja na Lodzie) in 1927, although the first attempt to stage a national championship was made a year earlier. At first it was a non-league system composed of regional tournaments. There were eight primary regional championships - Kraków, Pomerania, Poznań, Łódz, Lwów (which also featured teams from Tarnopol and Stanislawów), Silesia, Warsaw (also comprised of teams from Kielce), and Wilno. There was also a championship played in Volhynia in 1933 and 1934. Each regional competition was governed by a Okręgowy Związek Hokeja na Lodzie (District Ice Hockey League). Poland was divided into 17 subdivisions, known as Voivoideships, from 1921-1939. By 1936, hockey was played in every voivoideship except for Nowogródek.
The national championship consisted of a preliminary round, featuring the regional champions. The best teams qualified for the final tournament, where the winner was declared champion. In 1938, the Polish Ice Hockey Federation decided to reorganize the championship, by creating a league system. Those plans were abandoned due to outbreak of World War II. After a six-year hiatus, the championship resumed in 1945-46. The Polska Liga Hokejowa was founded as the national ice hockey league in Poland in 1955.
Current Teams (2016–2017)
| Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| ComArch Cracovia | Kraków | Lodowisko im. Adama "Rocha" Kowalskiego | 2,514 |
| GKS Tychy | Tychy | Stadion Zimowy w Tychach | 2,535 |
| TatrySki Podhale Nowy Targ | Nowy Targ | Miejska Hala Lodowa w Nowym Targu | 5,000 |
| JKH GKS Jastrzębie | Jastrzębie-Zdrój | Jastor | 1,986 |
| Unia Oświęcim | Oświęcim | Hala Lodowa MOSiR Oświęcim | 5,000 |
| Polonia Bytom | Bytom | OSiR w Bytomiu | 3,000 |
| Orlik Opole | Opole | Toropol | 3,000 |
| Nesta Mires Toruń | Toruń | Lodowisko Tor-Tor | 4,000 |
| MH Automatyka Stoczniowiec 2014 | Gdańsk | Hala Olivia w Gdańsku | 5,500 |
| KH GKS Katowice | Katowice | Lodowisko Spodek | 1,500 |
| SMS U20 Sosnowiec | Sosnowiec | Stadion Zimowy w Sosnowcu | 3,500 |
Medalists
Titles by team
| Titles | Team | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Podhale Nowy Targ | 1966, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2007, 2010 |
| 13 | Legia Warszawa | 1933, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1967 |
| 11 | KS Cracovia | 1937, 1946, 1947, 1949, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017 |
| 9 | Unia Oświęcim | 1992, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2024 |
| 6 | Polonia Bytom | 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 |
| 5 | AZS Warszawa | 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930 |
| 5 | Zagłębie Sosnowiec | 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985 |
| 5 | GKS Tychy | 2005, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020 |
| 5 | GKS Katowice | 1965, 1968, 1970, 2022, 2023 |
| 3 | Górnik Katowice | 1958, 1960, 1962 |
| 2 | KH Sanok | 2012, 2014 |
| 1 | Pogoń Lwów | 1933 |
| 1 | AZS Poznan | 1934 |
| 1 | Czarni Lwów | 1935 |
| 1 | Dąb Katowice | 1939 |
| 1 | KTH Krynica | 1950 |
| 1 | GKS Jasztrebie | 2021 |
See also
References
- ↑ No championship due to national team preparation for the Winter Olimpics
- ↑ No championship due to climate conditions
- ↑ No championship due to climate conditions
- ↑ Due to climate conditions, the championship was abandoned
External links
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