View source for Czech 1.liga

{{Infobox sports league
|logo=|
|caption=
|sport=Ice hockey
|founded=1993
|teams=14
|country={{CZE}}
|champion= [[Motor České Budějovice|ČEZ Motor České Budějovice]] and [[Piráti Chomutov]]
|website=http://www.hokej.cz/cz/1-liga/
}}

The '''1. národní hokejová liga''' (''First National Hockey League'') is the second-level ice hockey league in the [[Czech Republic]] under the [[Czech Extraliga|Extraliga]]. It began in 1993 and is run and administered by [[Czech Ice Hockey Association]].

==Format==
In the first phase, every team plays each other four times, which makes for a 52 game section of the regular season. The fifty two game phase will allow each team to play two home games against each team, which also allows every team to play two road games in every opposing team's arena.

In the end of their 52 game regular season, the first six teams directly qualify for the play-offs, while teams which ended placed 7 to 10 will play a round robin to determine the final two participants in the play-offs.

The First Hockey League, unlike other leagues around the world, has two winners. The play-offs end with the semifinals, with the two winning teams being declared winners. The two teams then go on to face the last and the second-to-last placed team in the [[czech Extraliga]] in a round robin. The two highest placed teams at the end of the round robin are promoted to the Extraliga for the next season.

The last team at the end of the regular season is directly relegated to the [[2. národní hokejová liga|Second League]] for the following season. They are replaced by winner of a bast-of-7 series between the winners of the East and the West division of the Second League.

Three points are awarded for a win in regular time, and two points for an overtime victory, while the defeated team in overtime gets one point. If necessary, penalty shots are used to decide games after overtime.

The level of 1.národní hokejová liga is slightly lower than [[Czech Extraliga]] but there is a lot of players moving between those two leagues every season. Each team in this league is allowed to have 5 imports. The league has no wage limitations, average wage is $ 2200 a month, but some of the best players reportedly signed contracts for more than $ 5000 a month, plus most of the teams cover accommodation expenses for their players during the season.

==2016-2017 teams==
{| class="navbox wikitable" style="width:100%; text-align:left;"
|+Current teams
!style="background:white; width:16%"| Team
!style="background:white; width:10%"| Location
!style="background:white; width:18%"| Arena
!style="background:white; width:5%"| Founded
!style="background:white; width:5%"| Joined
!style="background:white; width:12%"| Affiliate Team
|-
| '''[[HC Benátky nad Jizerou]]'''
| [[Benátky nad Jizerou]]
| Zimní stadion Benátky (cap.: 1 700)
| align=center|1934
| align=center|2008
| [[HC Liberec|Bílí Tygři Liberec]] ([[Czech Extraliga|ELH]]), [[HC Sparta Praha]] (ELH), [[BK Mladá Boleslav]] (ELH)
|-
|'''[[AZ Havířov|HC AZ Havířov 2010]]'''
| [[Havířov]]
| K&K PNEU Aréna (cap.: 5 100)
| align=center|2010
| align=center|2013
| ''independent''
|-
| '''[[HC Mountfield České Budějovice|ČEZ Motor České Budějovice]]'''
| [[České Budějovice]]
| Budvar Aréna (cap.: 6 421)
| align=center|2013
| align=center|2013
| ''independent''
|-
| '''[[HC Dukla Jihlava]]'''
| [[Jihlava]]
| Horácký zimní stadion (cap.: 7 500)
| align=center|1956
| align=center|2005
| ''independent''
|-
| '''[[HC Most]]'''
| [[Most (Most District)|Most]]
| Zimní stadion Most (cap.: 2 464)
| align=center|1946
| align=center|2011
| [[HC Litvínov|HC Verva Litvínov]] (ELH)
|-
|'''[[HC Slavia Praha]]'''
| [[Prague]]
| Zimní stadion Eden (cap.: 4 000)
| align=center|1909
| align=center|2015
| ''independent''
|-
|'''[[HC Stadion Litoměřice]]'''
| [[Litoměřice]]
| Kalich Arena (cap.: 1 750)
| align=center|1949
| align=center|2010
| [[Mountfield HK]] (ELH)
|-
|'''[[Zubr Přerov|HC ZUBR Přerov]]'''
| [[Přerov]]
| Zimní stadion Přerov (cap.: 3 000)
| align=center|1928
| align=center|2015
| ''independent''
|-
|'''[[HC Frýdek-Místek]]'''
| [[Frýdek-Místek]]
| Hala Polárka (cap. 2056)
| align=center|1976
| align=center|2016
| [[HC Oceláři Třinec]] (ELH)
|-
|'''[[HC Slovan Ústí nad Labem]]'''
| [[Ústí nad Labem]]
| Zimní stadion Ústí nad Labem (cap.: 6 500)
| align=center|1946
| align=center|2008
| ''independent''
|-
|'''[[LHK Jestřábi Prostějov]]'''
| [[Prostějov]]
| Zimní hokejový stadion Prostějov (cap.: 5 125)
| align=center|1913
| align=center|2014
| ''independent''
|-
|'''[[HC Kladno|Rytíři Kladno]]'''
| [[Kladno]]
| ČEZ Stadion (cap.: 5 200)
| align=center|1924
| align=center|2014
| ''independent''
|-
|'''[[SK Horácká Slavia Třebíč]]'''
| [[Třebíč]]
| Zimní stadion města Třebíče (cap.: 5 000)
| align=center|1928
| align=center|1997
| [[HC Kometa Brno]] (ELH)
|-
| '''[[SK Kadaň]]'''
| [[Kadaň]]
| Zimní stadion Kadaň (cap.: 3 000)
| align=center|1958
| align=center|1998
| [[Piráti Chomutov]] (ELH)
|}

==Champions==
* [[1993–94 Czech 1. Liga season|1993-94]] [[Vsetínská hokejová]] and [[HC Slavia Praha]]
* [[1994–95 Czech 1. Liga season|1994-95]] [[HC Kometa Brno]] and [[HC Oceláři Třinec|TZ Třinec]]
* [[1995–96 Czech 1. Liga season|1995-96]] [[HC Přerov]] and [[HC Opava]]
* [[1996–97 Czech 1. Liga season|1996-97]] [[HC Karlovy Vary]] and [[HC Kralupy nad Vltavou]]
* [[1997–98 Czech 1. Liga season|1997-98]] [[HC Znojemští Orli]]
* [[1998–99 Czech 1. Liga season|1998-99]] HC Znojemští Orli
* [[1999–2000 Czech 1. Liga season|1999-2000]] [[HC Dukla Jihlava]]
* [[2000–01 Czech 1. Liga season|2000-01]] [[KLH Chomutov]]
* [[2001–02 Czech 1. Liga season|2001-02]] [[HC Bílí Tygři Liberec]]
* [[2002–03 Czech 1. Liga season|2002-03]] [[HC Kladno|HC Vagnerplast Kladno]]
* [[2003–04 Czech 1. Liga season|2003-04]] [[HC Dukla Jihlava]]
* [[2004–05 Czech 1. Liga season|2004-05]] [[HC České Budějovice]]
* [[2005–06 Czech 1. Liga season|2005-06]] [[HC Slovan Ústí nad Labem]]
* [[2006–07 Czech 1. Liga season|2006-07]] HC Slovan Ústí nad Labem
* [[2007–08 Czech 1. Liga season|2007-08]] [[BK Mladá Boleslav]]
* [[2008–09 Czech 1. Liga season|2008-09]] [[HC Slovan Ústí nad Labem|HC Slovan Ústečtí Lvi]]
* [[2009–10 Czech 1. Liga season|2009-10]] [[KLH Chomutov]]
* [[2010–11 Czech 1. Liga season|2010-11]] [[HC Slovan Ústečtí Lvi]]
* [[2011–12 Czech 1. Liga season|2011-12]] [[Piráti Chomutov]]
* [[2012–13 Czech 1. Liga season|2012-13]] [[BK Mladá Boleslav]]
* [[2013–14 Czech 1. Liga season|2013-14]] [[BK Mladá Boleslav]]
* [[2014-15 Czech 1. Liga season|2014-15]] [[ČEZ Motor České Budějovice]] and [[Piráti Chomutov]]
* [[2015-16 Czech 1. Liga season|2015-16]] [[HC Dukla Jihlava]] and [[HC Slavia Praha]]
* [[2016-17 Czech 1. Liga season|2016-17]] [[Motor České Budějovice]]
== External links ==
* [http://www.hokej.cz Hokej.cz]
* [http://hokej.idnes.cz Hokej iDNES.cz]

{{Euro Hockey}}
{{Wikipedia}}
[[Category:Ice hockey leagues]]