View source for Belgian Hockey League

{{Infobox Sports league
| title          = Belgian Elite League
| current_season = 
| last_season    = 
| logo           = RBIHF.jpg
| pixels         = 100px
| caption        = Royal Belgian Ice Hockey Federation
| Formerly       = 
| sport          = Ice Hockey
| founded        = 1912
| fame           = 
| motto          = 
| inaugural      = 
| teams          = 4
| country        = {{BEL}}
| venue          = 
| champion       = [[Bulldogs Liége]]
| most_champs    = [[Brussels Royal IHSC]] (23)
| qualification  = 
| folded         = 
| website        = [http://www.kbijf.be/ kbijf.be]
| singles        = 
| ceo            = 
| Director       = 
| TV             = 
| related_comps  = 
| Founder        = 
}}

The '''Belgian Hockey League''', also known as the '''Belgian Elite League''', is the highest level of competition organized by the Royal Belgian Ice Hockey Federation. The league winner is crowned the Belgian Champion. The league has been in existence since 1912. The Brussels Royal IHSC the most decorated team with 23 titles.

==History==

=== Early History ===
The Belgian Hockey League played first in 1912. The play was interrupted several times in its history. The first game suspension happened 1914-1920 due to [[World War I]]. The next break was from 1929-1934 due to the world economic crisis. The 3rd and last break was in the 1994/95 season, which was cancelled after the regular season due to issues over playoff participation.

=== Recent History ===
In 2009, there were 5 clubs competing in the Elite league for the Belgian Championship, all from the Flemish Community part of the country (listed below).

During the 2010-2011 season, the two top Belgian teams competed in a joint tournament with the teams of the Dutch [[Eredivisie]] called the [[North Sea Cup]].  The other three teams dropped out of the Belgian elite league to join the Belgian National League, leaving only Herentals and Turnhout to decide the Belgian Championship.<ref>[http://www.iihf.com/nc/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/article/the-hague-new-dutch-champion.html IIHF]</ref>  [[Leuven Chiefs]] played in the North Sea Cup for the 2011-2012 season, but Turnhout dropped out of the league midway through the season and Leuven dropped out at the end [of the season.

In 2012, the North Sea Cup was discontinued and HYC Herentals joined the Dutch [[Eredivisie]].  For the 2012-2013 season, the teams of the [[Belgian National League]] joined Leuven and Turnhout to form the "Belgian Elite League", the winner of which becomes the Belgian national champions.

Starting in 2015-16, the top six Belgian teams joined the multi-national [[BeNe League]], which also features teams from the [[Netherlands]]. HYC Herentals, who won the BeNe League, was also crowned Belgian national champions.

== Belgian Hockey League Champions ==

{|border="0" cellpadding="2"
|- valign="top"
|
* 1912: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1913: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1914: Club des Patineurs Bruxelles
* 1915-1919: ''Not Played''
* 1920: Club des Patineurs Bruxelles
* 1921: Club des Patineurs Bruxelles
* 1922: Saint Sauveur IHC
* 1923: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1924: Le Puck d'Anvers Antwerp
* 1925: Le Puck d'Anvers Antwerp
* 1926: Le Puck d'Anvers Antwerp
* 1927: Le Puck d'Anvers Antwerp
* 1928: Le Puck d'Anvers Antwerp
* 1929: Cercle des Patineurs Anversoises
* 1930-1933: ''Not Played''
* 1934: Cercle des Patineurs Anversoises
* 1935: Cercle des Patineurs Anversoises
* 1936: Cercle des Patineurs Anversoises
* 1937: Cercle des Sports d'Hiver Bruxelles
* 1938: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1939: Cercle des Sports d'Hiver Bruxelles
* 1940: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1941: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1942: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1943: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1944: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1945: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1946: Cercle des Patineurs Unis
* 1947: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1948: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1949: Cercle des Patineurs Liègois
* 1950: Brabo IHC
* 1951: Entente Saint-Sauveur Bruxelles
* 1952: Brabo IHC
* 1953: Brabo IHC
* 1954: Brabo IHC
* 1955: Cercle des Patineurs Liègois
* 1956: Antwerp IHC
* 1957: Antwerp IHC
* 1958: Antwerp IHC
* 1959: Antwerp IHC
* 1960: Cercle des Patineurs Liègois
* 1961: Cercle des Patineurs Liègois
* 1962: Brussels Royal IHSC and Olympia IHC
* 1963: Cercle des Patineurs Liègois
* 1964: Cercle des Patineurs Liègois
| width="50"|&nbsp;
| valign="top"|
* 1965: Cercle des Patineurs Liègois
* 1966: Olympia IHC
* 1967: Olympia IHC
* 1968: Brussels IHSC Poseidon
* 1969: Olympia IHC
* 1970: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1971: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1972: Cercle des Patineurs Liègois
* 1973: Cercle des Patineurs Liègois
* 1974: Cercle des Patineurs Liègois
* 1975: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1976: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1977: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1978: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1979: Olympia Heist op den Berg
* 1980: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1981: Herentals IJC
* 1982: Brussels Royal IHSC
* 1983: Olympia Heist op den Berg
* 1984: Herentals IJC
* 1985: Herentals IJC
* 1986: Olympia Heist op den Berg
* 1987: Olympia Heist op den Berg
* 1988: Olympia Heist op den Berg
* 1989: Olympia Heist op den Berg
* 1990: Olympia Heist op den Berg
* 1991: Olympia Heist op den Berg
* 1992: Olympia Heist op den Berg
* 1993: Herentals IJC
* 1994: Herentals IJC
* 1995: ''Not played''
* 1996: Griffoens Geel
* 1997: HYC Herentals
* 1998: HYC Herentals
* 1999: Olympia Heist op den Berg
* 2000: Phantoms Deurne
* 2001: Phantoms Deurne
* 2002: HYC Herentals
* 2003: Phantoms Deurne
* 2004: Olympia Heist op den Berg
* 2005: Chiefs Leuven
* 2006: White Caps Turnhout
* 2007: White Caps Turnhout
* 2008: White Caps Turnhout
* 2009: HYC Herentals
* 2010: HYC Herentals
* 2011: White Caps Turnhout
* 2012: HYC Herentals
* 2013: Chiefs Leuven
* 2014: Bulldogs Liege
* 2015: Phantoms Antwerp
* 2016: HYC Herentals
* 2017: HYC Herentals
* 2018: HYC Herentals
* 2019: HYC Herentals
* 2020: HYC Herentals
* 2021: ''season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic''
* 2022: Bulldogs Liege (as top Belgian team in BeNe League)
* 2023: Bulldogs Liege (as top Belgian team in BeNe League)
* 2024: Bulldogs Liege (as top Belgian team in BeNe League)
|}

==Titles by team==
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="e0e0e0"
! Titles !! Team || Year
|-
| align=center | 23<sup>1</sup> || [[Brussels Royal IHSC]]<br><small>1911–1948 Brussels IHSC<br>1948–1954 Enente St`Sauveur<br>1954–1966 Brussels IHSC<br>1966–1970 Brussels IHSC Poseidon</small> || 1912, 1913, 1923, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1962, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982
|-
| align=center | 15 || [[HYC Herentals]] || 1981, 1984, 1985, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1997, 2002, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
|-
| align=center | 11 || [[Olympia Heist op den Berg]] || 1979, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2004
|-
| align=center | 10 || [[Cercle des Patineurs Liègois]] || 1949, 1955, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1972, 1973, 1974
|-
| align=center | 5 || [[Le Puck d'Anvers]] || 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928
|-
| align=center | 4 || [[Antwerp Ice Hockey Club]] || 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959
|-
| align=center | 4 || [[Brabo IHC]] || 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954
|-
| align=center | 4 || [[Cercle des Patineurs Anversoises]] || 1929, 1934, 1935, 1936
|-
| align=center | 4 || [[White Caps Turnhout]] || 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011
|-
| align=center | 4<sup>1</sup> || [[Olympia Antwerpen|Olympia IHC]] || 1962, 1966, 1967, 1969
|-
| align=center | 4 || [[Phantoms Antwerp]] || 2000, 2001, 2003, 2015
|-
| align=center | 4 || [[Bulldogs Liege]] || 2014, 2022, 2023, 2024
|-
| align=center | 3 || [[Chiefs Leuven]] || 2005, 2010, 2013 
|-
| align=center | 3 || [[Club des Patineurs de Bruxelles]] || 1914, 1920, 1921
|-
| align=center | 2 || [[Cercle des Sports d’Hiver de Bruxelles]] || 1937, 1939
|-
| align=center | 1 || [[Cercle des Patineurs Unis]] || 1946
|-
| align=center | 1 || [[Griffoens Geel]] || 1996

|}

==Notes==
<small>1. Olympia IHC and Brussels Royal IHSC shared the title in 1962, as they finished level on eight points apiece.</small>
==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.kbijf.be/ Belgian Ice Hockey Federation]

{{Euro Leagues}}
{{Belgian Hockey League seasons}}
{{Wikipedia}}
[[Category:Ice hockey leagues]]