Latvian Championship

The Latvian Championship was the national ice hockey competition in independent Latvia from 1931 to 1940.

ASK Riga won the most championships, with five. They were followed by Union Riga and US Riga, who claimed two titles apiece.

History

The first ice hockey game in Latvia was played in 1909, but bandy had been the dominant sport in the country up until 1929, when German members of the Worker's Sports Union (SSS) kick-started the move toward ice hockey. There were some opponents who did not wish to make the switch, and several teams folded. Three teams - Rīgas Centrs, Brīvības vārti, and Spēks, counting a total of 35 players - remained.

The Latvian SSS Championship was first intended to be held in 1930, but did not materialize due to adverse weather conditions. It was contested annually four times from 1931-1934. In 1930, there were four games arranged between Riga and East Prussian workers teams, two in Riga (won 3-0 and 1-0 by Riga) and two in Königsberg (won 2-0 and 3-1 by Riga).

The first match in Liepaja took place on February 21, 1930, with Olimpija Liepaja defeating Hokei Balten by a score of 2-1. A tournament involving three Liepaja-based civil societies was arranged. It was won by ASK Liepaja, who finished ahead of Olimpija and Balten.

In 1931, a tournament was arranged with the objective of finding the strongest Latvian team. It was divided into Riga and Liepaja groups with the top team in each group meeting in the final. It was won by Union Riga. On March 8, a Lightning Tournament (Zibensturnīrs) was arranged. All three of the capital's teams participated, and US won the championship by defeating Wanderer 4-0 and Union 2-1.

The first official Latvian Championship was held during the 1931-32 season. It was divided into Riga and Liepaja groups, consisting of six and three teams, respectively. The final matched Union Riga against Olimpija Liepaja. Union won the game 14-1. Three of Liepaja's players were sick, contributing to the lopsided score. The second Lighting Tournament was played on March 5 and 6, 1932. The lengths of these tournament games were shorter than the normal matches (they consisted of two 10 minute periods).

The 1932-33 championship was again divided into Riga and Liepaja groups. Only two teams (LTK and Olimpija) participated in the Liepaja Group. Union and Olimpija once again met in the final, with the former again prevailing, this time by a much narrower 1-0 score. A second-level championship known as the 2. Klasē was also contested for the first time. It was held until 1940.

The competition was made up exclusively of teams from Riga from the 1933-34 season onwards. The idea to stage a joint tournament involving Olimpija Liepaja and the Riga squads was abandoned as Liepaja could not afford to regularly travel to Riga.

After Latvia's annexation into the Soviet Union in 1940, the Latvian SSR Championship became the competition played within the borders of the newly-established Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Latvia once again became independent in 1991, and the Latvian Hockey League was set up as the country's new national league.

Champions

Championship

• 1940-1991 - Latvian SSR Championship
• 1939–40 – US Riga
• 1938–39 – ASK Riga
• 1937–38 – ASK Riga
• 1936–37 – US Riga
• 1935–36 – ASK Riga
• 1934–35 – ASK Riga
• 1933–34 – ASK Riga
• 1932–33 – Union Riga
• 1931–32 – Union Riga

2. Klasē

• 1932-33 - LSB Riga
• 1933-34 - ASK Riga
• 1934-35 - ASK Riga B
• 1935-36 - ASK Riga A
• 1936-37 - ASK Riga A
• 1937-38 - LSB Riga
• 1938-39 - US Riga
• 1939-40 - ASK Riga A

Liepaja Championship

• 1929-30 - ASK Liepaja

Latvian Tournament

• 1930-31: Union Riga

Lightning Tournament

• 1931 (March) - US Riga
• 1932 (March) - RFK Riga
• 1933 (January) - Union Riga
• 1933 (December) - US Riga
• 1937 (December) - US Riga
• 1938 (December) - ASK Riga
• 1940 (January) - US Riga

SSS Championship

A klasē

• 1930-31 - Brīvības vārti
• 1931-32 - Rīgas centrs
• 1932-33 - Rīgas centrs
• 1933-34 - Rīgas centrs

B klasē

• 1931-32 - Spēks II
• 1932-33 - Brīvības vārti II and Pārdaugava*
• 1933-34 - Spēks III

(*The teams finished level on points but a tiebreaker was not contested due to adverse weather conditions.)