The Bulgarian Hockey League is the top-level ice hockey league in Bulgaria.
A league match in 1956-57.
History
The Bulgarian Hockey League was first contested for the 1951-52 season. Prior to its formation, championships of various names had been organized since 1927.
Cerveno Zname Sofia was the top team in the league during its early years, winning the title eight times between 1952 and 1963, before merging with HC CSKA Sofia. CSKA then became the dominant force in the league for much of the 1960s and 1970s, winning 11 titles in 13 years. Only Metallurg Pernik, who won the title in 1968 and 1970, was able to break their streak of dominance.
Levski-Spartak Sofia won seven consecutive championships between 1976 and 1982. The title then changed hands between CSKA, Slavia, and Levski-Spartak from 1983 to 1992.
Between 1993 and 2012, HC Slavia Sofia won the title 15 times, only having their run broken by Levski in 1995, 1999, and 2003, and Akademika Sofia in 2006 and 2007. CSKA Sofia claimed back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2014, which were their first since 1986.
The quality of the Bulgarian Hockey League, and Bulgarian hockey as a whole, is generally considered to have regressed in recent years. In 2013-14, only eight games were played in total, due to many forfeits and cancellations. The lack of adequate funds and the poor condition of Sofia's ice rinks has contributed to the league's decline.
A league match in 1962-63.
List of teams
As of 2020-21, the Bulgarian Hockey League consists of the following teams:
- Group A
Bulgarian League Champions
- 1952 Cherveno Zname Sofia
- 1953 HK Udarnik Sofia
- 1954 HK Udarnik Sofia
- 1955 HK Torpedo Sofia
- 1956 Cerveno Zname Sofia
- 1957 Cerveno Zname Sofia
- 1958 Not Played
- 1959 Cerveno Zname Sofia
- 1960 Cerveno Zname Sofia
- 1961 Cerveno Zname Sofia
- 1962 Cerveno Zname Sofia
- 1963 Cerveno Zname Sofia
- 1964 CDNA Sofia
- 1965 HK CSKA Sofia
- 1966 HK CSKA Sofia
- 1967 HK CSKA Sofia
- 1968 Metallurg Pernik
- 1969 HK CSKA Sofia
- 1970 HK Krakra Pernik
- 1971 HK CSKA Sofia
- 1972 HK CSKA Sofia
- 1973 HK CSKA Sofia
- 1974 HK CSKA Sofia
- 1975 HK CSKA Sofia
- 1976 Levski-Spartak Sofia
- 1977 Levski-Spartak Sofia
- 1978 Levski-Spartak Sofia
- 1979 Levski-Spartak Sofia
- 1980 Levski-Spartak Sofia
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- 1981 Levski-Spartak Sofia
- 1982 Levski-Spartak Sofia
- 1983 HK CSKA Sofia
- 1984 HK CSKA Sofia
- 1985 HK Slavia Sofia
- 1986 HK CSKA Sofia
- 1987 HK Slavia Sofia
- 1988 HK Slavia Sofia
- 1989 Levski-Spartak Sofia
- 1990 Levski-Spartak Sofia
- 1991 HK Slavia Sofia
- 1992 Levski-Spartak Sofia
- 1993 HK Slavia Sofia
- 1994 HK Slavia Sofia
- 1995 HK Levski Sofia
- 1996 HK Slavia Sofia
- 1997 HK Slavia Sofia
- 1998 HK Slavia Sofia
- 1999 HK Levski Sofia
- 2000 HK Slavia Sofia
- 2001 HK Slavia Sofia
- 2002 HK Slavia Sofia
- 2003 HK Levski Sofia
- 2004 HK Slavia Sofia
- 2005 HK Slavia Sofia
- 2006 Akademika Sofia
- 2007 Akademika Sofia
- 2008 HK Slavia Sofia
- 2009 HK Slavia Sofia
- 2010 HK Slavia Sofia
- 2011 HK Slavia Sofia
- 2012 HK Slavia Sofia
- 2013 HK CSKA Sofia
- 2014 HK CSKA Sofia
- 2015 HK CSKA Sofia
- 2016 Irbis-Skate SK Sofia
- 2017 Irbis-Skate SK Sofia
- 2018 Irbis-Skate SK Sofia
- 2019 Irbis-Skate SK Sofia
- 2020 Irbis-Skate SK Sofia
- 2021 Irbis-Skate SK Sofia
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Titles by team
| Titles |
Team |
Year
|
| 21 |
Slavia Sofia
HK Udarnik Sofia (1951-1957) |
1953, 1954, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
|
| 16 |
CSKA Sofia
CDNA Sofia |
1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1983, 1984, 1986, 2013, 2014, 2015
|
| 13 |
HC Levski Sofia
Levski-Spartak Sofia (1969-1990) |
1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2003
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| 8 |
Cerveno Zname Sofia |
1952, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963
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| 6 |
Irbis-Skate SK Sofia |
2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
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| 2 |
Akademika Sofia |
2006, 2007
|
| 1 |
HK Krakra Pernik |
1970
|
| 1 |
Metallurg Pernik |
1968
|
| 1 |
Torpedo Sofia |
1955
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See also
External links
| European Hockey Overview
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| Top-Level Leagues
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International
Alps Hockey League - BeNe League - Erste Liga - International Hockey League - Kontinental Hockey League
National
Andorra - Armenia - Austria - Belarus - Belgium - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Bulgaria - Croatia - Cyprus - Czech Republic - Denmark - Estonia - Finland - France - Georgia - Germany - Greece - Hungary - Iceland - Italy - Kazakhstan - Latvia - Lithuania - Luxembourg - Netherlands - Norway - Poland - Romania - Serbia - Slovakia - Slovenia - Spain - Sweden - Switzerland - Turkey - Ukraine - United Kingdom
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| Second-Level Leagues
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| Belarus - Belgium - Bulgaria - Czech Republic - Denmark - England - Finland - France - Germany - Hungary - Iceland - Italy - Kazakhstan - Latvia - Lithuania - Netherlands - Norway - Poland - Russia - Slovakia - Spain - Sweden - Switzerland - Turkey - Ukraine
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| Third-Level Leagues
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| Austria - Belgium - Czech Republic - Denmark - England - Finland - France - Germany - Hungary - Italy - Netherlands - Norway - Poland - Russia - Scotland - Slovakia - Sweden - Switzerland
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| Fourth-Level and lower Leagues
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| Austria - Belgium (4, 5) - Czech Republic (4, 5) - Finland (4, 5, 6, 7) - France - Germany (4, 5) - Hungary - Italy - Netherlands (4, 5, 6, 7) - Norway (4, 5, 6, 7) - Poland - Russia (Night League, Amateur Leagues) - Sweden (4, 5, 6, 7, 8), Switzerland (4, 5, 6, 7)
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| Cup Competitions
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| Cups
Belarus - Belgium - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Bulgaria - Czech Republic - Denmark - East Germany - Estonia - Finland - France - Germany - Hungary - Iceland - Italy - Kazakhstan - Latvia - Lithuania - Luxembourg - Netherlands (Cup, Ron Berteling Schaal) - Norway - Poland - Romania - Scotland - Serbia - Slovakia - Slovenia - Soviet Union - Spain - Switzerland - Ukraine - Yugoslavia
Supercups
Belgium - Estonia - Hungary - Italy - Poland - Netherlands - Slovenia - Spain
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| Defunct Leagues
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| Soviet Union - Russia - Czechoslovakia - Yugoslavia - West Germany - East Germany - Ireland - Luxembourg - Macedonia - Malta - Portugal - Alpenliga - Interliga - Inter-National League - North Sea Cup - Panonian League - Eastern European - Balkan League (1994-1997) - Baltic League (2001) - Baltic Hockey League (2020) - Carpathian League - Slohokej Liga - Balkan Ice Hockey League - English League - English National League - Scottish National League - British Hockey League - Ice Hockey Superleague - German Championship - Swedish Championship - Klass I - Svenska Serien - Elitserien - Swedish Division I - SM-sarja - Swiss National Championship - Swiss International Championship
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| Women's Leagues
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| International leagues
Elite Women's Hockey League - EWHL Super Cup
National leagues
Austria - Belgium - Bulgaria - Croatia - Czech Republic - Denmark - Estonia - Finland (1, 2, 3, U20, U18, U16) - France - Germany (1, 2, 3, Cup) - Great Britain (England U16) - Hungary - Iceland - Italy - Kazakhstan - Latvia - Lithuania - Netherlands - Norway - Poland - Romania - Russia (U18) - Slovakia - Slovenia - Spain - Sweden (1, 2, 3, 4, U20) - Switzerland - Turkey - Ukraine
Defunct leagues
Czechoslovakia - Interliga - Low Countries Cup
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| Junior Leagues
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| Austria - Belarus - Belgium - Bulgaria - Croatia - Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia) - Denmark - Estonia - Finland - France - Germany (East Germany) - Great Britain - Hungary - Iceland - Italy - Kazakhstan - Latvia - Lithuania - Netherlands - Norway - Poland - Romania - Russia (Soviet Union) - Serbia - Slovakia - Slovenia - Spain - Sweden - Switzerland - Turkey - Ukraine - Yugoslavia
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| University Leagues
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| European University Hockey League - Czech Republic - Great Britain - Netherlands - Russia (RSHL, MSHL, SHLC, SHLMO, SibSHL, SPSHL) - Sweden
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