Alps Hockey League
| File:Alps Hockey League.png | |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | May 21, 2016[1] |
| First season | 2016–17 |
| CEO | Peter Schramm[2] |
| No. of teams | 18 |
| Countries | Austria (9 teams) Italy (7 teams) Slovenia (2 teams) |
| Continent | Europe |
| Most recent champion(s) | Olimpija (1st title) |
| Most titles | Ritten Sport Asiago Olimpija (1 title each) |
| Related competitions | Austrian Hockey League Inter-National League Serie A |
| Official website | Official website |
The Alps Hockey League (AlpsHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in Central Europe. The league is made up of teams from Austria, Italy and Slovenia.[3] The league was established as a result of a merger between Serie A and the Inter-National League.
Formation
The Alps Hockey League was founded in spring 2016, and is a joint venture between the Austrian Ice Hockey Association, the Federazione Italiana Sport del Ghiaccio, and the Ice Hockey Federation of Slovenia. The three national governing bodies have stated that they are keen to ensure that the league is both of a high standard, and financially viable in the long term.[2] In addition, the league has also stated that it is open to teams from other nations, including the Czech Republic, Germany and Slovakia.[4]
Regarding players, each team can sign a maximum four foreign born players. The AlpsHL operates a points based system similar to that of the EBEL, with each team having 16 points at their disposal.[5] As a result of this, the league aims to focus on the development of young players from the participating countries.[6]
2019–20 teams
In the 2019–20 season, the AlpsHL consisted of 18 teams, nine of which were based in Austria, seven in Italy, and two in Slovenia.[7] Hockey Milano Rossoblu were the league's most recent expansion team, joining in 2018 after replacing HC Neumarkt-Egna who withdrew due to financial difficulties.[8] However, after only one season, they withdrew from the league.[7]
Austria
EHC Bregenzerwald- VEU Feldkirch
- EC KAC II
- EC Kitzbühel
- EHC Lustenau
- EC Red Bull Salzburg U20
- EHC Steel Wings Linz
- Vienna Capitals Silver
- EK Zell am See
Italy
Asiago Hockey 1935- SG Cortina
- HC Fassa
- HC Gherdëina
- HC Pustertal Wölfe
- Ritten Sport
- WSV Sterzing Broncos
Slovenia
Alps Hockey League seasons
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 |  Ritten Sport
|
Asiago Hockey 1935
|
4–1 |
| 2017–18 | Asiago Hockey 1935
|
Ritten Sport
|
4–3 |
| 2018–19 |  HK Olimpija
|
HC Pustertal Wölfe
|
4–3 |
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||
References
- ^ "Alps Hockey League, è ufficiale" (in Italian). May 21, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ a b "AHL offiziell vorgestellt - Einschreibefrist endet am 15. Juni" (in German). May 30, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ "Red Bulls schicken B-Team in die Alps Hockey League" (in German). June 6, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ "Tommaso Teofoli illustra i dettagli dell'Alps Hockey League" (in Italian). June 9, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
- ^ "Start der neuen Alps Hockey League" (in German). May 30, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ "Neue Liga präsentiert" (in German). May 30, 2016. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ a b Petra Mavrič (July 23, 2019). "Olimpija bo branjenje alpske krone začela doma, Jesenice k "neznanki"". siol.net (in Slovenian). Siol. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- ^ "ALPS HOCKEY LEAGUE HEADS INTO THE THIRD SEASON". erstebankliga.at. July 5, 2018. Archived from the original on July 10, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2018.