1. národní hokejová liga

1. národní hokejová liga

Sport	Ice hockey
Founded	1993
No. of teams	16
Country(ies)	Czech Republic
Most recent champion(s)	HC Slovan Ústečtí Lvi
Official website	http://www.hokejportal.cz/1-hokejova-liga/

The 1. národní hokejová liga (First National Hockey League) is the second-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic under the Extraliga. It began in 1993.

Format in 2008-09 season

In the first phase, every team plays each other twice, which makes for a 30 game section of the regular season. The thirty game phase will allow each team to play one home game against each team, which also allows every team to play one road game in every opposing team's arena. After the first thirty game phase, every team that ends on an even ranking (2, 4, 6, 8, etc.) will play each other and every team with an odd ranking (1, 3, 5, 7, etc.) will play each other. Like the first phase, each team will get a home game, which allows for one home game and one road game against every team for a total of sixteen games. At the end of this phase of the schedule, each team will have played 46 total games.

In the end of their 46 game regular season, the teams are seeded for the playoffs. All teams ranked fifth through twelfth will play a best of five preliminary round. The top four teams receive a bye and are directed seeded into the quarterfinal round, keeping their same regular season rank. The remaining rounds (quarterfinal, semifinal and final) are played as best of seven series. The winner of the Finals plays with last placed team of Extraliga in a best of seven series. The winner of this series is promoted to Extraliga for the following season.

Teams ranked thirteen through sixteen will continue to play. Every team plays each other four times, with the bottom two teams (ranked fifteen and sixteen) being directly relegated to the 2. národní hokejová liga.

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.

Previous formats

In the 2007-08 format, 16 teams were involved in a East and an West division. Prior to the 2007-08 season, only 14 teams participated.

2009-10 teams

HC Benátky nad Jizerou HC Berounští Medvědi HC Chrudim HC Dukla Jihlava HC Tábor HC Havířov Panthers HC Rebel Havlíčkův Brod HC Olomouc HC Slovan Ústečtí Lvi HC VCES Hradec Králové HC Vrchlabí KLH Chomutov Orli Znojmo Salith Šumperk SK Horácká Slavia Třebíč SK Kadaň

Champions

• 1993-94 Vsetínská hokejová and HC Slavia Praha
• 1994-95 HC Kometa Brno and TZ Třinec
• 1995-96 HC Přerov and HC Opava
• 1996-97 HC Karlovy Vary and HC Kralupy nad Vltavou
• 1997-98 HC Znojemští Orli
• 1998-99 HC Znojemští Orli
• 1999-00 HC Dukla Jihlava
• 2000-01 KLH Chomutov
• 2001-02 HC Bílí Tygři Liberec
• 2002-03 HC Vagnerplast Kladno
• 2003-04 HC Dukla Jihlava
• 2004-05 HC České Budějovice
• 2005-06 HC Slovan Ústí nad Labem
• 2006-07 HC Slovan Ústí nad Labem
• 2007-08 BK Mladá Boleslav
• 2008-09 HC Slovan Ústečtí Lvi
• 2009-10 KLH Chomutov
• 2010-11 HC Slovan Ústečtí Lvi

External links

• Hokej.cz
• Hokej iNDES.cz