Independent Amateur hockey league ( Latvia ) Independent Amateur hockey league NAHL ( Riga , Latvia ) is the largest league in the Baltic States ( Estonia , Latvia , Lithuania ) . It unites more than 80 teams and about 2 400 players in 8 leagues ( including 2 oldtimers leagues ) . The History . The modern history of amateur ice hockey began in 1996 , when Latvian team could enter the elite of world hockey . Possibly this fact was very important in the further development of amateur hockey in Latvia . At the end of summer in 1996 a group of enthusiasts decided to unite unorganised groups of amateur hockey players and organize their 1st ice hockey championship for amateur teams . The tournament was successful - 7 teams took part in it ( Krasaynie Leyumi , Bauska - Inchukalns , Tiesnieshi , Ledus Vaboles , Vakara Zinjas , Balsts , RTU ) . The first season 1997 / 1998 started with even more teams - 16 teams in two groups . The first NAHL Championship took place in autumn 1999 , where 7 teams participated ( Anatta , Lushi , Vektor , Lattelecom , Jaunpils , Jurmala , Vikingi - Eglite . In the season 2001 / 2002 , 25 teams competed in two divisions . In the strongest group took part such teams as Anatta , Kurbads , Lushi , PD Electronics , Profsistems , Memphis / Smokers , Bergju nams , Viva sports 1 , Viva sports 2 , Mamuti , Buljdogi , DSM . The increase in the number of participants required even more strength for organising the tournaments - " Oleg Sirachenko , Aleksandr Mejleh , Sergey Sharkov , Eduard Anderson , Oskars Miljons , Guntars Precinieks and Aleksey Reshetnikov " joined the NAHL management . They put the finishing touches to the regulations of competitions and elected the League Council . Independent Amateur Hockey League « NAHL » has been an officially registered sport public organization since autumn 2001 . It provides the hockey competitions not only in Riga , but also in other hockey halls of Latvia . The season 2002 / 2003 started with an incredible number of hockey teams - 43 ! They are all divided into 3 groups - superleague ( 16 teams ) , high league ( 14 ) and the first league ( 13 ) . NAHL teams have an experience of friendly matches abroad - our hockey clubs participated in friendly matches in " Canada , Finland , Sweden , Germany , Austria , Estonia , Lithuania , Poland , Hungary , Ireland , Belarus un Russia " . The present time NAHL unites 80 amateur teams , which are divided according to their level into 6 leagues plus 2 old - timers leagues dividend into group А ( ex - professionals ) and В ( amateurs ) . It ’ s worth mentioning also the teams that are playing in Latvian regions – their number is about 200 ! NAHL competitions take place in 10 ice halls . We annually organize Latvian ice - hockey championship among amateur hockey teams ( from September till March ) , and then – NAHL CUP in April . Besides regular Championship and NAHL CUP - NAHL organizes also tournaments , where participate ice - players from Lithuania , Estonia and also teams from Russia , Switzerland and Finland . The hockey season begins with the Captains Match , at the end of the January we organize the Star Match . Spring is the season of Banks ’ Cups , in May - June the following tournaments are usually organized - it ’ s “ NAHL - PREMJERA ” for the beginner teams and old - timers tournament 45 + “ SENJOR ” . Under the aegis of NAHL more than 1300 matches are organized . There are such weeks when the number of matches exceeds 55 . Almost all teams use the services of professional coaches . Such famous hockey players as " Helmut Balderis , Oleg Znarok , Anatoly Jemelyanenko , Sergey Povecherovsky , Juriy Opulskis , Aleksandr Kerch " take part in NAHL competitions . Amateur teams from Lithuania are also interested in NAHL competitions . The Lithuanian team LEDO LINIJA from Shaulyay participates in NAHL championship . The latest our project is the tournament OPEN ICE RIGA . The first part of it – SPRING 2008 – took place in March . The teams from Russia , Lithuania and Latvia took part in these games for the teams in the “ C - club ” group . This summer NAHL plans to organize the next part of OPEN ICE RIGA – SUMMER 2008 . In the aforementioned tournament can take part amateur hockey teams from different groups according to the international classification ( co - ordinating with the organizers of the tournament ) . The tournament is planned to be organized in August 2008 in Riga . NAHL competitions evoke great interest of Latvian enterprises , companies and financial institutions – Hansabanka , Parex Banka , Aizkraukles Banka , Rietumu Banka , Latvijas Biznesa Banka , Lattelecom , LMT , Latvijas Pasts , Balva , Monarh , RER , Rīgas Satiksme , ASK , Sāga – they all participate in NAHL organized competitions and tournaments .