National League A

National League A (NLA) is a professional Ice hockey league in Switzerland. It is the top tier of the Swiss hockey league system and of the two-tier National League. Prior to the 2007–08 season, the league was officially called Nationalliga A (German), (, ).
The NLA has the most attended hockey club in Europe, SC Bern, and is also the most attended league within the same continent.
==Season structure==
During the regular season, each of the 12 teams play 50 games. The top eight teams after the regular season qualify for the playoffs to determine the Swiss champion in best-of-seven series'. The bottom four teams in the standings play a relegation tournament in which each team retains their regular season points and play an additional 6 matches. Following those matches, the two bottom ranked teams will play each other in a best-of-seven series, with the loser then playing the winner of the National League B playoffs in a best-of-seven series for a spot in the successive NLA season.
==Current teams==
Team 	City 	Arena 	Capacity	Attendance 13/14
HC Ambrì-Piotta 	Ambrì 	Valascia 	6,500 	5,631
SC Bern 	Bern 	PostFinance-Arena 	17,131 	16,347
EHC Biel 	Biel/Bienne	Eisstadion Biel 	7,000 	4,651
HC Davos 	Davos 	Vaillant Arena 	6,795 	4,782
HC Fribourg-Gottéron 	Fribourg 	BCF Arena 	6,700 	6,570
Genève-Servette HC 	Geneva 	Patinoire des Vernets	7,135 	6,819
Kloten Flyers 	Kloten 	Kolping Arena 	7,624 	5,627
Lausanne HC 	Lausanne 	CIG de Malley 	8,000 	6,528
HC Lugano 	Lugano 	Pista La Resega 	8,250 	5,040
Rapperswil-Jona Lakers	Rapperswil 	Diners Club Arena 	6,200 	4,361
EV Zug 	Zug 	Bossard Arena 	7,015 	6,159
ZSC Lions 	Zurich 	Hallenstadion 	11,200 	9,048
==Past champions==
*2014 – ZSC Lions
*2013 – SC Bern
*2012 – ZSC Lions
*2011 – HC Davos
*2010 – SC Bern
*2009 – HC Davos
*2008 – ZSC Lions
*2007 – HC Davos
*2006 – HC Lugano
*2005 – HC Davos
*2004 – SC Bern
*2003 – HC Lugano
*2002 – HC Davos
*2001 – ZSC Lions
*2000 – ZSC Lions
*1999 – HC Lugano
*1998 – EV Zug
*1997 – SC Bern
*1996 – Kloten Flyers
*1995 – Kloten Flyers
*1994 – Kloten Flyers
*1993 – Kloten Flyers
*1992 – SC Bern
*1991 – SC Bern
*1990 – HC Lugano
*1989 – SC Bern
*1988 – HC Lugano
*1987 – HC Lugano
*1986 – HC Lugano
*1985 – HC Davos
*1984 – HC Davos
*1983 – EHC Biel
*1982 – EHC Arosa
*1981 – EHC Biel
*1980 – EHC Arosa
*1979 – SC Bern
*1978 – EHC Biel
*1977 – SC Bern
*1976 – SCL Tigers
*1975 – SC Bern
*1974 – SC Bern
*1973 – HC La Chaux-de-Fonds
*1972 – HC La Chaux-de-Fonds
*1971 – HC La Chaux-de-Fonds
*1970 – HC La Chaux-de-Fonds
*1969 – HC La Chaux-de-Fonds
*1968 – HC La Chaux-de-Fonds
*1967 – Kloten Flyers
*1966 – Grasshopper-Club Zürich
*1965 – SC Bern
*1964 – HC Villars
*1963 – HC Villars
*1962 – EHC Visp
*1961 – ZSC Lions
*1960 – HC Davos
*1959 – SC Bern
*1958 – HC Davos
*1957 – EHC Arosa
*1956 – EHC Arosa
*1955 – EHC Arosa
*1954 – EHC Arosa
*1953 – EHC Arosa
*1952 – EHC Arosa
*1951 – EHC Arosa
*1950 – HC Davos
*1949 – ZSC Lions
*1948 – HC Davos
*1947 – HC Davos
*1946 – HC Davos
*1945 – HC Davos
*1944 – HC Davos
*1943 – HC Davos
*1942 – HC Davos
*1941 – HC Davos
*1940 – no winner
*1939 – HC Davos
*1938 – HC Davos
Swiss National Championship Serie A (1909–1937)
* 1909: HC Bellerive Vevey
* 1910: HC La Villa Lausanne
* 1911: Club des Patineurs de Lausanne
* 1912: HC Les Avants
* 1913: HC Les Avants
* 1914: not played
* 1915: not played
* 1916: HC Bern
* 1917: HC Bern
* 1918: HC Bern
* 1919: HC Bellerive Vevey
* 1920: HC Bellerive Vevey
* 1921: HC Rosey-Gstaad
* 1922: EHC St. Moritz
* 1923: EHC St. Moritz
* 1924: HC Château-d'Œx
* 1925: HC Rosey-Gstaad
* 1926: HC Davos
* 1927: HC Davos
* 1928: EHC St. Moritz
* 1929: HC Davos
* 1930: HC Davos
* 1931: HC Davos
* 1932: HC Davos
* 1933: HC Davos
* 1934: HC Davos
* 1935: HC Davos
* 1936: Zürcher SC
* 1937: HC Davos
Swiss International Championship Serie A (1916–1933)
* 1916: Akademischer EHC Zürich
* 1917: HC Les Avants
* 1918: HC Bellerive Vevey
* 1919: HC Rosey Gstaad
* 1920: HC Rosey Gstaad
* 1921: HC Rosey Gstaad
* 1922: HC Château-d'Œx
* 1923: EHC St Moritz
* 1924: HC Château-d'Œx
* 1925: HC Rosey Gstaad
* 1926: no winner
* 1927: HC Davos
* 1928: HC Rosey Gstaad
* 1929: HC Davos
* 1930: HC Davos
* 1931: HC Davos
* 1932: HC Davos
* 1933: Grasshopper-Club Zürich
==See also==
*National League B
*PostFinance Top Scorer
==References==
==External links==
* (German) National League, official website
* (French) National League, official website
* Puck.ch Results of Swiss Ice Hockey – in English, French, German and Italian
* Meltzer, Bill. "Hockey a Hot Ticket in Switzerland" at NHL.com. Retrieved 6 April 2006.
* Meltzer, Bill. "Former NHLers Shining in Switzerland" at NHL.com. Retrieved 25 October 2006.
* Pat Schafhauser Foundation
* An Analysis Of The Swiss NLA
* All-time standings 1909–2008
Category:Ice hockey in Switzerland
Category:Ice hockey leagues
Category:National League A
Category:Established in 2008