Ligue Magnus

The Ligue Magnus, currently known as Synerglace Ligue Magnus for sponsorship reasons, is the top men's division of the French ice hockey pyramid, established in 1906. The league operated under a variety of names before taking that of its championship trophy, the Magnus Cup, in 2004. The trophy was in turn named for Frenchman and IIHF founder Louis Magnus.
Teams from the Ligue Magnus can participate in the IIHF's annual Champions Hockey League (CHL), competing for the European Trophy. Participation is based on the strength of the various leagues in Europe (excluding the European/Asian Kontinental Hockey League). Going into the 2022–23 CHL season, the Ligue Magnus was ranked the No. 9 league in Europe, allowing them to send their top team to compete in the CHL.
==Format==
12 teams play a 44-game regular season. The schedule is fully balanced and there are no geographic conferences. Regulation wins are worth 3 points, as per international rules. The top 8 teams qualify for the Magnus Cup playoffs, with all series contested in a best-of-seven format. The remaining 4 teams play a 6-game round-robin, at the end of which the last-place team is relegated.
The Magnus Cup champions qualify for the following season's Champions Hockey League. All Ligue Magnus teams also take part in the French Cup.
==Import rule==
Game night rosters must include at least 10 players who have spent 3 or more years in the French hockey system before the age of 21. French citizenship itself is not a requirement to qualify for non-import status, as long as the player meets the above criteria. Conversely, a citizen of France who was fully trained in a foreign country will count as an import regardless of his French citizenship.
==Outdoor games==
On December 22, 2013, Grenoble and Briançon played an outdoor regular season game at Stade des Alpes, the home of former Ligue 1 soccer club GF38. A sellout attendance of 19,767 set a league record.
Another outdoor game took place on December 30, 2016, when Lyon hosted Grenoble at Parc OL, the home field of seven-time Ligue 1 champions Olympique Lyonnais. The event drew a record 25,182 attendance.
==Title sponsors==
In 2016, the league signed its first naming rights deal with Saxoprint, the online printing subsidiary of German conglomerate Cewe, and became known as Saxoprint Ligue Magnus for the following two seasons. In 2018, mobile ice rink supplier Synerglace became the series' new title sponsor.
==Media==
===Television===
Select regular season and playoff games air on cable and broadband television channel Sport en France.
===Internet streaming===
All league games can be streamed for a monthly subscription fee of approximately €10. The service, managed by Finnish company Fanseat, employed a man-operated main camera for the first three years, before shifting to PlaySight automated technology in 2019.
===Video game===
Hockey Dangles '16: Saxoprint Magnus Edition, an arcade-style mobile video game based on the league, was released for Android and iOS devices in September 2016.
==2021/22 teams==
 
Team 	City 	Arena 	Founded
Gothiques 	Amiens 	Coliséum 	1967
Ducs 	Angers 	IceParc 	1982
Hormadi 	Anglet 	Patinoire de la Barre 	1969
Boxers 	Bordeaux 	Patinoire de Mériadeck 	1999
Diables Rouges 	Briançon 	Patinoire René Froger 	1934
Jokers 	Cergy-Pontoise	Aren'Ice 	1981
Pionniers 	Chamonix 	Centre Sportif Richard Bozon	2016
Rapaces 	Gap 	Alp'Arena 	1937
Brûleurs de Loups	Grenoble 	Patinoire Pole Sud 	1963
Aigles 	Nice 	Patinoire Jean Bouin 	1969
Dragons 	Rouen 	Patinoire de l'Île Lacroix 	1982
Scorpions 	Mulhouse 	Patinoire de l'Illberg 	2005
===Former teams===
*Albatros de Brest
*Chamois de Chamonix
*Corsaires de Dunkerque
*Drakkars de Caen
*Ducs de Dijon
*Jets de Viry-Essonne
*Ours de Villard-de-Lans
*Pingouins de Morzine-Avoriaz
*Sangliers Arvernes
*Avalanche du Mont-Blanc
===Defunct teams===
*Diables Noirs de Tours
*Hockey Club de Mulhouse
*Séquanes de Besançon
*Reims HC
==Previous winners==
*1907 : SC Lyon
*1908 : Patineurs de Paris
*1912 : Patineurs de Paris
*1913 : Patineurs de Paris
*1914 : Patineurs de Paris
*1915 to 1919 : Not held due to World War I
*1920 : Ice Skating Club de Paris
*1921 : Sports d'Hiver de Paris
*1922 : Sports d'Hiver de Paris
*1923 : Chamonix
*1925 : Chamonix
*1926 : Chamonix
*1927 : Chamonix
*1929 : Chamonix
*1930 : Chamonix
*1931 : Chamonix
*1932 : Stade Français Paris
*1933 : Stade Français Paris
*1934 : Rapides de Paris
*1935 : Stade Français Paris
*1936 : Français Volants Paris
*1937 : Français Volants Paris
*1938 : Français Volants Paris
*1939 : Chamonix
*1941 : The final between Briançon and Paris Université Clubwas not held due to World War II
*1942 : Chamonix
*1944 : Chamonix
*1946 : Chamonix
*1949 : Chamonix
*1950 : Racing Club de Paris
*1951 : Racing Club de Paris	
*1952 : Chamonix
*1953 : Paris Université Club
*1954 : Chamonix
*1955 : Chamonix
*1956 : CP Lyon
*1957 : AC Boulogne-Billancourt
*1958 : Chamonix
*1959 : Chamonix
*1960 : AC Boulogne-Billancourt
*1961 : Chamonix
*1962 : AC Boulogne-Billancourt
*1963 : Chamonix
*1964 : Chamonix
*1965 : Chamonix
*1966 : Chamonix
*1967 : Chamonix
*1968 : Chamonix
*1969 : Saint-Gervais
*1970 : Chamonix
*1971 : Chamonix
*1972 : Chamonix
*1973 : Chamonix
*1974 : Saint-Gervais
*1975 : Saint-Gervais
*1976 : Chamonix
*1977 : Gap
*1978 : Gap
*1979 : Chamonix
*1980 : ASG Tours	
*1981 : CSG Grenoble
*1982 : CSG Grenoble
*1983 : Saint-Gervais
*1984 : Megève
*1985 : Saint-Gervais
*1986 : Saint-Gervais
*1987 : Mont-Blanc
*1988 : Mont-Blanc
*1989 : Français Volants Paris
*1990 : Rouen
*1991 : CSG Grenoble
*1992 : Rouen
*1993 : Rouen
*1994 : Rouen
*1995 : Rouen
*1996 : Brest
*1997 : Brest
*1998 : Grenoble
*1999 : Amiens Somme
*2000 : Reims HC
*2001 : Rouen
*2002 : Reims HC
*2003 : Rouen
*2004 : Amiens Somme
*2005 : Hockey Club de Mulhouse
*2006 : Rouen
*2007 : Grenoble
*2008 : Rouen
*2009 : Grenoble	
*2010 : Rouen
*2011 : Rouen
*2012 : Rouen
*2013 : Rouen
*2014 : Briançon
*2015 : Gap
*2016 : Rouen
*2017 : Gap
*2018 : Rouen
*2019 : Grenoble
*2020 : not awarded
*2021 : Rouen
*2022 : Grenoble
==Titles by team==
Pl 	Team 	Titles	Winning seasons
1 	Chamonix 	30 	1923, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1939, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1949, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1979
2 	Rouen (earlier known as RHC (Rouen Hockey Club) and also known as Rouen Hockey Élite 76) 	16 	1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2021
3 	Grenoble (earlier known as CSG Grenoble) 	8 	1981, 1982, 1991, 1998, 2007, 2009, 2019, 2022
4 	Club des Patineurs de Paris (also known as Ice Skating Club de Paris and Sports d'Hiver de Paris)	7 	1908, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1920, 1921, 1922
5 	Saint-Gervais 	6 	1969, 1974, 1975, 1983, 1985, 1986
6 	Français Volants Paris 	4 	1936, 1937, 1938, 1989
7 	Gap 	4 	1977, 1978, 2015, 2017
8 	Stade Français Paris (also known as Rapides de Paris) 	4 	1932, 1933, 1934, 1935
9 	AC Boulogne-Billancourt 	3 	1957, 1960, 1962
10 	Brest 	2 	1996, 1997
 	Mont-Blanc 	2 	1987, 1988
 	Racing Club de Paris 	2 	1950, 1951
 	Reims HC 	2 	2000, 2002
 	Amiens Somme 	2 	1999, 2004
15 	Megève 	1 	1984
 	CP Lyon 	1 	1956
 	SC Lyon 	1 	1907
 	ASG Tours 	1 	1980
 	Paris Université Club 	1 	1953
 	Hockey Club de Mulhouse 	1 	2005
 	Briançon 	1 	2014
==Awards==
*Charles Ramsay Trophy (top scorer)
*Albert Hassler Trophy (most valuable French player)
*Marcel Claret Trophy (most sportsmanlike team)
*Raymond Dewas Trophy (most sportsmanlike player)
*Jean-Pierre Graff Trophy (most promising player)
*Jean Ferrand Trophy (most valuable goaltender)
*Camil Gélinas Trophy (coach of the year)
==Notable players==
* Philippe Bozon (St. Louis Blues, Genève-Servette HC)
* Alain Daigle (Chicago Blackhawks)
* Evgeny Davydov (HC CSKA Moscow, Winnipeg Jets)
* Steve Gainey (Dallas Stars, Phoenix Coyotes)
* Cristobal Huet (Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks)
* Steve Montador (Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres)
* Steven Reinprecht (Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes)
* Mark Rycroft (St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche)
* Richard Sévigny (Montreal Canadiens, Quebec Nordiques)
* Claude Verret (Buffalo Sabres, Lausanne HC, Rochester Americans)
In addition, Bob Gainey (Montreal Canadiens) and Brian Propp (Philadelphia Flyers) have played in the second tier of French hockey.
==Notes==
== References ==
==External links==
*French Ice Hockey Federation
*Ligue Magnus
*AJPH (players' association)
*Results
 
Category:Established in 1907
Category:Professional ice hockey leagues in France
Category:Top tier ice hockey leagues in Europe