Metal Ligaen

Metal Ligaen is the premier league in Danish ice hockey. The teams are semi-professional with only the best Danish and foreign players being fully professional.
== History ==
It is also known as Superisligaen or Eliteserien, which is the name used in the past and in times where no naming rights agreement is in place. On January 1, 2014 Danish Metal (Dansk Metal) became a sponsor of the Danish ice hockey league, which changed the name to Metal Ligaen, replacing the previous name AL-Bank Ligaen which was named for the sponsorship deal with the Danish bank Arbejdernes Landsbank. 
The Danish ice hockey league has become one of the better leagues in Europe, often compared to leagues such as the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan and the DEL2. The league is more of a springboard for foreign players and a place to start their European careers, before traveling to other bigger leagues such as the Swedish Hockey League or DEL. The teams rely mostly on foreign talent, but there is still a lot of skilled professional Danish players. It is mostly the older Danish players, who are full-time professional. Most younger players are semi-professional because of the tight economy in Danish hockey and most of the money is spend on more talented foreign players.
In the past, the league has consisted of as many as 10 teams. Despite the introduction of a salary cap as well as a limit to the number of import players allowed, several teams have struggled financially in recent years. As a result, the Herlev Hornets and the Rungsted Cobras have withdrawn from the league, reducing the number of active teams from 10 to 8. Teams from the second tier league were offered the empty spots, but no team were able to accept the offer, citing financial issues as their main concern.
On June 18, 2016 it was made clear that the foreign player limit of 8, was against EU law and it was therefore removed. The 2016-17 season will be the first time, since 2009, that a Danish icehockey team can have an unlimited amount of foreign players. The salary cap was created to regulating the league. The salary cap of the 2016-17 season, is 6 million DKK.
On June 3, 2017, Metal Ligaen was expanded once again, to an historic number of 11 teams. Hvidovre Fighters, who had previously left the league in 2013 because of bankruptcy, got their submitted papers approved, making them the 11th team of the 2017/18 season
== Teams ==
Team 	City/Area 	Founded	Arena 	Capacity	Opened
Aalborg Pirates 	Aalborg 	1967 	Gigantium 	5000 	2007
Esbjerg Energy 	Esbjerg 	1964 	Granly Hockey Arena 	4200 	1976
Frederikshavn White Hawks	Frederikshavn	1964 	Scanel Hockey Arena 	4000 	2015
Herning Blue Fox 	Herning 	1947 	KVIK Hockey Arena 	4100 	1988
Herlev Eagles 	Herlev 	1968 	DFDS Seaways Arena 	1740 	1977
Odense Bulldogs 	Odense 	1978 	Bryggeriet Vestfyens Arena	3280 	1999
Rungsted Ishockey 	Rungsted 	1941 	Hørsholm Skøjtehal 	2460 	1971
Rødovre Mighty Bulls 	Rødovre 	1964 	Rødovre Skøjte Arena 	3600 	1995
SønderjyskE Ishockey 	Vojens 	1963 	SE Arena 	5000 	2011
Hvidovre Fighters 	Hvidovre 	1966 	Allan Villadsen Arena 	2000 	1979
== Danish Champions ==
Season 	Winner 	Finalist 	Bronze
1955 	Rungsted IK 	KSF København 	Silkeborg
1956 	KSF København 	Rungsted IK 	not played
1957–1959	not played 	not played 	not played
1960 	KSF København 	Rungsted IK 	Silkeborg
1961 	KSF København 	Rungsted IK 	Esbjerg IK
1962 	KSF København 	Rungsted IK 	not played
1963 	Rungsted IK 	Esbjerg IK 	KSF København
1964 	KSF København 	Rungsted IK 	Esbjerg IK
1965 	KSF København 	Esbjerg IK 	Gladsaxe SF
1966 	KSF København 	Gladsaxe SF 	Esbjerg IK
1967 	Gladsaxe SF 	KSF København 	Esbjerg IK
1968 	Gladsaxe SF 	Esbjerg IK 	Rungsted IK
1969 	Esbjerg IK 	Gladsaxe SF 	Vojens IK
1970 	KSF København 	Gladsaxe SF 	Esbjerg IK
1971 	Gladsaxe SF 	Rungsted IK 	Esbjerg IK
1972 	KSF København 	Esbjerg IK 	Gladsaxe SF
1973 	Herning IK 	KSF København 	Esbjerg IK
1974 	Gladsaxe SF 	no playoff 	no playoff
1975 	Gladsaxe SF 	no playoff 	no playoff
1976 	KSF København 	no playoff 	no playoff
1977 	Herning IK 	no playoff 	no playoff
1978 	Rødovre SIK 	KSF København 	Vojens IK
1979 	Vojens IK 	Rødovre SIK 	Aalborg IK
1980 	Vojens IK 	Rungsted IK 	Aalborg IK
1981 	Aalborg IK 	Rødovre SIK 	Herning IK
1982 	Vojens IK 	Rødovre SIK 	Aalborg IK
1983 	Rødovre SIK 	Aalborg IK 	Herlev IK
1984 	Herlev IK 	Aalborg IK 	Rungsted IK
1985 	Rødovre SIK 	no playoff 	no playoff
1986 	Rødovre SIK 	no playoff 	no playoff
1987 	Herning IK 	no playoff 	no playoff
1988 	Esbjerg IK 	no playoff 	no playoff
1989 	Frederikshavn IK 	Aalborg IK 	Herning IK
1990 	Rødovre SIK 	Herning IK 	Frederikshavn IK
1991 	Herning IK 	Rødovre SIK 	Aalborg IK
1992 	Herning IK 	Esbjerg IK 	Rødovre SIK
1993 	Esbjerg IK 	Herning IK 	Rødovre SIK
1994 	Herning IK 	Esbjerg IK 	Aalborg IK
1995 	Herning IK 	Esbjerg IK 	Rungsted IK
1996 	Esbjerg IK 	Rungsted IK 	Herning IK
1997 	Herning IK 	Esbjerg IK 	Rungsted IK
1998 	Herning Blue Fox 	Rungsted IK 	Frederikshavn White Hawks
1999 	Rødovre Mighty Bulls 	Frederikshavn White Hawks	Esbjerg IK
2000 	Frederikshavn White Hawks	Herning Blue Fox 	Esbjerg IK
2001 	Herning Blue Fox 	Esbjerg IK 	Rødovre Mighty Bulls
2002 	Rungsted Cobras 	Odense Bulldogs 	Herning Blue Fox
2003 	Herning Blue Fox 	Odense Bulldogs 	Rungsted Cobras
2004 	Esbjerg Oilers 	Aab Ishockey 	Odense Bulldogs
2005 	Herning Blue Fox 	Aab Ishockey 	Frederikshavn White Hawks
2006 	SønderjyskE Ishockey 	Aab Ishockey 	Herning Blue Fox
2007 	Herning Blue Fox 	Aab Ishockey 	SønderjyskE Ishockey
2008 	Herning Blue Fox 	Frederikshavn White Hawks	SønderjyskE Ishockey
2009 	SønderjyskE Ishockey 	Herning Blue Fox 	Rødovre Mighty Bulls
2010 	SønderjyskE Ishockey 	Aab Ishockey 	Frederikshavn White Hawks
2011 	Herning Blue Fox 	Frederikshavn White Hawks	SønderjyskE Ishockey
2012 	Herning Blue Fox 	Odense Bulldogs 	SønderjyskE Ishockey
2013 	SønderjyskE Ishockey 	Frederikshavn White Hawks	Odense Bulldogs
2014 	SønderjyskE Ishockey 	Herning Blue Fox 	Odense Bulldogs
2015 	SønderjyskE Ishockey 	Esbjerg Energy 	Frederikshavn White Hawks
2016 	Esbjerg Energy 	Herning Blue Fox 	Frederikshavn White Hawks
2017 	Esbjerg Energy 	Gentofte Stars 	Frederikshavn White Hawks
2018 	Aalborg Pirates 	Herning Blue Fox 	Rungsted Seier Capital
2019 	Rungsted Seier Capital 	SønderjyskE Ishockey 	Frederikshavn White Hawks
2020 	Cancelled due to Covid19 	Cancelled due to Covid19 	Cancelled due to Covid19
2021 	Rungsted Seier Capital 	Aalborg Pirates 	Esbjerg Energy
2022 	Aalborg Pirates 	Rungsted Seier Capital 	Odense Bulldogs
2023 	Aalborg Pirates 	Herning Blue Fox 	Herlev Eagles
2024 	SønderjyskE Ishockey 	Esbjerg Energy 	Aalborg Pirates
===By club===
Club 	Winners	Winning Years
Herning Blue Fox (earlier known as Herning IK) 	16 	1973, 1977, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012
KSF København 	10 	1956, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1972, 1976
SønderjyskE Ishockey (earlier known as Vojens IK) 	10 	1979, 1980, 1982, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2024
Esbjerg Energy (earlier known as Esbjerg Oilers and Esbjerg IK)	7 	1969, 1988, 1993, 1996, 2004, 2016, 2017
Rødovre Mighty Bulls (earlier known as Rødovre SIK) 	6 	1978, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1999
Gladsaxe SF 	5 	1967, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1975
Rungsted Cobras (earlier known as Rungsted IK) 	5 	1955, 1963, 2002, 2019, 2021
Aalborg Pirates (earlier known as Aalborg IK) 	4 	1981, 2018, 2022, 2023
Frederikshavn White Hawks (earlier known as Frederikshavn IK) 	2 	1989, 2000
Herlev Hornets (earlier known as Herlev IK) 	1 	1984
==References==
==External links==
*League website
Category:Ice hockey leagues