Czech Extraliga

The Czech Extraliga (Czech:Extraliga ledního hokeje, ELH) was created by the 1993 split of the Czechoslovak Extraliga following the breakup of Czechoslovakia, and is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. In 2008 the IIHF ranked Extraliga third among the top 7 European teams for seeding purposes in the 2008-2009 Champions Hockey League season. Many Extraliga players leave every year on transfers to the North American NHL and Eurasian KHL. 
==Naming and sponsorship==
The name of the league is leased to a general sponsor and changes frequently.
* 1999-2000 – Staropramen Extraliga
* 2001-2002 – Český Telecom Extraliga
* 2003-2006 – Tipsport Extraliga
* 2007-2010 – O2 Extraliga
* 2010-current – Tipsport Extraliga
==League format==
14 teams compete in the league, with the top 6 teams at the end of the regular season play qualifying for the playoffs to determine the league champion, known as the Česká pojišťovna play-off Tipsport extraligy. The teams that finish 7th through 10th play a play-in series (best-of-five) to determine who will join the top six into the playoff quarter-finals (best-of-seven). The four lowest ranked teams (11–14) after the regular season play in a play-out goup (12 games, all regular-season matches are counted into the ranking). The last-place team after the play-out group plays with the winner of the First League playoff series (best-of-seven), with the winner of that series being qualified to play in Extraliga the following season while the losing team plays in the First League.
Since the 2006-07 season, 3 points have been awarded for a regulation win and 2 points for an overtime victory, while the defeated team in overtime gets 1 point. If necessary, penalty shots are used to decide games after overtime.
From the 2006-07 season through the 2007-08 season there was only one assist credited for each goal instead of the standard two that other leagues credit. This rule change affected league statistics in a negative manner, and so the rule was changed back to the standard two assists starting in the 2008-09 season.
During the 2011-12 season the association of Czech Extraliga managers attempted to close the league to prevent any relegations to or promoting from the second tier national league and also set a maximum salary cap similarly to the NHL system. However, after some legal difficulties and strong opposition by the public the whole proposition was scratched.
==History==
The league was founded in 1993, after the separation of Czechoslovakia put an end to the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League. The first season was won by HC Olomouc, who won after defeating HC Pardubice 3 games to 1. HC Slavia Praha and HC Dadák Vsetín were promoted from the First League after beating HC Stadion Hradec Králové and HC Vajgar Jindřichův Hradec in the qualifying series. The 1993-94 season was the only season Vajgar ever participated in the Extraliga, while Hradec Králové would return to the league some twenty years later as Mountfield HK.
The 1994-95 season marked the beginning of the Vsetín dynasty. In its first year in the league, HC Dadák Vsetín finished first in the regular season and later won the playoffs, beating AC ZPS Zlín 3 to 1. Vsetín would go on to win the next four installments of the Extraliga, with the team usually finishing first in the regular season as well. No team ever even came close to matching the feat of dominance that was shown by Vsetín throughout the second half of the 1990s.
In the 1995–96 season, the league expanded from 12 to 14 teams. This was the final expansion made to the league and 14 teams have been playing in the league eversince.
The 1998–99 season would be the last for one of the league's most traditional participants, HC Dukla Jihlava. The team lost the qualification series against HC Znojemsti Orli. Dukla later appeared in the 2004–05 installment of the Czech Extraliga, putting up a non-impressive 6-0-5-40 record and were relegated that same season.
In the 1999–2000 season, HC Sparta Praha broke Vsetín's five year long winning streak, defeating them in the finals. This was the only time Vsetín was defeated in the finals, as they would get their revenge and beat Sparta in the finals a season later. The 2000-01 season was the last time Vsetín managed to advance to the finals, and the team began falling further down in the standings every season.
Sparta won their second title in the 2001–02 season. The title would stay in Prague the next season as well, however, this time Sparta's main rival, Slavia, won the title. The title would then be won by Hamé Zlín (2003–04 season) and HC Moeller Pardubice (2004-05 season) before one of the Prague teams captured it again.
For the first and only time, Sparta and Slavia would appear in the finals in the 2005–06 season. Sparta was the more successful team out of the pair, triumphing over Slavia 4 games to 2. Sparta would win the cup in the next season as well, this time defeating the 2004-05 champion Pardubice in 6 games.
Vsetín's run in the Extraliga would come to an end after the 2006–07 season. The Czech Ice Hockey Federation would revoke the club's extraliga license due to the team's enormous debt, forcing them to fold. As a result, no other teams were relegated that season and the First League champions, HC Slovan Ústečtí Lvi, were automatically promoted to the Extraliga. The 2007–08 season was the only season Slovan ever appeared in the Extraliga, as they were relegated back to the First League at the end of the season.
Since the 2006–07 season, 3 points have been awarded for a regulation win and 2 points for an overtime victory, while the defeated team in overtime gets 1 point. If necessary, penalty shots are used to decide games after overtime. Also from the 2006–07 season through the 2007–08 season there was only one assist credited for each goal instead of the standard two that other leagues credit. This rule change affected league statistics in a negative manner, and so the rule was changed back to the standard two assists starting in the 2008–09 season.
Slavia Prague would defeat HC Energie Karlovy Vary in the finals in the 2007–08 season. The same teams appeared in the finals a year later, this time with the opposite outcome. Pardubice then captured its second and third title in the 2009–10 and 2011–12 season, respectively. HC Oceláři Třinec won their first title in the 2010–11 season.
The first open-air hockey game since the 1960s took place during the 2010-11 season in Pardubice. The attendance for this game was record breaking, with 17 140 people in the crowd. The home team squared off against HC Kometa Brno, for whom this was the first season back in the Extraliga since 1995. Pardubice won this game 4-2.
HC Mountfield České Budějovice was forced to sell its license after the 2012–13 season, due to an interesting dispute. At the end of the season, Extraliga announced that Radegast would be the new beer sponsor for the league. However, Mountfield had a naming rights agreement with Budweiser Budvar Brewery at the time, and would therefore be unable to sell any other kind of beer at their stadium. As a result of Extraliga and the club not being able to reach an agreement, the team sold its license to Hradec Králové, thus forming Mountfield HK.
==Current teams==
Team 	City 	Arena 	Capacity
Kometa Brno 	Brno 	Kajot Arena 	7,200
Mountfield České Budějovice	České Budějovice	Budvar Arena 	6,421
Piráti Chomutov 	Chomutov 	ČEZ Stadion Chomutov 	5,050
Energie Karlovy Vary 	Karlovy Vary 	KV Arena 	6,000
Rytíři Kladno 	Kladno 	Zimní Kladno Stadion 	8,600
Bílí Tygři Liberec 	Liberec 	Tipsport Arena 	7,500
Verva Litvínov 	Litvínov 	Ivan Hlinka Stadion 	7,000
ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice 	Pardubice 	ČEZ Aréna (Pardubice) 	10,194
HC Škoda Plzeň 	Plzeň 	ČEZ Aréna (Plzeň) 	8,420
Slavia Praha 	Prague 	O2 Arena 	17,360
Sparta Praha 	Prague 	Tipsport Arena 	13,995
Oceláři Třinec 	Třinec 	Werk Arena 	5,200
Vítkovice Steel 	Ostrava 	ČEZ Aréna (Ostrava) 	9,551
PSG Zlín 	Zlín 	Zimní stadion Luďka Čajky	7,500
==Past champions==
===by Year===
Year	Winner 	2nd place 	3rd place
1994	HC Olomouc 	HC Pardubice 	Poldi SONP Kladno
1995	HC Dadák Vsetín 	AC ZPS Zlín 	HC České Budějovice
1996	HC Petra Vsetín 	HC Chemopetrol Litvínov 	HC Sparta Praha
1997	HC Petra Vsetín 	HC Vítkovice Steel 	HC Sparta Praha
1998	HC Slovnaft Vsetín 	HC Železárny Třinec 	HC Vítkovice Steel
1999	HC Slovnaft Vsetín 	HC ZPS Barum Zlín 	HC Železárny Třinec
2000	HC Sparta Praha 	HC Slovnaft Vsetín 	HC Keramika Plzen
2001	VHK Vsetín 	HC Sparta Praha 	HC Vítkovice Steel
2002	HC Sparta Praha 	HC Vítkovice Steel 	HC Hamé Zlín
2003	HC Slavia Praha 	HC Pardubice 	HC Sparta Praha
2004	HC Hamé Zlín 	HC Slavia Praha 	HC Sparta Praha
2005	HC Moeller Pardubice 	HC Hamé Zlín 	HC Bílí Tygři Liberec
2006	HC Sparta Praha 	HC Slavia Praha 	HC Znojmo
2007	HC Sparta Praha 	HC Moeller Pardubice 	HC Liberec
2008	HC Slavia Praha 	Energie Karlovy Vary 	HC Mountfield České Budějovice
2009	Energie Karlovy Vary 	HC Slavia Praha 	HC Sparta Praha
2010	HC Eaton Pardubice 	HC Vítkovice Steel 	HC Slavia Praha
2011	HC Oceláři Třinec 	HC Vítkovice Steel 	HC Eaton Pardubice
2012	HC ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice 	HC Kometa Brno 	HC Škoda Plzeň
2013	HC Škoda Plzeň 	PSG Zlín 	HC Slavia Praha
2014	PSG Zlín 	HC Kometa Brno 	HC Sparta Praha
2015	HC Verva Litvínov 	HC Oceláři Třinec 	HC Kometa Brno
2016	HC Bílí Tygři Liberec 	HC Sparta Praha 	HC Škoda Plzeň
2017	HC Kometa Brno 	Bílí Tygři Liberec 	Mountfield HK
2018	HC Kometa Brno 	HC Oceláři Třinec 	HC Škoda Plzeň
2019	HC Oceláři Třinec 	Bílí Tygři Liberec 	HC Škoda Plzeň
2020	Playoff canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.	Playoff canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.	Playoff canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021	HC Oceláři Třinec 	HC Bílí Tygři Liberec 	HC Sparta Praha
2022	HC Oceláři Třinec 	HC Sparta Praha 	České Budějovice
2023	HC Oceláři Třinec 	Mountfield HK 	HC Dynamo Pardubice
2024	HC Oceláři Třinec 	HC Dynamo Pardubice 	HC Sparta Praha
===by club===
Club 	Winners	Runners-up	Third place	Winning Years
HC Oceláři Třinec 	6 	3 	1 	2011, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
VHK Vsetín 	6 	1 	0 	1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001
HC Sparta Praha 	4 	3 	7 	2000, 2002, 2006, 2007
HC Pardubice 	3 	3 	1 	2005, 2010, 2012
HC Zlín 	2 	4 	1 	2004, 2014
HC Slavia Praha 	2 	3 	2 	2003, 2008
HC Kometa Brno 	2 	2 	1 	2017, 2018
HC Liberec 	1 	3 	2 	2016
Energie Karlovy Vary	1 	1 	0 	2009
HC Verva Litvínov 	1 	1 	0 	2015
HC Olomouc 	1 	0 	0 	1994
HC Škoda Plzeň 	1 	0 	5 	2013
HC Vítkovice Steel 	0 	4 	2 	–
HC České Budějovice 	0 	0 	3 	–
HC Kladno 	0 	0 	1 	–
HC Znojmo 	0 	0 	1 	–
Mountfield HK 	0 	0 	1 	–
==References==
==External links== 
* Czech Extraliga official website 
* Hokej iDNES.cz
Category:Ice hockey leagues