Alps Hockey League
 | |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | May 21, 2016[1] |
| First season | 2016–17 |
| No. of teams | 16 |
| Countries | Austria (7 teams) Italy (7 teams) Slovenia (2 teams) |
| Continent | Europe |
| Most recent champion(s) | Ritten (2nd title) (2023–24) |
| Most titles | Asiago Olimpija Ritten (all 2 titles) |
| Related competitions | Austrian Hockey League Inter-National League Serie A |
| Official website | Official website |
The Alps Hockey League (AlpsHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in Central Europe. The league is made up of teams from Austria, Italy and Slovenia.[2] The league was established as a result of a merger between Serie A and the Inter-National League.
Formation[edit]
The Alps Hockey League was founded in spring 2016, and is a joint venture between the Austrian Ice Hockey Association, the Federazione Italiana Sport del Ghiaccio, and the Ice Hockey Federation of Slovenia. The three national governing bodies have stated that they are keen to ensure that the league is both of a high standard, and financially viable in the long term.[3] In addition, the league has also stated that it is open to teams from other nations, including the Czech Republic, Germany and Slovakia.[4]
Regarding players, each team can sign a maximum four foreign-born players. The AlpsHL operates on a points-based system, with each team having 36 points available, of which a maximum of 16 can be spent on foreign players.[5] As a result of this, the league aims to focus on the development of young players from the participating countries.[6]
Teams[edit]
In the 2023–24 season, the AlpsHL consisted of 16 teams, with 7 teams from Austria, 7 from Italy, and 2 from Slovenia.[7]
Austria
Bregenzerwald- Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel
- Die Zeller Eisbären
- EC KAC Future Team[a]
- Lustenau
- Red Bull Hockey Juniors[b]
- Steinbach Steel Wings Linz[c]
Italy
Cortina Hafro- Fassa Falcons
- Gherdeina valgardena.it
- Hockey Unterland Cavaliers
- Meran/o Pircher
- Rittner Buam SkyAlps
- Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan
Slovenia
- Notes
- ^ Reserve team of KAC
- ^ Reserve team of Red Bull Salzburg
- ^ Reserve team of Steinbach Black Wings Linz
List of seasons[edit]
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 |  Ritten
|
Asiago
|
4–1 |
| 2017–18 | Asiago
|
Ritten
|
4–3 |
| 2018–19 |  Olimpija
|
Pustertal Wölfe
|
4–3 |
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2020–21 | Olimpija
|
Asiago
|
3–0 |
| 2021–22 | Asiago
|
Jesenice
|
3–2 |
| 2022–23 | Jesenice
|
Cortina
|
4–2 |
| 2023–24 | Ritten
|
Cortina
|
4–0 |
References[edit]
- ^ "Alps Hockey League, è ufficiale" (in Italian). May 21, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ "Red Bulls schicken B-Team in die Alps Hockey League" (in German). June 6, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ "AHL offiziell vorgestellt - Einschreibefrist endet am 15. Juni" (in German). May 30, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ "Tommaso Teofoli illustra i dettagli dell'Alps Hockey League" (in Italian). June 9, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
- ^ "Start der neuen Alps Hockey League" (in German). May 30, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ "Neue Liga präsentiert" (in German). May 30, 2016. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ "Alps Hockey League enters its eighth season". Alps Hockey League. July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.