List of ice hockey leagues
This is a list of ice hockey leagues, both professional and amateur, from around the world; parentheses denote year of establishment and, where applicable, year of disestablishment.
World
North America
Major professional
Minor professional
Semi-Pro
Junior
Major junior
- Note: that the Major Junior level is considered professional by some authorities, including the NCAA, as its players earn a small stipend.
Junior A
Canadian Junior A Leagues
(*) Quebec Junior "AAA" is equal to Ontario Junior "A"
American Junior A Leagues
Tier I
Tier II
Tier III
Independent Junior A Leagues
Junior B
Canadian Junior B Leagues
(*) Quebec Junior "AA" is equal to Ontario Junior "B"
American Junior B Leagues
Junior C
Canadian Junior C Leagues
(*) Quebec Junior "A" is equal to Ontario Junior "C"
Junior D
(*) Quebec Junior "B" is equal to Ontario Junior "D"
College
Note: The Northeast-10 sponsors a championship for its members that play ice hockey, but the NCAA doesn't currently sponsor a national championship at the Division II level.
Club Hockey
Note: there are also many independent teams in all three ACHA divisions in addition to the many within the hockey conferences and leagues.
Junior College
Women's
Senior
Canada
- Battle River Hockey League (Alberta Sr. A)
- Big 6 Hockey League (Saskatchewan Sr. AAA)
- Chinook Hockey League (Alberta Sr. AAA)
- Highway Hockey League (Saskatchewan Sr. AAA)
- Ligue De Hockey Senior De La Côte-Nord (LHSCN) (New-Brunswick Sr. A)
- Ligue Centrale de Hockey (LCH) (Quebec Sr. AAA/semi-pro) (1990)
- Ligue de hockey senior Promutuel (LHSP) (Quebec Sr. AA/semi-pro)
- Ligue de hockey senior de l’Est du Québec (LHSEQ) (Quebec Sr. AA/semi-pro)
- Ligue de hockey senior Nord-Est du Québec (LHSNEQ) (Quebec Sr. AA/semi-pro)
- Ligue de hockey Beauce-Bellechasse-Frontenac (LHBBF) (Quebec Sr. A)
- Ligue de hockey senior du Richelieu (LHSR) (Quebec Sr. A)
- Ligue de hockey senior Montreal Metropolitain (LHSMM) (Quebec Sr. A)
- Ligue de hockey senior de la Mauricie (LHSM) (Quebec Sr. A)
- Ligue de hockey senior Inter-Rives (LHSIR) (Quebec Sr. A)
- Ligue de hockey senior de la Cote Nord du Québec (Quebec Sr. A)
- Ligue de hockey les Cotiers de la Gaspesie (Quebec Sr. A)
- Ligue de hockey senior des Îles de la Madeleine (LHSIM) (Quebec Sr. A)
- Major League Hockey (Ontario Sr. AAA) (1953)
- North Central Hockey League (Alberta Sr. A)
- North Peace Hockey League (Alberta Sr. AAA)
- Ottawa Travellers Hockey League (Ontario Sr. AA and A)
- Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League (Ontario Sr. AA and A) (1948)
United States
Unsanctioned
School and youth
High School
Defunct leagues
- All-American Hockey League (1987–1988)
- All American Hockey League (2008-2011)
- America East Hockey League (2005–2008)
- Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (1886–1898)
- American Amateur Hockey League (1896–?)
- American Hockey Association (1926–1942)
- Atlantic Coast Hockey League (1981–1987)
- Atlantic Coast Hockey League (2002–2003)
- California Hockey League (1928–1933)
- California Hockey League (1957–1963)
- Canadian Amateur Hockey League (1899–1905)
- Canadian-American Hockey League (1926–1936)
- Canadian Elite Hockey League (2005–2006)
- Canadian Hockey Association (1909–1910)
- Canadian Professional Hockey League (1926–1930)
- Central Hockey League (1963–1984)
- Central Ontario Hockey League (Unknown-1980)
- Central Ontario Women's Hockey League (1992-1998)
- Coloured Hockey League (1895–1925)
- Continental Elite Hockey League (2001–2004)
- Continental Hockey League (1972–1987)-became All-American Hockey League
- Continental Senior A Hockey League (1972–1980)
- Eastern Amateur Hockey League (1933–1934, 1935–1948, 1949–1953)
- Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (1905–1909)
- Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey League (1923–?)
- Eastern Hockey League (1934–1935, 1954–1973, 1979–1981)
- Eastern Junior B Hockey League (1951–1972)
- Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League (2003–2008)
- Eastern Professional Hockey League (2008–2009)
- Eastern Professional Hockey League (1914–1915, 1959–1963)
- Federal Amateur Hockey League (1904–1909)
- Gulf Coast Hockey League (2001–2002)
- International-American Hockey League (1936–1941)-became American Hockey League
- International Independent Hockey League (2003)
- International Hockey League (1929–36)
- International Hockey League (1945–2001)
- International Professional Hockey League (1904–1907)
- Inter-Provincial Amateur Hockey Union (1908-?)
- Interprovincial Professional Hockey League (1910–1911)
- Ligue Centrale de Hockey (1978–2008)
- Major Intermediate A Hockey League (1978–1983)
- Manitoba Professional Hockey League (1907–1909)
- Maritime Major Hockey League (1950–1954)
- Maritime Professional Hockey League (1911–1914)
- Metro Junior A Hockey League (1991–1998) -merged with Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League
- Mid-Atlantic Hockey League (2007–2008)
- National Hockey Association (1909–1917)
- National Women's Hockey League (1999-2007)
- North American Hockey League (1973–1977)
- North Eastern Hockey League (2003–2008)
- North of Superior Junior B Hockey League (Canada)
- North West Hockey League (1933–1936)
- Northern Junior Hockey League (2008-2010) (2008 as United Junior Hockey League)
- Northwest Junior Hockey League (Manitoba) (Canada)
- Okanagan Junior Hockey League (Canada)
- Ontario Professional Hockey League (1907–1911, 1930–1931)
- Ottawa City Hockey League (1890–1957)
- Original Stars Hockey League (2004)
- Pacific Coast Hockey Association (1911–1924)
- Pacific Coast Hockey League (1928–1931, 1936–1941, 1945–1952)
- Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League (Canada)
- Pacific Hockey League (1977–1979)
- Prairie Hockey League (1926–1928)
- Quebec Hockey League (1952–1959)
- Quebec Senior Hockey League (1945–1952)
- Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League aka Peace Cariboo Junior Hockey League (British Columbia, Canada)
- South East Hockey League (2003–2004)
- Southern Elite Hockey League (1998–2000)
- Southern Hockey League (1973–1977)
- Southern Hockey League (1995–1996)
- Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League (1972–1976) -merged with Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League
- Southwest Hockey League (1975–1977)
- St. John Valley Hockey League (1977–1978)
- Sunshine Hockey League (1992–1995)
- Team Chicago Semi-Pro Independent (1972–1976)
- Tri-State Hockey League (1932–1933)
- Tri-County Hockey League(1964-1978)
- Tropical Hockey League (1938–1939)
- United Hockey League (1991 as Colonial Hockey League, also known as International Hockey League) (1991-2010)
- United States Hockey League (1945–1951)
- Western Canada Hockey League (professional) (1921–1925)
- Western Canada Hockey League (minor pro) (1932–1933)
- Western Canada Senior Hockey League (1945–1951)
- West Coast Hockey League (1995–2003)
- Western Hockey League (professional) (1925–1926)
- Western Hockey League (minor pro) (1952–1975)
- Western International Hockey League (1946–1962, 1963–1988)
- Western Professional Hockey League (1996–2001)
- World Hockey Association (1972–1979)
- World Hockey Association 2 (2003–2004)
- WHA Junior Hockey League (2006-2008)
- World Junior A Hockey League (2000-2002)
Disabled hockey leagues
Leagues for disabled hockey players
Eurasia
Asia and Africa
Japan
Defunct Japan Ice Hockey League
China
Republic of China
Hong Kong
India
Israel
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Malaysia
Mongolia
North Korea
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Thailand
Turkey
(Leagues involve teams from both Europe and Asia)
Qatar
United Arab Emirates
Europe
Armenia
Austria
Women
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Czechoslovakia
Denmark
East Germany
Estonia
Finland
Defunct
Women
France
Germany
Women
Georgia
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Semi-pro
Amateur
Junior and youth
- Under 20 (2 national divisions)
- Under 17 (2 national divisions)
- Under 15 (many regional divisions)
- Under 13 (many regional divisions)
- Under 11 (many regional divisions)
- Under 8 (many regional divisions)
Women
Kazakhstan
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
The Netherlands
- Eredivisie
- Eerste Divisie
- Tweede Divisie
- Derde Divisie
- Vierde Divisie
- U17
- U14
- U12
- Welpen/Mini's
- Jeugdrecreanten
- ARHL
- Studenten (SHL)
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Major professional
Minor professional
Semi-pro
Junior
Youth
- Moscow Region
- North-West Region
- Volga River Region
- Ural Region
- Siberia/Far East Region
Defunct
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Soviet Union
Spain
Sweden
Men
- Elitserien (New name for the league in 1975. The national championship has been played since 1922 in other forms. 12 teams)
- HockeyAllsvenskan (The Swedish second league, that can compare in quality with many countries' first league. The four best teams compete in the end of the season with the two worst placed team in Elitserien. 14 teams.)
- Swedish Division 1 (Divided into 6 regions, A-F. The three best teams in each region make 3 new series in the end and the three winners will compete with the last three in HockeyAllsvenskan for a place in the higher league. 56 teams at the moment.)
- Swedish Division 2 (Divided into 11 regions. Around 100 teams, many U20-teams also play here.)
- Swedish Division 3 (Divided into 13 regions.)
- Swedish Division 4 (Divided into 6 regions. In Stockholm called the "Swedish Iron League", does not cover all of Sweden.)
- J20 SuperElit (Under 20, junior league.)
- J18 Elit (Under 18, divided into 4 regions.)
- U16 (Youth, under 16, divided into 8 groups. 24 teams)
- Korpen ("The raven" in English, amateur leagues in different cities.)
Women
Riksserien (Highest league, 8 teams.)
Switzerland
Turkey
(Leagues involve teams from both Europe and Asia)
Ukraine
Professional
Amateur
- Western Ukrainian Hockey League
- Night Hockey League
United Kingdom
Defunct Leagues
English Ice Hockey Association Women's Leagues
Yugoslavia
Oceania
References