Metal Ligaen
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1954 |
| No. of teams | 9 |
| Country | Denmark |
| Most recent champion(s) | Herning |
| Most titles | Herning |
| Official website | www.al-bankligaen.dk |
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.
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 As a result, the Herlev Hornets and the Rungsted Cobras have withdrawn from the league, reducing the number of active teams from 10 to 8.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.
League format
The reduced number of teams have led to a revised league format for the 2010-11 season:
The regular season will see each team play every club five times with an additional four games against geographically determined 'derby' teams for a total of 39 games. The top six teams will progress to the next round. The six teams will be divided into two pools where they will play in a home and home round-robin format. The top teams in each group will carry over three points while the second-placed teams will carry over one point. At the conclusion of the group stage, the top two teams in each group will move on to the semifinals which will be played in the best-of-seven format.[1]
The derby pools are:
- Hvidovre and Rødovre
- Frederikshavn and AaB Aalborg
- Herning, Esbjerg, SønderjyskE and Odense.
Teams
Teams for 2013–14 season
| Team | City/Area | Arena | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aalborg Pirates [2] | Aalborg | Gigantium Isarena | 1967 |
| Esbjerg Energy [3] | Esbjerg | ||
| Frederikshavn White Hawks [4] | Frederikshavn | Scanel Hockey Arena | 1964 |
| Herning Blue Fox [5] | Herning | KVIK Hockey Arena | 1947 |
| Herlev Eagles [6] | Herlev | ||
| Odense Bulldogs [7] | Odense | Odense Isstadion | 1978 |
| Rungsted Ishockey [8] | Rungsted | ||
| Rødovre Mighty Bulls [9] | Rødovre | Rødovre Skøjte Arena | 1964 |
| SønderjyskE Ishockey [10] | Vojens | Syd Energi Arena | 1963 |
Teams formerly in league
| Team | City/Area | Arena | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copenhagen Hockey | Hvidovre / Copenhagen | Hvidovre Skøjtehal | 2011 |
| EfB Ishockey | Esbjerg | Granly Hockey Arena | 1964 |
| Herlev Hornets | Herlev | ||
| Rungsted Cobras | Rungsted / Hørsholm | Kjær & Lassen Arena | 1941 |
Notable players
List of notable players who have played in the AL-Bank Ligaen.
|
|
|
Danish Champions
| Season | Winner |
| 1955 | Rungsted IK |
|---|---|
| 1956 | KSF København |
| 1957–1959 | not played |
| 1960 | KSF København |
| 1961 | KSF København |
| 1962 | KSF København |
| 1963 | Rungsted IK |
| 1964 | KSF København |
| 1965 | KSF København |
| 1966 | KSF København |
| 1967 | Gladsaxe SF |
| 1968 | Gladsaxe SF |
| 1969 | Esbjerg |
| 1970 | KSF København |
| 1971 | Gladsaxe SF |
| 1972 | KSF København |
| 1973 | Herning IK |
| 1974 | Gladsaxe SF |
| 1975 | Gladsaxe SF |
| 1976 | KSF København |
| 1977 | Herning IK |
| 1978 | Rødovre SIK |
| 1979 | Vojens IK |
| 1980 | Vojens IK |
| 1981 | Aalborg BK |
| 1982 | Vojens IK |
| 1983 | Rødovre SIK |
| 1984 | Herlev IK |
| 1985 | Rødovre SIK |
| 1986 | Rødovre SIK |
| 1987 | Herning IK |
| 1988 | Esbjerg |
| 1989 | Frederikshavn IK |
| 1990 | Rødovre SIK |
| 1991 | Herning IK |
| 1992 | Herning IK |
| 1993 | Esbjerg |
| 1994 | Herning IK |
| 1995 | Herning IK |
| 1996 | Esbjerg |
| 1997 | Herning IK |
| 1998 | Herning Blue Fox |
| 1999 | Rødovre Mighty Bulls |
| 2000 | Frederikshavn White Hawks |
| 2001 | Herning Blue Fox |
| 2002 | Rungsted IK |
| 2003 | Herning Blue Fox |
| 2004 | Esbjerg IK |
| 2005 | Herning Blue Fox |
| 2006 | SønderjyskE Ishockey |
| 2007 | Herning Blue Fox |
| 2008 | Herning IK |
| 2009 | SønderjyskE Ishockey |
| 2010 | SønderjyskE Ishockey |
| 2011 | Herning Blue Fox |
| 2012 | Herning Blue Fox |
| 2013 | SønderjyskE Ishockey |
References
- ↑ League format (in Danish)
- ↑ "Aalborg Pirates". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
- ↑ "Esbjerg Energy". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
- ↑ "Frederikshavn White Hawks". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
- ↑ "Blue Fox Herning". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
- ↑ "Herlev Eagles". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
- ↑ "Bulldogs Odense". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
- ↑ "Rungsted Ishockey". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
- ↑ "Rødovre Mighty Bulls". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
- ↑ "SønderjyskE". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
External links
| ||||||||||||||