Metal Ligaen

Metal Ligaen
Sport Ice hockey
Founded 1954
No. of teams 9
Country Denmark
Most recent champion(s) SønderjyskE
Most titles Herning
Official website metalligaen.dk

Metal Ligaen is the premier league in Danish ice hockey. The teams are semi-professional with only the foreign players and the best Danish 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 As a result, the Herlev Hornets and the Rungsted Cobras have withdrawn from the league, reducing the number of active teams from 10 to 8.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:

Teams

Teams for 2014–15 season

Team City/Area Arena Founded
Aalborg Pirates [2] Aalborg Gigantium Isarena 1967
Esbjerg Energy [3] Esbjerg Granly Hockey Arena 1964
Frederikshavn White Hawks [4] Frederikshavn Scanel Hockey Arena 1964
Herning Blue Fox [5] Herning KVIK Hockey Arena 1947
Herlev Eagles [6] Herlev DFDS Seaways Arena 1968
Odense Bulldogs [7] Odense Odense Isstadion 1978
Rungsted Ishockey [8] Rungsted Hørsholm Skøjtehal 1941
Rødovre Mighty Bulls [9] Rødovre Rødovre Skøjte Arena 1964
SønderjyskE Ishockey [10] Vojens SE Arena 1963
Unibet Stars [11] Gentofte Gentofte Skøjtehal 1996

Teams formerly in league

Team City/Area Arena Founded
Copenhagen Hockey Hvidovre / Copenhagen Hvidovre Skøjtehal 2011

Notable players

List of notable players who have played in the AL-Bank Ligaen.

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

References

  1. League format (in Danish)
  2. "Aalborg Pirates". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  3. "Esbjerg Energy". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  4. "Frederikshavn White Hawks". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  5. "Blue Fox Herning". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  6. "Herlev Eagles". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  7. "Bulldogs Odense". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  8. "Rungsted Ishockey". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  9. "Rødovre Mighty Bulls". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  10. "SønderjyskE". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  11. "Unibet Stars Gentofte". al-bankligaen.dk. Retrieved 2013-11-12.

External links