Czech Extraliga facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tipsport Extraliga

Formerly	Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League
Sport	Ice hockey
Founded	1993
No. of teams	14
Country	Czech Republic
Most recent champion(s)	Oceláři Třinec (6th title)
Most titles	HC Kometa Brno (13 titles–overall) VHK Vsetín, HC Oceláři Třinec (6 titles–ELH)
TV partner(s)	Česká televize, O2 TV, Fanseat, HockeyTV
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Czech 1.liga
International cup(s)	Champions Hockey League
Related competitions	Czech 1.liga Czech 2.liga
Official website	Tipsport Extraliga

The Czech Extraliga (called Extraliga ledního hokeje or ELH in Czech) is the top ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. It started in 1993 after Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two countries. Even though the split happened during the 1992–93 season, all teams finished playing that year.

The league usually plays its games from September to April. There are 14 teams that compete in the Extraliga.

Teams from the Extraliga also play in a big European tournament called the CHL. This tournament is organized by the IIHF. In the 2022–23 season, the Czech Extraliga was ranked the 5th best league in Europe. This meant their top three teams got to play in the CHL.

Naming and Sponsorship

The name of the league often changes. This is because a main sponsor pays to have their name in the league's title.

• 1999–2000 – Staropramen Extraliga
• 2001–2002 – Český Telecom Extraliga
• 2003–2006 – Tipsport Extraliga
• 2007–2010 – O2 Extraliga
• 2010–current – Tipsport Extraliga

How the League Works (2022/23)

There are 14 teams in the league. At the end of the regular season, the top 12 teams move on to the playoffs. These playoffs decide who will be the national champion.

The top 4 teams go straight to the quarterfinals. These are best-of-seven series. Teams ranked 5th to 12th play a shorter play-in series. These are best-of-five games. The winners of these play-in games then join the top 4 in the quarterfinals.

The team that finishes last (14th) after the regular season plays against the winner of the First League. This is a special series to decide which team plays in the Extraliga next season. The winner plays in the Extraliga, and the other team plays in the First League.

A few years ago, some league managers wanted to stop teams from moving between leagues. They also wanted to set a maximum salary for players, like in the NHL. But this idea didn't work out. So, teams can still move up or down between leagues.

History of the League

A Czech Extraliga game in O2 Arena.

The T. G. Masaryk Cup, which is given to the winner of the Czech Extraliga.

The Czech Extraliga started in 1993. It took over from the old Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League. The very first season was won by HC Olomouc. They beat HC Pardubice to win the title.

The 1994–95 season was the start of something special for HC Dadák Vsetín. In their first year in the league, they finished first and won the playoffs. Vsetín then won the next four championships too! No other team has been so dominant in the league's history.

In the 1995–96 season, the league grew from 12 teams to 14 teams. It has stayed at 14 teams ever since.

In the 1999–2000 season, HC Sparta Praha finally ended Vsetín's amazing five-year winning streak. Sparta beat Vsetín in the finals. But Vsetín got their revenge the very next season, beating Sparta in the finals. That was the last time Vsetín made it to the finals.

Sparta won their second title in the 2001–02 season. The next year, another Prague team, Slavia, won the title. After that, Hamé Zlín and HC Moeller Pardubice won titles before a Prague team won again.

In the 2005–06 season, Sparta and Slavia played each other in the finals for the first and only time. Sparta won that series. Sparta also won the championship the next season.

Vsetín's time in the Extraliga ended after the 2006–07 season. The Czech Ice Hockey Association took away their league license because the team had a lot of debt. This meant no other teams were sent down to a lower league that season. The champions of the First League, HC Slovan Ústečtí Lvi, were automatically moved up to the Extraliga. However, Slovan only played one season in the Extraliga before being moved back down.

Since the 2006–07 season, teams get 3 points for winning a game in regular time. They get 2 points for winning in overtime or a shootout. The team that loses in overtime or a shootout gets 1 point. If needed, penalty shots are used to decide games after overtime.

Slavia Prague beat HC Energie Karlovy Vary in the finals in the 2007–08 season. The same two teams played in the finals the next year, but this time Karlovy Vary won. Pardubice then won two more titles in 2010 and 2012. HC Oceláři Třinec won their first title in 2011.

A special outdoor hockey game was played in Pardubice during the 2010–11 season. It was the first outdoor game since the 1960s! A record 17,140 people watched the game. The home team, Pardubice, played against HC Kometa Brno. This was Brno's first season back in the Extraliga since 1995. Pardubice won the game 4–2.

After the 2012–13 season, HC Mountfield České Budějovice had to sell its league spot. This happened because of a disagreement about beer sponsors. The league announced a new beer sponsor, but Mountfield had a deal with a different beer company. They couldn't agree, so the team sold its license to Hradec Králové. This new team became Mountfield HK.

For the 2019–20 season, Piráti Chomutov moved down to a lower league. Rytíři Kladno returned to the Extraliga after five years. This was largely thanks to famous player Jaromír Jágr, who became both an owner and a player for the club.

Current Teams

Past Champions

By Year

By Club

See also

• Czech 1.liga
• Czech 2.liga
• Czech Ice Hockey Association