Soviet Championship League facts for kids
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| Republic(s) |  Byelorussian SSR Estonian SSR Kazakh SSR Latvian SSR< Lithuanian SSR Russian SFSR Ukrainian SSR |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1946 |
| Folded | 1992 |
| Relegation to | Soviet Class A2 Soviet Class B |
| Championship | Soviet Hockey Championship |
| Associated Title(s) | Soviet Cup |
| Most successful club | CSKA Moscow (32) |
The Soviet Hockey Championship (Russian: Чемпионат СССР по хоккею) was the top ice hockey league in the Soviet Union. It ran from 1946 to 1992. Before the 1940s, people in Russia mostly played a different kind of hockey called bandy.
After the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, the league was briefly renamed the CIS Championship in 1992. This league was the direct start of the International Hockey League. It also led to the Russian Superleague (RSL) and today's Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Contents
History of Soviet Hockey
The Soviet Championship League started in 1946. It had 12 teams, and each team played 7 games. These teams were located in cities like Arkhangelsk, Kaunas, Leningrad, Moscow, and Riga.
Many teams were connected to the military or police. The players were officially "amateurs," but they were actually full-time athletes. They were hired by companies or organizations that sponsored their hockey teams. For example, some worked for the aircraft industry or the Red Army. This allowed them to play professionally while still being able to compete in the Olympics.
The Dominance of Moscow Teams
Teams from Moscow won every single championship in the league's history. The most successful club was CSKA Moscow, often called the "Red Army Team." They won an amazing 32 titles.
CSKA Moscow won almost every championship from 1955 to 1989. This included 13 wins in a row from 1976 to 1989. Their success was partly because the CSKA organization was part of the Soviet Army.
Since all young men in the Soviet Union had to serve in the military, CSKA could choose the best young hockey players. These players became officers in the Soviet Army. Many players from the Red Army Team also played for the Soviet national team. This helped the Soviet Union dominate international hockey for many years.
By the late 1980s, CSKA's long winning streak made the games less exciting for fans. This caused fewer people to attend the league's matches.
Soviet League Champions
- 1947 – Dynamo Moscow
- 1948 – CSKA Moscow
- 1949 – CSKA Moscow
- 1950 – CSKA Moscow
- 1951 – VVS Moscow
- 1952 – VVS Moscow
- 1953 – VVS Moscow
- 1954 – Dynamo Moscow
- 1955 – CSKA Moscow
- 1956 – CSKA Moscow
- 1957 – Krylya Sovetov Moscow
- 1958 – CSKA Moscow
- 1959 – CSKA Moscow
- 1960 – CSKA Moscow
- 1961 – CSKA Moscow
- 1962 – HC Spartak Moscow
- 1963 – CSKA Moscow
- 1964 – CSKA Moscow
- 1965 – CSKA Moscow
- 1966 – CSKA Moscow
- 1967 – HC Spartak Moscow
- 1968 – CSKA Moscow
- 1969 – HC Spartak Moscow
- 1970 – CSKA Moscow
- 1971 – CSKA Moscow
- 1972 – CSKA Moscow
- 1973 – CSKA Moscow
- 1974 – Krylya Sovetov Moscow
- 1975 – CSKA Moscow
- 1976 – HC Spartak Moscow
- 1977 – CSKA Moscow
- 1978 – CSKA Moscow
- 1979 – CSKA Moscow
- 1980 – CSKA Moscow
- 1981 – CSKA Moscow
- 1982 – CSKA Moscow
- 1983 – CSKA Moscow
- 1984 – CSKA Moscow
- 1985 – CSKA Moscow
- 1986 – CSKA Moscow
- 1987 – CSKA Moscow
- 1988 – CSKA Moscow
- 1989 – CSKA Moscow
- 1990 – Dynamo Moscow
- 1991 – Dynamo Moscow
- 1992 – Dynamo Moscow
See also
In Spanish: Campeonato soviético de hockey sobre hielo para niños
- Soviet Cup (ice hockey)
- Russian Open Hockey Championship
- Russian Elite Hockey Scoring Champion
- Russian Elite Hockey Goal Scoring Champion
- Soviet MVP (ice hockey)
- Super Series
Images for kids
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Yaroslavl Torpedo playing against Salavat Yulaev in 1983.
