Metal Ligaen

The Superisligaen (formerly AL-Bank Ligaen, oddset Ligaen, Elite Series, 1st Division ) is the highest professional league in the Danish Ice Hockey. Between 2007 and 2013, the League of the AL-Bank sponsored, the old names were indeed replaced as the official league name, but they are still very deeply rooted in the Danish language. The reigning Danish champions is SønderjyskE Ishockey ( 2013).

History

The first Danish Hockey championship was played in 1955, with a team from Jutland met two clubs of the island of Zealand. In the following years this championship was held irregularly, because some winters did not rule him enough frost to prepare ice. The discharged tournament games often suffer from bad ice conditions due to thaw.

1960 by the Danish Hockey Union ( Danmarks Ishockey Union - DIU ) called a regular leagues play mode into life with the first division and second division. Between the first and second division one relegation was held, with the last placed the first division met the winner of the second division. This game system was maintained until 1985, before it came to a reform leagues. As part of this reform, the top division has been renamed to Elite series, while the first division was classified as a new second level leagues.

In the seasons 1985/86 to 1991/92 the top four teams in the main round reached the final round, which was played either as a single round or play-offs. From the 1992/93 season, the top six teams in the Main Round (Elite Series ) participated in the final tournament, which was played in a single round and Superisligaen was called ( Super -Is- Ligaen ). After the semi-finals and finals followed for the best four teams in the Superisligaen.

For the 1994/95 season, the game format for Superisligaen was changed again - two groups, each consisting of three teams, the two participants played out in the final. Two years later, the format of the Superisligaen was again changed by a group stage with six teams and a playoff quarterfinals was introduced again. This mode has been maintained for two years. Between 1985 and 1998 the main round (or first season phase) Elite series and the group stage of the tournament Superisligaen was called.

1998 was the Danish Hockey Union with the Danish insurance company Codan a league sponsor for the top division, which was renamed accordingly in Codan Ligaen. The top eight teams in the main round reached the second season phase, in which the four participants were played at the playoff semifinals in two groups of four teams. This mode was maintained in the following years, even if the league's name due to changing main sponsors in Sanistål Ligaen (2001/ 02), respectively SuperBest Ligaen (2002-2004 ) was changed. For the 2003/ 04 season, group stage to the final round ( Superisligaen ) was deleted and instead introduced a playoff quarterfinals. As part of this change, the name disappeared Elite series and was both officially, to be replaced by Superisserien also in language use.

In 2004, the DIU a sponsorship agreement over three years with Danske Spil, the Danish state lottery company, from. As part of the top division was renamed oddset Ligaen. Between 2007 and 2013, the Bank of Arbejdernes Land Bank was ( briefly AL-Bank ) name sponsor of the Superisligaen.

Mode

In the 2013/14 season the league has nine teams who complete 40 games against each other in a regular season. The first eight teams will qualify for the play-off quarter-finals. All play-off games from the quarter finals through to the finals will be played in " Best of Seven" mode.

Clubs 2013/14

• Aalborg Pirates
• EfB Ishockey
• Frederikshavn White Hawks
• Herlev Eagles
• Herning Blue Fox

• Odense Bulldogs
• Rødovre Mighty Bulls
• Rungsted IK
• SønderjyskE Ishockey