Czech Extraliga

The Extraliga ( officially Tipsport Extraliga ledního hokeje ) is the highest division in the Czech hockey.

History

The Extraliga was introduced after the disintegration of Czechoslovakia to the 1993/94 season. Companies was the league from 2000 to 2012 by the union of professional clubs ( Czech Asociace profesionálních Klubu ledního hokeje, APK LH).

Since its foundation, the League contributed in their name usually the title of a sponsor, it was from 1997 to 2000 Staropramen Extraliga, 2000-2003 Český Telecom Extraliga, 2003-2006 Tipsport Extraliga and between 2006 and 2010 O2 Extraliga. 2010 took over again Tipsport the name sponsorship of the league.

Participants and championships

First, only twelve teams participated, since 1995 there are fourteen. During the initial season surprisingly won the HC Olomouc, it was the first and so far only championship title this association. From 1994, the HC Vsetín dominated the league. From 1995 to 1999 he won all five championships. 2000 Vsetín second behind Sparta Prague, 2001 Vsetín secured his sixth and last time being champion. In the following years, the struggle for the championship much more balanced, succession is assured Sparta Prague ( 2002), Slavia Prague ( 2003), HC Hamé Zlín ( 2004), HC Moeller Pardubice (2005) and, in turn, Sparta Prague (2006 and 2007) the title of the Czech ice hockey champions. Sparta's local rivals HC Slavia Prague secured the 2008 title with a 4-3 victory in the final series against HC Energie Karlovy Vary, while a year later the team from Carlsbad 4-2 triumphed over Slavia and Czech Master was first.

Promotion and relegation rules

The Czech Extraliga is with competition law at loggerheads. This, at least, since you have a mode change decided in 2006. The Auf-/Abstiegsspiele were abolished after nine years in this format. The League should be closed, it would allow the master of the second-highest league at a cost of 900,000 euros to climb. The Czech Competition Commission condemned the mode as a cartel, and said future champion of the second-highest league the rise of right without such payment to. Because the Auf-/Abstiegsspiele in the mode of Extraliga were missing, had the later masters of the second division, Ústí nad Labem, be admitted as the 15th team. The resistance against this climber was low after the judges decision was instead the financially ailing for years tradition Club Vsetin, who had become Table with 29 points behind excluded. Because some license conditions have been met too late, Vsetin was kicked by vote from the Extraliga. The club was then performed either in the Schedules of the highest, still the second highest league. Vsetin went before an association court whose decision, however, gave the League Association right. Therefore, the HC Slovan Ustecti Lvi was recorded without relegation and admission fee in the Extraliga.

During the 2011/12 season there was again attempts the APK to make a closed league without promotion and relegation due to the difficult economic situation of the clubs from the Extraliga. In addition, a salary cap should be introduced. In December 2011, the APK announced the agreement on the implementation of the Extraliga with the Czech association, in order to achieve a better position in the negotiations for a new contract and the required closure of the league. Therefore, the contract between the association and APK ran out in May 2012, so since then the Czech Union alone operates the Extraliga and regulated. As a result, a new relegation round of the 2012/13 season was introduced, which includes the two losers of the Extraliga playout and the two playoff finalists of the 1st league. Thus, there is a maximum of two from 2013 promoted and relegated between first and second division.

Mode

14 professional teams play at the Czech Championship. In 52 games, all teams play against each other four times each, each team throughout the season 26 home and 26 away games. The teams ranked 1st to 8th qualified directly to 2006 for the play- offs, which were held in the best-of- seven- mode. The Last Table of the Main Round played until 2006 in the relegation in the best-of- seven- mode against the table first of the first league to the whereabouts in the Extraliga.

In 2006, the three- point system was introduced in the Extraliga, ie the winner after regular time gets three points, the loser no points. In a tie, both parties will receive one point, an additional point will be awarded in the extension or the shootout. Between 2006 and 2008, only a master encoder has been listed in the Player Statistics Extraliga, not with international practice, two preparer to emphasize the value of Torerfolges and the decisive pass in the statistics.

Since the 2006/07 season, the teams qualify in the squares 1 to 6 directly for the play- offs, the teams ranked 7 to 10 play the other two places in pre -play offs (best- of- Three). In the season 2006/ 07 no relegation round was provided in the game mode should instead new teams ascend by license purchase. This regulation has been tipped by a sports court, so that from 2007 Play -outs of teams ranked 11th to 14th with subsequent League relegation ( 14th place against champions of the 1st league) were introduced.

From the 2012/13 season an extended Relegation round was introduced, which includes the two losers of the Extraliga playout and the two playoff finalists of the 1st league. Thus, there is a maximum of two from 2013 promoted and relegated between first and second division.

Clubs and their membership in the Extraliga

Until the 2006/07 season to 22 teams exchanged in the Extraliga. To better understand the frequently changing sponsors names are omitted in the club names. Since its premiere in 1993/94 season are constantly pushing Litvinov, Pardubice, Plzeň, Sparta Prague, and Vitkovice Zlin.