National League (ice hockey)

National League
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2017–18 NL season
Formerly NDA
1938–1999
Nationalliga A
1999–2007
National League A
2007–2017
National League
2017–present
Sport Ice hockey
Founded 1938
CEO Jean-Marie Viaccoz
Michael Rindlisbacher
No. of teams 12
Country   Switzerland
Most recent
champion(s)		 ZSC Lions (9)
Most titles HC Davos (31)
TV partner(s) SRG, MySports
Relegation to Swiss League
Related
competitions		 Swiss League
Official website www.nationalleague.ch

The National League (NL) is a professional ice hockey league in Switzerland. It is the top tier of the Swiss hockey league system and of the two-tier National League. Prior to the 2017–18 season, the league was officially called National League A. The NL has the most attended hockey club in Europe, SC Bern, and is also the most attended league within the same continent, averaging 6,882 spectators for the 2016–17 season.[1]

Season structure

During the regular season, each of the 12 teams play 50 games. The top eight teams after the regular season qualify for the playoffs to determine the Swiss champion in best-of-seven series. The bottom four teams in the standings play a relegation tournament, called playouts, in which each team retains their regular season points and play an additional six matches. Following those matches, the two bottom ranked teams will play each other in a best-of-seven series, with the loser then playing the winner of the Swiss League playoffs in a best-of-seven series for a spot in the successive NL season.[2]

Current teams

Team City Arena Capacity
HC Ambrì-Piotta Ambrì Valascia 6,500
SC Bern Bern PostFinance Arena 17,031
EHC Biel Biel/Bienne Tissot Arena 6,521
HC Davos Davos Vaillant Arena 6,800
Fribourg-Gottéron Fribourg BCF Arena 6,500
Genève-Servette HC Geneva Patinoire des Vernets 7,135
Lausanne HC Lausanne Temporary arena (2017–2019) 6,700
HC Lugano Lugano Cornèr Arena 7,800
SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers Rapperswil-Jona St. Galler Kantonalbank Arena 6,200
SCL Tigers Langnau im Emmental Ilfis Stadium 6,000
ZSC Lions Zürich Hallenstadion 11,200
EV Zug Zug Bossard Arena 7,200

Past champions

Swiss National Championship Serie A (1909–1937)

Swiss International Championship Serie A (1916–1933)

Club Winners Winning Years
HC Davos
31
 1926, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1958, 1960, 1984, 1985, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015
SC Bern
15
 1959, 1965, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1997, 2004, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2017
EHC Arosa
9
 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1980, 1982
ZSC Lions (earlier known as Zürcher SC)
9
 1936, 1949, 1961, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2018
HC Lugano
7
 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1999, 2003, 2006
HC La Chaux-de-Fonds
6
 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973
EHC Kloten
5
 1967, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
EHC Biel
3
 1978, 1981, 1983
EHC St. Moritz
3
 1922, 1923, 1928
HC Bellerive Vevey
3
 1909, 1919, 1920
HC Bern
3
 1916, 1917, 1918
HC Les Avants
2
 1912, 1913
HC Rosey-Gstaad
2
 1921, 1925
HC Villars
2
 1963, 1964
Club des Pâtineurs de Lausanne
1
 1911
EHC Visp
1
 1962
EV Zug
1
 1998
Grasshopper-Club Zürich
1
 1966
HC Château-d’Œx
1
 1924
HC La Villa Lausanne
1
 1910
SC Langnau
1
 1976

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Swiss lead attendance study". www.iihf.com. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  2. ↑ Lovis, Frédéric (14 June 2013). "Les play-out de LNA seront modifiés". Le Matin. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
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