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This is a list of ice hockey leagues, both professional and amateur, from around the world; parentheses denote year of establishment and, where applicable, year of disestablishment.

North America

Men

Major professional

Minor professional

Semi-pro

Junior

Major junior
Note: that the major junior level is considered professional by some authorities, including the NCAA, as its players earn a small stipend.
Junior A
Hockey Canada junior A leagues
USA Hockey junior leagues
Tier I
Tier II
Tier III
Independent junior leagues
Junior B
Hockey Canada junior B leagues

(*) Quebec Junior "AA" is roughly equal to Ontario Junior "B"

Junior C
Hockey Canada junior C leagues

(*) Quebec Junior "A" is roughly equal to Ontario Junior "C"

Junior D

(*) Quebec Junior "B" is roughly equal to Ontario Junior "D"

College

U Sports hockey (Canada)
NCAA hockey (United States)
Notes
  • Two all-sports conferences, the Division I Ivy League and Division III Middle Atlantic Conference, officially sponsor ice hockey for both men and women, but neither hold conference tournaments nor compete for their own automatic bids to the NCAA tournament. All of the hockey-sponsoring schools in both leagues are members of hockey-only leagues and compete for those leagues' automatic bids, with Ivy League members competing in ECAC Hockey and MAC members competing in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. The Ivies and MAC both extrapolate their own conference champions from results of regular-season games between their own members.
  • The Northeast-10 sponsors a championship for its members that play men's ice hockey, but the NCAA doesn't currently sponsor a national championship at Division II level for either sex. All members of that conference with women's teams participate in the NEWHA.
NAIA hockey (United States)

Note: there are also independent teams outside of the WHAC.

ACHA and AAU College Hockey hockey (United States and Canada)

Women

Professional

Amateur

Junior and youth

College

NCAA (United States)
Notes
  • Two all-sports conferences, the Ivy League (Division I) and Middle Atlantic Conference (Division III), officially sponsor women's ice hockey, but neither hold conference tournaments nor compete for their own automatic bids to the NCAA tournament. All of the ice hockey-sponsoring schools in both leagues are members of hockey-only leagues and compete for those leagues' automatic bids, with Ivy League members competing in ECAC Hockey and MAC members competing in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. The Ivies and MAC both extrapolate their own conference champions from results of regular-season games between their own members.
  • The NCAA doesn't currently sponsor a national championship at Division II level for either sex. All members of the Northeast-10 conference with women's teams participate in the NEWHA.
NAIA hockey

Note: there are also independent teams outside of the WHAC.

U Sports (Canada)
ACHA and AAU
Notes
  • There are also many independent teams in both ACHA divisions in addition to the many within the hockey conferences and leagues
  • The CCWHA includes both a Division 1 and a Division 2 conference, with separate groups of teams as members

Senior

Sanctioned by Hockey Canada or USA Hockey

Canada
United States

School and youth

High school

Defunct leagues

South America

Africa

  • South Africa
    • Gauteng Premier Hockey League ( c. 2005) [4]
    • Western Province Ice Hockey League ( c. 2002)

Asia

Multinational

  • Armenian Hockey League (2008–2009, c. 2016) – multinational league with teams from Armenia and Georgia
  • Asia League Ice Hockey (AL) (2003) – multinational professional league with teams from Japan and South Korea; teams from China and Russia have previously participated
  • European Women's Hockey League (EWHL) (2004) – multinational semi-pro league with teams from Austria, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, and Slovakia; teams from Belarus, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Slovenia have previously participated
  • Kuwait Ice Hockey League (KIHL) ( c. 2016) – multinational league with teams from Bahrain and Kuwait

Armenia

China

Men

Women

Taiwan

Hong Kong

India

Israel

Japan

Men

Women

Defunct

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Malaysia

Mongolia

North Korea

Philippines

Qatar

Singapore

Thailand

Turkmenistan

United Arab Emirates

Eurasia

  • European Women's Hockey League (EWHL) (2004) – multinational semi-pro league with teams from Austria, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, and Slovakia; teams from Belarus, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Slovenia have previously participated
  • Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) (2008) - multinational professional league with teams from Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, and Russia; teams from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Latvia, Slovakia, and Ukraine have previously participated
  • Supreme Hockey League – multinational league with teams from China, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Uzbekistan

Europe

Multinational

  • Alps Hockey League (2016) – multinational league with teams from Austria, Italy, and Slovenia
  • Baltic Hockey League (2018) – multinational professional league with teams from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
  • BeNe League (2015) – multinational professional league with teams from Belgium and the Netherlands
  • Champions Hockey League (2013) – multinational tournament featuring top teams from first-tier leagues across Europe, organized by the IIHF
  • Erste Liga (2008; formerly MOL Liga) – multinational league with teams from Hungary and Romania; teams from Serbia and Slovakia have previously participated
  • European Women's Hockey League (EWHL) (2004) – multinational semi-pro league with teams from Austria, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, and Slovakia; teams from Belarus, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Slovenia have previously participated
  • German Women's Ice Hockey League (DFEL) (1988) – multinational league with teams from Germany and the Netherlands
  • ICE Hockey League (2005) – multinational league with teams from Austria, Hungary, Italy, and Slovenia
  • International Hockey League (IntHL) (2020) – multinational league with teams from Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia
  • Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) (2008) – multinational professional league with teams from Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, and Russia; teams from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Finland, Latvia, Slovakia, and Ukraine have previously participated

Defunct

  • Alpenliga (1991–1999) – multinational league with teams from Austria, Italy and Slovenia
  • Balkan League (1994–1997) – multinational league with teams from Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia and Montenegro
  • Baltic League (2000–01) – single-season multinational league with teams from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
  • Carpathian League (1997–98) – single-season multinational league with teams from Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Serbia, and Slovakia
  • Champions Hockey League (2008–09) – single-instance, multinational tournament featuring top teams from the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland, organized by the IIHF
  • Eastern European Hockey League (1995–2005) – multinational league with teams from Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine
  • Interliga (1999–2007) – multinational professional league with teams from Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia; also known as the International Ice Hockey League
  • Inter-National League (2012–2016) – multinational league with teams from Austria, Italy, and Slovenia
  • North Sea Cup (2010–2012) – multinational professional league with teams from Belgium and the Netherlands; temporary successor of the Eredivisie
  • Panonian League (2002–2004, 2007–2009) – multinational league with teams from Croatia, Hungary, Romania, and Serbia
  • Slohokej League (2009–2012) – multinational league with teams from Austria, Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia

Austria

Men

Women

Defunct

Belarus

Belgium

Men

  • BeNe League (2015) – multinational professional league with teams from the Netherlands and Belgium

Defunct

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Men

Women

Croatia

Czech Republic

Men

Women

Denmark

Men

Women

  • KvindeLigaen (1989; also known as DM i ishockey for kvinder)

Estonia

Finland

Men

Defunct

Women

France

Men

Women

Georgia

Germany

Men

Professional
Minor professional
Semi-pro
Amateur

Women

Defunct

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Men

Women

Ireland

Defunct

Italy

Men

Semi-pro
Amateur

Women

Latvia

Men

Amateur

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Defunct

The Netherlands

Men

Professional
  • BeNe League (2015) - multinational professional league with teams from the Netherlands and Belgium
Semi-pro

Defunct

  • Eredivisie (1945–2015) – merged with Belgian Hockey League to form the BeNe League

Norway

Poland

Romania

Russia

Men

Major professional
  • Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) (2008) – multinational professional league with teams from Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, and Russia; teams from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Finland, Latvia, Slovakia, and Ukraine have previously participated
Minor professional
Semi-pro
Junior
Youth
  • Moscow Region
  • Ural Region

Women

Defunct

Serbia

Slovakia

Men

Women

Slovenia

Spain

Men

Women

Sweden

Men

Major professional
Minor professional
  • HockeyAllsvenskan (1999; formerly Allsvenskan, 1948–1975, and SuperAllsvenskan, 2000–2005)
Semi-pro
Amateur
Junior and youth

Women

Switzerland

Men

Professional
Amateur

Women

  • Women's League (SWHL A) (1986; formerly Leistungsklasse A (LKA), 1986–2014, and Swiss Women's Hockey League A, 2014–2019)

Turkey

Note: Leagues involve teams from both Asia and Europe

Men

Women

Ukraine

Defunct

United Kingdom

Men

Professional
Semi-pro and amateur

Women

  • WNIHL U16 (2007)
Source: EIHA [6]

University

Defunct leagues

Former nations

Czechoslovakia

East Germany

Soviet Union

West Germany

Yugoslavia

Oceania

Australia

Men

Professional
Minor professional
Semi-pro and amateur
Junior

Women

New Zealand

Men

Women

Disabled hockey leagues

Leagues for disabled hockey players:

Bibliography

  • "Hockey League Pages". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  • Biller, Philippe. "Archives - Hockey sur glace". HockeyArchives.info (in French). Retrieved 5 December 2023.

References