List of ice hockey leagues

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

1 North America
2 Disabled Hockey Leagues
3 List of leagues and teams
4 Asia
5 Europe
6 Oceania

[edit] North America

[edit] Major professional

National Hockey League (1917)

[edit] Minor professional

Note: There is no official classification system for minor professional hockey leagues, and appellations such as "AAA," "AA" or "A" leagues are not generally acknowledged by hockey authorities. The AHL is the most highly-ranked minor league. The ECHL, UHL, and CHL are on the next tier below and act as feeders to the AHL, with the ECHL being the greatest of the three "equals" due to its more official ties to the NHL. The UHL would be considered second to the ECHL and slightly above the CHL due to higher allowance of veteran players and a higher salary cap. The SPHL in turn is a feeder to the ECHL, UHL and CHL. This tier is followed by several lower-grade and semi-pro leagues.

American Hockey League (1936)
ECHL (1988 as East Coast Hockey League)
United Hockey League (1991 as Colonial Hockey League)
Central Hockey League (1992)
Southern Professional Hockey League (2004)

[edit] Independent

World Hockey Association (2003)

[edit] Semi-Pro

Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (2004)
North Eastern Hockey League (2003)(restarting for 2006)
Ligue Centrale de Hockey (LCH)

[edit] Amateur

[edit] Junior

[edit] Major junior

Note that the Major Junior level is considered professional by some authorities, including the NCAA, as its players earn a small stipend

Canadian Hockey League (governing authority)
- Ontario Hockey League (1980)
- Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (1969)
- Western Hockey League (1966)

[edit] Junior A

[edit] Canadian Junior A Leagues

Canadian Junior A Hockey League (governing authority)
Alberta Junior Hockey League (Canada)
British Columbia Hockey League (Canada)
Central Junior A Hockey League (Canada)
Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League (Canada) *
Manitoba Junior Hockey League (Canada)
Maritime Junior A Hockey League (1967 as Metro Valley Junior Hockey League, became a junior A league in 1977) (Canada)
Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (Canada)
Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (OHA) (Canada) absorbed Metro Junior A Hockey League
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (1956) (Canada)
Superior International Junior Hockey League (Canada)

(*) Quebec Junior "AAA" is equal to Ontario Junior "A"

[edit] American Junior A Leagues

United States Hockey League (1979) (United States) "Tier I"
North American Hockey League (2003) (United States) "Tier II"
America East Hockey League (2005) (United States) "Tier III"
Atlantic Junior Hockey League (United States) "Tier III"
Eastern Junior Hockey League (United States) "Tier III"

[edit] Independent Junior A Leagues

Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (Canada)
WHA Junior West Hockey League (Canada & United States)

[edit] Junior B

[edit] Canadian Junior B Leagues

Calgary Junior Hockey League (Canada)
Capital Junior Hockey League (Canada)
Central/West Junior Hockey League (Canada)
Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League (Canada)
Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League (OHA) (Canada)
Heritage Junior B Hockey League (Canada)
Island Junior Hockey League (Canada)
Keystone Junior Hockey League formerly Manitoba Junior B Hockey League (Canada)
Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (Canada)
Ligue de Hockey de La Capitale (Canada)
Ligue de Hockey Junior de Montréal
Ligue de Hockey Junior AA Bas St-Laurent (Canada) *
Ligue de Hockey Junior AA Beauce-Bellechasse (Canada) *
Ligue de Hockey Junior AA Estrie-Mauricie (Canada) *
Ligue de Hockey Junior AA Lac St-Louis (Canada) *
Ligue de Hockey Junior AA Laurentides-Lanaudière (Canada) *
Ligue de Hockey Junior AA Richelieu (Canada) *
Ligue de Hockey Junior AA Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean (Canada) *
Midwestern Junior B Hockey League (OHA) (Canada)
North Eastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League (Canada)
North Saskatchewan Junior B Hockey League (Canada)
Northwest Junior Hockey League (Alberta) (Canada)
Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League (Canada)
Pacific International Junior Hockey League (Canada)
Prairie Junior Hockey League formerly South Saskatchewan Junior B Hockey League (Canada)
St. John's Junior B Hockey League (Canada)
Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League (Canada)
Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (Canada)
Western Junior B Hockey League (OHA) (Canada)

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

[edit] American Junior B Leagues

Atlantic Metropolitan Hockey League (United States)
Central States Hockey League (United States)
Continental Hockey Association Premier Division (United States)
Empire Junior B Hockey League (United States)
Minnesota Junior Hockey League (United States)
Northern Pacific Hockey League (United States)
Western States Hockey League (United States)

[edit] Junior C

Continental Hockey Association (United States) Link

Calgary Junior C Hockey League (Canada)
Central Junior C Hockey League (OHA) (Canada)
Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League (Canada)
Empire Junior C Hockey League (OHA) (Canada)
Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League (OHA) (Canada)
Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League (OHA) (Canada)
Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League (Canada)
Ligue de Hockey Junior A Bois Francs (Canada) *
Ligue de Hockey Junior A Rive-Sud (Canada) *
Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League (Canada)
New Brunswick Junior Hockey League (Canada)
Niagara Junior C Hockey League (OHA) (Canada)
Noralta Junior Hockey League (Canada)
Nova Scotia Junior C Hockey League (Canada)
Prince Edward Island Minor Junior Hockey League (Canada)
Saskatchewan Junior C Hockey League (Canada)
Western Junior C Hockey League (OHA) (Canada)

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

[edit] Junior Development

Junior D

Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League (OHA) (Canada)
Mid-Atlantic Junior Development Hockey League (United States) Link

[edit] College

American Collegiate Hockey Association (United States, club
Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (Canada)
Canadian Interuniversity Sport (Canada, varsity)
British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (B.C. Canada)
National Collegiate Athletic Association (United States)
- Atlantic Hockey (Division I)
- Central Collegiate Hockey Association (Division I)
- College Hockey America (Division I)
- ECAC Hockey League (Division I)
- Hockey East (Division I)
- Western Collegiate Hockey Association (Division I)
- Eastern College Athletic Conference East (Division III)
- Eastern College Athletic Conference Northeast (Division III)
- Eastern College Athletic Conference West (Division III)
- Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (Division III)
- Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division III)
- Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (Division III)
- New England Small College Athletic Conference (Division III)
- State University of New York Athletic Conference (Division III)

[edit] Junior College

National Junior College Athletic Association (United States)

[edit] Youth

Alliance Hockey Ontario "AAA"
Capital Beltway Hockey League (CBHL) (1981)
Connecticut Hockey Conference (CHC)
Delaware Valley Hockey League
Eastern AAA Hockey League Ontario "AAA"
Greater Toronto Hockey League (1911)
Metropolitan Boston Hockey League
Midwest Elite Hockey League
Minnesota Hockey
Missouri Youth Hockey League
New Jersey Youth Hockey League
Ontario Minor Hockey Association Ontario "AAA" through "D"
Ottawa District Hockey Association Ontario "AAA" through "D"
South-Central Triple A Hockey League Ontario "AAA"
Western Ontario Athletic Association Ontario "BB" through "D"
Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association
Cleveland Suburban Hockey League

[edit] Women

National Women's Hockey League (1999)
Western Women's Hockey League (2004-06; merged with NWHL)

[edit] Senior

[edit] Sanctioned by Hockey Canada or USA Hockey

Big 6 Hockey League (Saskatchewan Sr. AAA)
Chinook Hockey League (Alberta Sr. AAA)
Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League (Ontario Sr. AAA)
Highway Hockey League (Saskatchewan Sr. AAA)
Ligue Centrale de Hockey (LCH) (Quebec Sr. AAA/semi-pro) (1990)
Ligue de hockey senior Promutuel (LHSP) (Quebec Sr. AA/semi-pro)
Ligue de hockey senior de l’Est du Quebec (LHSEQ) (Quebec Sr. AA/semi-pro)
Ligue de hockey senior Nord-Est du Quebec (LHSNEQ) (Quebec Sr. AA/semi-pro)
Ligue de hockey Beauce Bellechase Frontenac (LHBBF) (Quebec Sr. A)
Ligue de hockey senior du Richelieu (LHSR) (Quebec Sr. A)
Ligue de hockey senior Montreal Metropolitain (LHSMM) (Quebec Sr. A)
Ligue de hockey senior de la Mauricie (LHSM) (Quebec Sr. A)
Ligue de hockey senior Inter-Rives (LHSIR) (Quebec Sr. A)
Ligue de hockey senior de la Cote Nord du Quebec (Quebec Sr. A)
Ligue de hockey les Cotiers de la Gaspesie (Quebec Sr. A)
Ligue de hockey senior des Iles de la Madeleine (LHSIM) (Quebec Sr. A)
Major League Hockey (Ontario Sr. AAA) (1953)
North Peace Hockey League (Alberta Sr. AAA)
Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League (Ontario Sr. AA and A) (1948)