Slovak Hockey 101 Part I: League Structure Part 1

(Slovak) Tipsport Extraliga logo

This is the first of a series of articles with some information on how hockey in Slovakia works- basically Slovak hockey 101. In this first one I will try to introduce the hockey leagues structure, both senior and junior/youth and the youth hockey categories in Slovakia- since the youth leagues can´t be explained without knowing this.

TIPSPORT EXTRALIGA

The highest level of hockey in Slovakia is Extraliga- I haven´t said Tipsport Extraliga (as it is called right now) on purpose as in its short existence it has had at least half a dozen different names. The playing system and number of teams also constantly changes, but that all is for an another article that will cover only the Extraliga. In the 2011/2012 the Extraliga has 10 (+1) teams that play 54 rounds during the regular season,  playing days are Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. Maybe, you´re wondering what the +1 in brackets means? Well, it´s my way to describe the HK Orange 20 (U20 national team) partly playing the league, all the Extraliga teams play one game against them, playing day for these games is Thursday. At the same time the U20 team however also plays 1.liga. After the 54 rounds are over teams ranked 1st-8th will advance to the play-offs and they´ll play each other in the quarterfinal, pairings will be 1st-8th, 2nd-7th, 3rd-6th, 4th-5th with your typical best of 7. The team ranked last at the end of the season will play " baráž" (play-out) with the champions of 1.liga. There are no limits of foreigners in the league. The point system is as follows: 3 points for regular time win, 2pts for OT/SO win and 1point for OT/SO loss. 

List of Slovak Extraliga teams for 2011/2012: HK 36 SKALICA, HC SLOVAN BRATISLAVA, HKM ZVOLEN, HC KOŠICE, HK DUKLA TRENČÍN, HK AUTOFINANCE POPRAD, MSHK ŽILINA, MHC MOUNTFIELD MARTIN, HC 05 BANSKÁ BYSTRICA, HK NITRA (HK ORANGE 20)

1.HOKEJOVÁ LIGA

Don´t let the name confuse you, despite having No.1 in its name this is the 2nd ranked nationwide league in Slovakia. Considering that it´s the same with the names in the Czech republic where they too hae Extraliga and 1.liga, I guess this stems back from Czechoslovakian times, where a federal Czechoslovak league existed, which was the top league including the top teams from both Czech republic and Slovakia. The 2nd highest levels were 1.ČNHL and 1.SNHL (Czech respectively Slovak national hockey league) with only Czech teams in ČNHL and Slovak teams in SNHL. 1. HL is a semi-professional hockey league and many of the players hae regular jobs. This season 13 (+1) teams play the league. The system is a little more complicated, at first all the teams play 24 regular season games, with everyone playing everyone once at home and once away and all the 13 teams playing one home games against the national U20 team. After the 24 rounds, teams ranked 1st-10th will advance to "Nadstavba A". In Nadstavba A these teams will play for tickets to play-offs, the 9 teams will once again play each other once home and once away and they will also all play one home game against the U20 national team. The teams ranked 1st-8th at the end of Nadstavba A will advance to the quarterfinals, which will have the same system as in Extraliga, except that in the quarter- and semifinals it will be best of 5 and in the finals best of 7. The season will be over for teams ranked 9th and 10th. Teams ranked 11th-13th after the regular season will play 12 games between each other, the team ranked last will automatically get relegated to 2.liga, while the 12th ranked team will play a play-out with the 2.liga champions. The play-out will be  best of 7. The points system is the same as in Extraliga.

2.HOKEJOVÁ LIGA

  

The 3rd highest level of men´s hockey in Slovakia and basically pretty much an amateur league, which even includes a team that plays on an outdoor rink. Even in Slovakia the media coerage of this league is pretty rare and sparse. For some time the league was divided into two groups West and East, but considering the geographic location of the 12 teams that applied for 11/12 (most of them in the West of the country) this was impossible and therefore the league has returned to a nationwide model. The teams will play 22 games with the home-away model. The champion who will play the play-out to get to 1.liga will be known at the end of February.

JUNIORI (JUNIORS U20)

HC Košice U20- winner of 2010/2011 Extraliga juniorov

A junior player in Slovak system is the same thing as a junior player by IIHF´s standards, so basically for this season it´s mainly players born 1992 and 1993. However younger players born in 1994, 1995 and in some cases even 1996 are more of a rule than an exception in Slovak junior leagues. Just like with men the highest league is EXTRALIGA JUNIOROV (U20 Extraliga), which just as its senior namesake gets changed with every new season. All teams can have up to 4 1990 born players on their roster, but only two of them can play in a game at the same time. The 14 teams will play 26 regular season games, the one home, one away game system. The teams ranked 1st-6th will play "Group A", where all teams will play 15 games,  two at home and one away, this group only decides the play-off positions, so they´re not playing for much tbh. 

Teams ranked 7th-14th will play in "Group B" and will play 14 games amongst each other, one home, one away. These teams will bring the points they won in the regular season to this stage and a the end the first two teams will advance to the quarterfinals. The play-offs will be played with the best of 5 system. The other teams from "Group B" and the first two teams from 1.LIGA JUNIOROV will once again play each other, 14 rounds, home and away. Teams ranked last and 2nd to last will get relagated to 1.liga juniorov.  As you probably alread guessed by now, 1.liga juniorov is the 2nd highest junior league in the country. Playing games for the U20 Extraliga are Saturdays and Sundays (games on Saturday usually are around 2-3p.m., while games on Sunday usually start at around 10:30 or 11:30 a.m. although there are some exceptions). If you ask why there are no games during the week, according to the federation it is in order for the players to concentrate more on practice as well as school during the week.

DORASTENCI (U18)

Even though he´s already playing a full season in men´s Extraliga Marko Daňo is still only a DORASTENEC (U18 player)

Dorastenci or U18 players are mainly players born 1994 and 1995, while of course just as with the juniors there often are younger players playing in the U18 league- the 1996 born and some 1997 born players. The top U18 league is surprise, surprise EXTRALIGA DORASTU and its system is always changing just as with the men´s and U20 Extraligas. I think it was just two years ago that play-offs were introduced into this league, at first only semifinals and finals, but then we also had quarterfinals in 2010/2012. However for the 2011/2012 season the play-offs got abolished once again sadly- because Slovakia got relegated from the elite U18 IHWC and will play Division IA on home ice in Piešťany, which is played earlier than the elite division. Therefore the U18 Extraliga will end already on March 25th woth the regular season winner being the Champions of Extraliga dorastencov. (Noone at the federation seems to have realized that U18 Extraliga players rarely make it to the U18 national team roster, which is comprised of mostly U20 Extraliga players while makings this decision. Also, everyone- not only the clubs, but also Ernest Bokroš, whi is chief coach of all Slovakia´s junior NTs seem to be complaining about this decision, so I have no idea who actually decided this change). Just like with Extraliga U20 playing days are Saturdays and Sundays and the 2nd highest U18 league is 1.LIGA DORASTU. By SZĽH regulations an U18 player can play maximally 3 games a week, also no matter what league he plays in an U18 player has to wear a full cage just as in IIHF tournaments.