Safekipedia

EliteHockey Ligaen

Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience

EliteHockey Ligaen (EHL) is the top ice hockey league in Norway, organized by the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association. It includes ten clubs and uses a system called promotion and relegation. This means the two teams that finish at the bottom each season must play against the top two teams from the First Division to earn a spot in the next season's league.

Teams in the EHL can also join the IIHF's Champions Hockey League, where they compete for the European Trophy. Whether a team gets to play in this tournament depends on how strong their league is compared to others in Europe. In the 2022–23 Champions Hockey League season, the EHL was ranked 11th among European leagues, so the best team from EHL could take part in the Champions Hockey League.

History

The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association was created on September 16, 1934, and that same year the first national ice hockey league began. It was called 1. divisjon (1st division) until 1990 when the top teams formed a new league called Eliteserien (The Elite League). In 2004, a company called UPC bought the rights to name the league, and later changed its name to GET, which also changed the league’s name. In 2020, Fjordkraft took over the naming rights for three years. Starting in the 2023–2024 season, the league dropped its sponsor’s name and is now called EliteHockey Ligaen.

Teams

The EliteHockey Ligaen has teams from different places in Norway. Some of the teams include Lillehammer, Narvik, Nidaros, Stavanger, Storhamar, Vålerenga, Lørenskog, Stjernen, Sparta, and Frisk Asker. These teams compete against each other in the league.

There have been many teams that used to play in the league but are no longer part of it. Some of these former teams are Bergen, Forward/Gamlebyen, Furuset, Grüner, Hasle-Løren, Manglerud Star, Rosenborg, Trondheim Black Panthers, Tønsberg Vikings, Kongsvinger Knights, and others that are no longer active.

TeamCityArenaCapacity
Teams in the 2025–26 season
Frisk AskerAskerVarner Arena3,650
LillehammerLillehammerEidsiva Arena3,194
LørenskogLørenskogLørenskog Ishall1,350
NarvikNarvikNordkraft Arena1,400
NidarosTrondheimLeangen Ishall3,000
Sparta SarpsborgSarpsborgSparta Amfi4,000
Stavanger OilersStavangerDNB Arena4,377
StjernenFredrikstadStjernehallen2,473
StorhamarHamarCC Amfi7,500
VålerengaOsloNye Jordal Amfi5,300

Season structure

The Eliteserien season has two parts: the regular season and the postseason. The regular season runs from mid September to early March. During this time, teams play each other in a set schedule. The postseason, called the Norwegian Championship playoffs, happens in March and April. It is a tournament where teams compete in a series of games to become the champion.

The regular season uses a special format where each team plays every other team five times. This means each team plays 45 games. Points are given for wins and ties, and teams are ranked by their points. The top eight teams after the regular season enter the playoffs. These teams compete in rounds of games, with the winner moving on to the next round. The team with the most points during the regular season gets to host more games in the finals.

The two teams with the fewest points at the end of the regular season might not get to play in the next season’s Eliteserien. They must compete against the top teams from the second league level to earn their spot. This competition happens in March and includes several games to decide who moves up or down.

Trophies and awards

The team that wins the playoffs receives a special prize called the Kongepokal, often nicknamed "Bøtta". The Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation and the teams' group also give out several awards. These include Gullpucken, which goes to the best Norwegian player of the season, and the Most Valuable Player award from the playoffs.

Television and media

The EliteHockey Ligaen games are shown on TV2 Norway. You can also watch the games on the online platform TV2 Play.

List of champions

Here are the teams that have won the EliteHockey Ligaen since it began. Some years the playoffs were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Titles by team

Team in bold currently competes in the top league.

TitlesTeamYear
26Vålerenga1960, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
9Stavanger Oilers2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023
9Storhamar1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2018, 2024, 2025
8Forward1946, 1950, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1964
7Furuset1949, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1980, 1983, 1990
4Grane1936, 1937, 1939, 1940
4Frisk Asker1975, 1979, 2002, 2019
3Hasle-Løren1972, 1974, 1976
3Sparta Warriors1984, 1989, 2011
2Manglerud Star1977, 1978
2Stjernen1981, 1986
2Tigrene1957, 1961
2Trygg1935, 1938
1Lillehammer1994
1Stabæk1947
1Strong1948
Notes
Forward was known as Gamlebyen IF between 1948 and 1971.
This club is no longer active.
Tigrene merged with Frisk Asker in 1969.

Seasons

Related articles

Vålerenga Ishockey
Stavanger Oilers
Storhamar Ishockey
Norwegian Ice Hockey Association
Ice hockey
Promotion and relegation

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on EliteHockey Ligaen, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.