This is the first in a series of articles wherein I will profile the major (and arguably minor) ice hockey leagues of Europe. I thought that to begin, we should look at an overall history of how Ice Hockey developed in Europe, and the current state of the game there. In order to be concise, I will try to keep every article under 1000 words.

    In Europe, soccer is king. Of course, if you're living there you may get corrected for calling it that and not football. Soccer is the dominant sport in almost every European country, and for that reason, that's where the big money is in the European market. Soccer players in Europe command major clout, salaries, and the majority of media exposure. Hockey is however, the most popular sport in Finland, and in Russia it remains in a virtual tie with soccer. In Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, The Czech Republic, Latvia and Belarus hockey is the second most popular sport. In Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Romania, France, The UK, Norway, Poland, Denmark and Slovenia hockey is a viable spectator sport. In the rest of Europe, especially Southern Europe, Hockey remains a recreational sport, or sometimes even a novelty.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Historically, ice-based games resembling ice hockey have been played in Europe for generations. I will not touch upon the extremely contentious debate on the exact date and place where the first real game of Ice Hockey was played, but the vast majority of scholars will agree that it took place in Canada in the late 19th century. Almost immediately the game was exported back to Europe by the British (who have a great history of exporting their favourite sports around the world). The popularity of Ice Hockey in Europe began to explode in the 1920's when it became an official Olympic sport. Fast forward to present day and we can observe a proud and thriving hockey market that continues to grow.

Many people in the hockey world will place the leagues of Europe into tiers, for example, Tier 1 might include the KHL (Russia), the SHL (Sweden), the NLA (Switzerland) etc. Whilst Tier 2 may include the DEL (Germany), the Czech league and so forth. My personal belief is that placing each league into a tier is both arbitrary and an extreme oversimplification. It can be helpful as a general guide (the hockey in the KHL is quite obviously better than the EIHL etc.), however even within specific leagues there can be stark differences between the top teams and the bottom ones (CSKA Moscow has never finished below Dinamo Minsk). In European soccer we can see a similar system. The “top of the table” teams are almost always the ones to win the championship, whilst the “minnows” continually finish near the bottom of the standings or are relegated. While this is not always the case in European hockey, it certainly happens much more often than many people realize.

Europe is of course a soccer obsessed market and invariably we can see traces of soccer culture filter into the hockey culture there. For example, if you ever get a chance to see a game in person, you would notice extreme differences between the North American fan culture, and the European fan culture. In Europe, the fans are separated by home and away sections (exactly like soccer). They will bring drums and other types of noise makers (again, soccer) and create an atmosphere unlike anything the North American fan would ever experience. The similarities between European soccer culture and European hockey culture also extend to the front offices of the various leagues and teams. In soccer, we typically see the use of promotion and relegation between teams under the umbrella of a national federation. The majority of European hockey leagues operate under this system as well, with a few notable outliers such as the KHL, the EIHL and the Austrian ICE hockey league (formerly known as the EBEL). The best team, or teams in the lower league of a country (Ex. The Allsvenskan in Sweden) will be allowed the opportunity for a play-in against the worst team or teams in the top league (Ex. The SHL in Sweden). Proponents of this system argue that it keeps the level of competition high throughout their league system. In European soccer, they also have “The UEFA Champions League”. The Champions League is one of the most prestigious sporting competitions on Earth, and draws a huge international audience. In simple terms, the Champions League brings together the winners of every European league and has them play against each other in a group stage followed by a knockout tournament with the winner being crowned “Champions of Europe”. European hockey has, for many decades, attempted to replicate the success of this tournament, beginning in 1965 with the European Cup. These attempts have seemingly been unfruitful in expanding the popularity of hockey in Europe, or generating high revenue. However, starting in the 2014-2015 season, the CHL (Champions Hockey League) has shown immense promise. This league, modelled after the UEFA Champions League, has been a success in generating interest across Europe, as well as raising the quality of play around the continent. With many of the games being broadcast in North America on major sports networks it has helped spread much needed exposure to the top European hockey clubs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  As we continue throughout this series of articles, I will go into further detail on how each individual league in Europe operates. I will outline the top teams of each league, what you could expect to make as a player, the playing conditions, the living conditions, the perks of playing and living in Europe, tax implications and much more. I will include quotes from former players, coaches and general managers who have actually spent time in these various leagues. Hopefully, we can create a better understanding of European hockey and everything that goes along with it.

 

 

 

 

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

Dave Bishop

Dave Bishop is a hockey agent, and the proprietor of Bishop Sports Corporation. He also works as a Keeper of the Stanley Cup through The Hockey Hall of Fame. If you'd like more information on playing in Europe, please email Dave at dave@bishopsports.ca