Switzerland women's ice hockey league
The Women's League is the top ice hockey league in the Swiss Women's Hockey League (SWHL) league system. The league was founded in 1986 as the Leistungsklasse A (LKA) (French: Ligue nationale A (LNA); Italian: Lega Nazionale A) and was called the Swiss Women's Hockey League A (SWHL A) during 2014 to 2019. An amateur league, it is organized by the Regio League, an organ of the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (German: Schweizerischer Eishockeyverband).
| Formerly | Leistungsklasse A 1986–2014 Swiss Women’s Hockey League A 2014–2019 |
|---|---|
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | Swiss Ice Hockey Federation |
| Inaugural season | 1986–87 |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country |  Switzerland |
| Most recent champion(s) | Ladies Team Lugano (2020–21) |
| Most titles | ZSC Lions Frauen (9 titles) |
| Domestic cup(s) | Swiss Women's Hockey Cup |
| International cup(s) | EWHL Super Cup IIHF European Women's Champions Cup (2004–2015) |
| Related competitions | SWHL B SWHL C SWHL D |
| Official website | Official website |
History
With the creation of several women's ice hockey clubs in the early 1980s, the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation chose to incorporate women's hockey within the scope of its governance in 1984. During the 1985–86 season, an unofficial club championship was played. The following season, the first official championship tournament, called Leistungsklasse A ('Performance Class A'), was organized and the victors, the Kloten Specials of EHC Kloten, became the first Swiss Champions in women's ice hockey.
With the growing interest and participation in ice hockey among Swiss women, a second tier league, called the Leistungsklasse B (LKB), was established from the 1988–89 season. Two years later, league rules were changed to allow foreign players and several big names in international women's hockey opted to play with Swiss teams, including Canadian national team forwards Andria Hunter and France St. Louis, and Finnish national team phenom Riikka Sallinen. The arrival of imports coincided with the rise to dominance of SC Lyss, who won four titles in five years from 1991–92 to 1996–97. The women's section had become an independent club, the DHC Lyss, when they won their fourth title in 1997. In 1995, a third level league, the Leistungsklasse C (LKC), was introduced.
From the 2001–02 season onward, a final four tournament is held to determine the Swiss Champion. SC Reinach, the 2001 champions, retained their title in the league's inaugural final four in 2002 and followed it up with a third consecutive victory in 2003. Playoffs were introduced in the 2005–06 season and the HC Lugano Ladies Team and ZSC Lions Frauen dominated in the playoff era, with one of the two teams winning the championship in all but one year since format change.[1]
Format
Starting from the 2010–11 season, the six participating teams play against each other four times in two home-and-away rounds. At the end of the first round, the each team's total of points is cut by half. Once the second round is completed, the top four ranking teams qualify for the play-offs which are in a best-of-five format, excepted the third place game played on a one-off match. The finals winner is declared Swiss Champion. Meanwhile, the teams finishing fifth and sixth dispute a best-of-five playdown. The loser faces then the second tier champions in a best-of-three games series, the winner getting to play the following season in the top tier.
Current teams
Six teams participated in the 2020-21 season:[2]
- HT Thurgau Ladies
- Ladies Team Lugano
- Neuchâtel Hockey Academy
- SC Reinach
- EV Bomo Thun
- ZSC Lions Frauen
Previous winners
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Titles by teams
| Team | Titles | Last title | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZSC Lions Frauen (earlier known as Grasshopper Club Zürich) | 9 | 2018 |
| 2 | Ladies Team Lugano | 8 | 2021 |
| 3 | EV Zug | 4 | 2005 |
| – | DHC Lyss (earlier known as SC Lyss) | 4 | 1997 |
| 5 | SC Reinach | 3 | 2003 |
| 6 | DHC Langenthal | 2 | 2008 |
| – | EHC Kloten Specials | 2 | 1988 |
| 8 | DSC St. Gallen | 1 | 2000 |
| – | EHC Bülach | 1 | 1992 |
Awards
Woman of the Year
The Woman of the Year award honours the best active Swiss player, whether she plays in the Swiss league or elsewhere.[4] It has been awarded by the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation since the 2006–07 season.
- 2006–07 – Florence Schelling, ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2007–08 – Christine Meier, AIK IF (SDHL)
- 2008–09 – Christine Meier, ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2009–10 – Claudia Riechsteiner, SC Reinach
- 2013–14 – Florence Schelling, ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2015–16 – Christine Meier, ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2016–17 – Lara Stalder, Linköpings HC (SDHL)
Most Valuable Player
It is awarded since the 2009–10 season to the best two players of the league.[5]
- 2009–10 – Jessica Müller (Ladies Team Lugano), Jaclyn Hawkins (ZSC Lions Frauen)
- 2010–11 – Christine Meier (ZSC Lions Frauen), Iveta Koka (Ladies Team Lugano)
Others women's competitions in Switzerland
Second division (SWHL B)
The SWHL B, previously called the Leistungsklasse B (LKB) and also previously known as the Ligue nationale B (LNB) in French and as the Lega Nazionale B in Italian, is the second tier of the Swiss women's hockey league system.
The team finishing first is declared LKB champion and qualify for a best-of-three playoff against the loser of the top league playdown. The team finishing last is relegated in the lower division.
The ten teams taking part in the 2020–21 season are the following:[6]
- HC Ambrì-Piotta (HCAP) Giovani (aka HCAP Girls)
- EHC Bassersdorf Ladies
- Brandis Ladies
- HC Fribourg Ladies
- GCK Lions Frauen
- SC Langenthal Damen
- EHC Sursee Damen
- HC Tramelan Ladies
- EC Wil Ladies
- EHC Zunzgen-Sissach Damen
Third division (SWHL C)
The SWHL C, previously called the Leistungsklasse C (LKC) and also previously known as the Ligue nationale C (LNC) in French and as the Lega Nazionale C in Italian, is the third tier of the Swiss women's hockey league system.
The team finishing first is declared SWHL C champion and is promoted to SWHL B.
For the 2020–21 season, there are eleven participating teams:[7]
- EHC Basel Hockey Ladies/KLH
- CdH Engiadina Damen
- HC Eisbären Queens
- Lausanne HC Féminin
- Neuchâtel Hockey Academy 1999
- SC Rapperswil-Jona Lady Lakers
- Sf. Imier-Sonceboz Femmes
- HC Sierre Féminin
- EHC Wallisellen Lions Frauen
- SC Weinfelden Ladies
- HC Wisle Damen
Swiss Women's Cup
It is also called Ochsner Hockey Swiss Women Cup for sponsorship reason.
- 2005–06 – Ladies Team Lugano
- 2006–07 – No cup
- 2007–08 – DHC Langenthal
- 2008–09 – ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2009–10 – DHC Langenthal
- 2010–11 – ZSC Lions Frauen [3]
- 2011–12 – ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2012–13 – ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2013–14 – ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2014–15 – No cup
- 2015–16 – ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2016–17 – Ladies Team Lugano / ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2017–18 – ZSC Lions Frauen
References
- Müller, Barbara. "Kontinuierlicher Aufschwung des Schweizer Fraueneishockeys" sport.winterthur.ch (in German). Retrieved April 13, 2011.
- "Women's League – Clubs". Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (in German). Retrieved February 15, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Live the Dream, The ZSC Lions Are Crowned Swiss Champions, http://www.womenshockeylife.com/blogs_view_dsp.cfm?BlogId=265&CatId=6 , April 10, 2011.
- (in German) Woman of the year on the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation website
- (in German) Most Valuable Player on the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation website
- "Regio League – Frauenligen – SWHL B". Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (in German). Retrieved February 15, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "Regio League – Frauenligen – SWHL C". Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (in German). Retrieved February 15, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External links
- Official website (in German)
- Official website (in French)
- News on women's hockey in Switzerland on European Women's Hockey Journal (in German, French, and Italian)
- Women's ice hockey in Switzerland by Nick Heim (in German)
- History of women's ice hockey in Switzerland by Barbara Müller (in German)