Asia League Ice Hockey

Asia League Ice Hockey
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2024–25 Asia League Ice Hockey season
SportIce hockey
Founded2003
CEORyuichi Kisaka
No. of teams5 (2024–25 season)
CountriesJapan
South Korea
ContinentEast Asia
Most recent
champion(s)		HL Anyang
(2023–24)
Most titlesHL Anyang (8 titles)
Official websiteOfficial website (international)

Asia League Ice Hockey (Japanese: アジアリーグアイスホッケー; Korean: 아시아리그 아이스하키) or ALIH (AL) is an association which operates a professional ice hockey league based in East Asia, with teams from Japan, South Korea, and formerly China and Russia. The league is headquartered in Japan. At the end of the playoffs every year the winner is awarded the Championship Trophy.[1]

The league was formed in 2003 due to declining popularity in the Japan Ice Hockey League[2] and the folding of the Korean Ice Hockey League.[3] It was formed with the goal of promoting hockey and developing players' skills.[4] The league initially comprised five teams in two countries.[5] It expanded to highs of four countries (2004–05 season)[6] and nine teams (2005–06 season)[7] and it comprised eight teams from three countries in the 2013–14 season.[8] Prior to the 2014–15 season, a Russian team from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, HC Sakhalin, was affiliated to the league.[9][10]

The league draws most of its players from the home countries of its teams. However, the league allows each team a certain number of foreign imports on their roster.[11]

  1. ^ "Nippon Paper Cranes defeats SEIBU and becomes the Asian Champion!!". Alhockey.com. Asia League Ice Hockey. 30 March 2007. Retrieved 10 December 2009. [dead link]
  2. ^ Ritomo Tsunashima (10 August 2004). "Far East baseball league would attract fans". Herald Asahi. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  3. ^ "Team History". Anyanghalla.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  4. ^ "The league we will build". Alhockey.com. Asia League Ice Hockey. Archived from the original on 24 January 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  5. ^ "2003–2004 Standings". Alhockey.com. Asia League Ice Hockey. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  6. ^ "2004–2005 Standings". Alhockey.com. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
  7. ^ "2005–2006 Standings". Alhockey.com. Asia League Ice Hockey. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  8. ^ "Team Guide". Alhockey.com. Asia League Ice Hockey. Archived from the original on 5 October 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  9. ^ "Asia League Ice Hockey, 2014-15 season, eliteprospects". Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  10. ^ "Александр Третьяк формирует команду для участия в Азиатской Лиге" (in Russian). 29 June 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  11. ^ "The number limit of registration for import players to be revised". Alhockey.com. Asia League Ice Hockey. 28 June 2005. Archived from the original on 9 December 2007. Retrieved 9 December 2009.