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Current season, competition or edition: 2023–24 National League (ice hockey) season | |
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| Formerly | NDA 1938–1999 Nationalliga A 1999–2007 National League A 2007–2017 National League 2017–present |
|---|---|
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Founded | 1938 |
| CEO | Denis Vaucher |
| No. of teams | 14 |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Most recent champion(s) | ZSC Lions (2023–24) |
| Most titles | HC Davos (31 titles) |
| TV partner(s) | MySports SRG |
| Relegation to | Swiss League |
| International cup(s) | Champions Hockey League |
| Related competitions | Swiss League |
| Official website | National League |
The National League (NL) is a professional ice hockey league in Switzerland and is the top tier of the Swiss league system. Prior to the 2017–18 season, the league was known as National League A.[1] During the 2018–19 season, the league had an average of 6,949 spectators per game which is the highest among European leagues (ahead of the KHL with 6,397 and the DEL with 6,215). The capital city's club SC Bern has been ranked first of all European clubs for 18 seasons and had an average attendance of 16,290 after the regular season. The ZSC Lions are another club in the top ten of European ice hockey attendance, ranking seventh with 9,694 spectators.[2]
Teams from the NL participate in the IIHF's annual Champions Hockey League (CHL), competing for the European Trophy. Participation is based on the strength of the various leagues in Europe (excluding the European/Asian Kontinental Hockey League). Going into the 2022–23 CHL season, the NL was ranked the No. 2 league in Europe, allowing it to send its top five teams to compete in the CHL.
- ^ "Resolutions of the National League Assembly regarding the 2017–18 season" (in German). Swiss Ice Hockey Federation. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Swiss lead attendance study". www.iihf.com. Retrieved 14 March 2016.