Czech Extraliga

The Czech Extraliga (Czech:Extraliga ledního hokeje, ELH) was created by the 1993 split of the Czechoslovak Extraliga following the breakup of Czechoslovakia, and is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. In 2008 the IIHF ranked Extraliga third among the top 7 European teams for seeding purposes in the 2008-2009 Champions Hockey League season. Many Extraliga players leave every year on transfers to the North American NHL and Eurasian KHL.

Naming and sponsorship
The name of the league is leased to a general sponsor and changes frequently.
 * 1999-2000 – Staropramen Extraliga
 * 2001-2002 – Český Telecom Extraliga
 * 2003-2006 – Tipsport Extraliga
 * 2007-2010 – O2 Extraliga
 * 2010-current – Tipsport Extraliga

League format
14 teams compete in the league, with the top 6 teams at the end of the regular season play qualifying for the playoffs to determine the league champion, known as the Česká pojišťovna play-off Tipsport extraligy. The teams that finish 7th through 10th play a play-in series (best-of-five) to determine who will join the top six into the playoff quarter-finals (best-of-seven). The four lowest ranked teams (11–14) after the regular season play in a play-out goup (12 games, all regular-season matches are counted into the ranking). The last-place team after the play-out group plays with the winner of the First League playoff series (best-of-seven), with the winner of that series being qualified to play in Extraliga the following season while the losing team plays in the First League.

Since the 2006-07 season, 3 points have been awarded for a regulation win and 2 points for an overtime victory, while the defeated team in overtime gets 1 point. If necessary, penalty shots are used to decide games after overtime.

From the 2006-07 season through the 2007-08 season there was only one assist credited for each goal instead of the standard two that other leagues credit. This rule change affected league statistics in a negative manner, and so the rule was changed back to the standard two assists starting in the 2008-09 season.

During the 2011-12 season the association of Czech Extraliga managers attempted to close the league to prevent any relegations to or promoting from the second tier national league and also set a maximum salary cap similarly to the NHL system. However, after some legal difficulties and strong opposition by the public the whole proposition was scratched.

by Year

 * 1994 HC Olomouc
 * 1995 HC Dadák Vsetín
 * 1996 HC Petra Vsetín
 * 1997 HC Petra Vsetín
 * 1998 HC Slovnaft Vsetín
 * 1999 HC Slovnaft Vsetín
 * 2000 HC Sparta Praha
 * 2001 HC Vsetín
 * 2002 HC Sparta Praha
 * 2003 HC Slavia Praha
 * 2004 HC Hamé Zlín
 * 2005 HC Moeller Pardubice
 * 2006 HC Sparta Praha
 * 2007 HC Sparta Praha
 * 2008 HC Slavia Praha
 * 2009 Energie Karlovy Vary
 * 2010 HC Pardubice
 * 2011 HC Oceláři Třinec
 * 2012 HC Pardubice