top of page
This site was designed with the
.com
website builder. Create your website today.Start Now

EUROPEAN LEAGUE CHANGES

Many if not most top-level European leagues have undergone some changes in NHLX. These include:

​

  • Streamlined rules and scheduling with international breaks

  • Promotion and demotion between all two-tiered leagues in major nations

  • A few new regional combined leagues for stronger or more interesting 

  • Some league membership changes to allow for revised league structures

  • Simplified names for competitions and clubs - eliminating most of the variable sponsorship names except for those truly baked into the identity of the club (such as Red Bulls München/Salzburg)...and even those clubs have their traditional names as their shorter name.

​

EUROPEAN LEAGUE CHANGES

 

The changes below are for all playable leagues in Europe for the debut release of the NHLX Database (21-22 season). I will update these listed changes occasionally especially for major updated releases but you might occasionally see some slight differences between below and whatever the newest release of NHLX is as I will shuffle clubs or swap them based real-life performance and standings.

Sweden

​

​

SWEDEN (TWO-TIERS)

SHL

  • Real Format (21-22): 14 Clubs

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

    • With four clubs leaving for the ESL (leaving 10 real SHL clubs), two clubs had to be added. Historically powerful HV71 (who also lead Allsvenskan thus far in 21-22) retains their place in the SHL in the NHLX database for this season while IF Bjorkloven are also promoted, having finished first and third in the last two seasons in the Allsvenskan (and currently in third so far in 21-22).

ALLSVENSKAN

  • Real Format (21-22): 14 Clubs

  • NHLX Format 21-22): 16 Clubs

    • With HV71 and IF Bjorkloven promoted in NHLX and no third tier in the NHLX database, the Swedish second tier expands with four additional clubs: Vasby IK (who simply retain their place instead of getting demoted), Bodens (recent success in HockeyEttan) and Pantern and Karlskrona (both brought back from recent financial troubles).

Finland

​

​

FINLAND (TWO-TIERS)

LIIGA

  • Real Format (21-22): 15 Clubs

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

    • Liiga loses only one club (HIFK) to the ESL as Jokerit joined the ESL from the KHL. Which means the league actually had to drop two weaker teams to fit the 12 club top tier format of the NHLX database. So JYP and SaiPa, both currently struggling mightily thus far in the real 21-22 season,  drop down to Mestis and will have to earn their way back up in the NHLX database.

MESTIS

  • Real Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

  • NHLX Format 21-22): 16 Clubs

    • There is no third tier Finnish league in the NHLX database but Mestis has been expanded from 14 teams to 16 teams – with current Liiga strugglers JYP and SaiPa dropping down a division to join the 14 teams teams from the real Mestis division.

Switzerland

​

​

SWITZERLAND (TWO-TIERS)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

  • Real Format (21-22): 14 Clubs

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

    • The real NL slate for 21-22 includes 13 clubs. With three teams leaving / promoted to the mighty Europa League, the NHLX version of the NL has to backfill from the second-tier SL with two additional clubs so traditional top tier club EHC Kloten is back in the NL along with SC Langenthal, one of the better SL teams in recent times.

SWISS LEAGUE

  • Real Format (21-22): 11 Clubs

  • NHLX Format 21-22): 12 Clubs

    • Some significant tinkering in the SL in the NHLX database. Kloten and Langenthal have been promoted to the NL. EVZ Academy, Zug’s main junior club – have been combined with Zug's junior club. GC/Kusnacht – who have served a similar farm/junior purpose for ZSC Lions – have been rebranded to the historic GC Zurich “Grasshoppers” identity and while they still serve as ZSC’s farm club, are now a more independent club. This leaves 8 real/original/rebranded SL clubs so with no third tier Swiss league, a few top MSL clubs join the line-up: EHC Basel, EHC Dubendorf, HCV Martigny and Hockey Huttwil.

Czech Republic

​

​

CECH REPUBLIC (TWO-TIERS)

EXTRALIGA

  • Real Format (21-22): 15 Clubs

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

    • The math for the Extraliga works out nicely in NHLX…with 3 top clubs joining the ESL, that leaves 12 real life Extraliga clubs – and these same dozen clubs will compete for the league title in NHLX as well.

1.LIGA

  • Real Format (21-22): 17 Clubs

  • NHLX Format 21-22): 16 Clubs

    • With no changes in the Extraliga above making waves in the second tier below – I was still left with the dilemma of chopping one real 1.Liga club from this giant league…and the axe fell on Draci Sumperk who have a very poor record at this level. The other 16 clubs remain true to real life. Note: Orli Znojmo are in NHLX, in the IceHL as they are in real life.

Germany

​

​

GERMANY (TWO-TIERS)

DEL

  • Real Format (21-22): 15 Clubs

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

    • The math for the DEL works out nicely in NHLX…with 3 top clubs joining the ESL, that leaves 12 real life DEL clubs – and these same dozen clubs will compete for the league title in NHLX as well.

DEL2

  • Real Format (21-22): 13 Clubs

  • NHLX Format 21-22): 16 Clubs

    • There is no third tier German league in the NHLX database but the DEL2 has been expanded from 13 teams to 16 teams. Hannover Scorpions are a traditionally important club who were in the DEL for the first 14 years and even have a DEL title back in 2010. They’ve been elevated from the third tier to the DEL2 along with Starbulls Rosenheim and SC Riessersee – two other clubs with recent DEL2 history.

Austria / Italy

​

​

AUSTRIA / ITALY (TWO-TIERS)

ICEHL

  • Real Format (21-22): 15 Clubs

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

    • The ICEHL remains Austrian-based as the top tier domestic league in that country and for the entire Central European region and now features promotion from and relegation to the AlpsHL. With 14 real life teams and a limit of 12 in NHLX, two clubs were dropped down to the AlpsHL but can win their way back up: Dornbirn and Black Wings Linz, both who are struggling mightily in real life thus far this season. Bratislava Capitals remain as they are expected back in real life for the 22-23 after some tragedy within the organization shut-down their real 21-22 season.

ALPSHL

  • Real Format (21-22): 17 Clubs

  • NHLX Format 21-22): 16 Clubs

    • The AlpsHL remains primarily composed of Italian and Austrian teams and in NHLX, it is based in Italy as the top tier league in that country – however it also serves as the second tier league to the ICEHL in that region of Europe, with promotion and relegation introduced. The real clubs in the AlpsHL include several junior-based feeder teams for ICEHL members. I have culled these clubs and merged them with the junior leagues which left 13 independent teams. They are joined by ICEHL strugglers Dornbirn and Black Wings Linz. Medvescak Zagreb round out the division as the former KHL member is re-born in NHLX.

Slovakia

​

​

SLOVAKIA (TWO-TIERS)

EXTRALIGA

  • Real Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

    • The one change for the top Slovak league from real-life is always ambitious Slovan is off to the Europa League so one team from the first division had to be promoted – with Vlci Zilinga getting the call as a the current first division leader.

HOKEJOVÁ LIGA

  • Real Format (21-22): 13 Clubs

  • NHLX Format 21-22): 12 Clubs

    • The main change in 1.Liga is that the Team Slovakia U18 developmental club (who were “part-time” first division members)  has been eliminated while Zilina were promoted. With one opening, former Extraliga members HC Detva return from the second division to fill out the group.

Kazakhstan

​

​

KAZAKHSTAN (ONE-TIER)

PRO HOKEI LIGASY

  • Real Format (21-22): 13 Clubs

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

    • A few minor changes for the PHL. First, Altay-Torpedo are removed - they are Torpedo's farm club in real life and I didn't feel they both needed to be a part of this league. Next, Snezhnye Barsy - the junior club for the KHL's Barys Nur-Sultan - have been moved back to the MHL. Finally, to get back to 12 clubs, Uzbek club Humo Tashkent have been revived (they aren't playing in the real 21-22 season).

Belarus / Ukraine

​

​

BELARUS / UKRAINE (TWO-TIERS)

DNIEPER EXTRALEAGUE (BELARUS)

  • Real Format (21-22): 12 Clubs (Belarus)

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 8 Clubs

    • The top Belarussian and Ukrainian hockey leagues have been combined in NHLX to form a two-tiered competition, named after the shared major river between the two nations. The DnXL (Extraleague) is the top tier and it is based in Belarus, who have had the more successful domestic league. It’s initial make-up is 6 of the strongest Belarussian clubs joined by two Ukrainian powers – Donbass and Sokil. There is promotion and demotion from the second-tier Dnieper League (DnL).

DNIEPER LEAGUE (UKRAINE)

  • Real Format (21-22): 8 Clubs

  • NHLX Format 21-22): 12 Clubs

    • The DnL (or second tier) is based in the Ukraine and features the 6 Belarussian Extraleague clubs who didn’t make the initial cut for the DnXL as well as the remaining 6 Ukrainian top-level clubs. All of them can win their way to the top level DnXL through promotion.

Norway

​

​

NORWAY (ONE-TIER)

ELITSERIEN

  • Real Format (21-22): 10 Clubs

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

    • To get to 12 clubs, the Norwegian domestic league adds Lørenskog and Narvik from their real second-tier league to the existing line-up.

Denmark

​

​

DENMARK (ONE-TIER)

SUPERISLIGAEN

  • Real Format (21-22): 9 Clubs

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

    • Three independent clubs in the real Danish second-tier (Gladsaxe, Gentofte, Jutland) are added to the real Danish league to round out NHLX's Danish domestic league.

France

​

​

FRANCE (ONE-TIER)

LIGUE MAGNUS

  • Real Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

    • No changes required here as Ligue Magnus in NHLX mirrors the 12-team setup in reality.

Great Britain

​

​

GREAT BRITAIN (ONE-TIER)

ELITE ICE HOCKEY LEAGUE

  • Real Format (21-22): 10 Clubs

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

    • British hockey fans may be disappointed to see a severe reduction in British-based playable comps but for me, the British league is modest at best and didn't warrant the elaborate setup found in the original or other databases. I've promoted MK Lightning back up a level and reinstated the Edinburgh Capitals to round out the NHLX line-up for the EIHL. Do check out the Channel Cup in the Domestic Cups section under NHLX Features for a nice little addition if you do want to manage a British side.

Hungary

​

​

HUNGARY (ONE-TIER)

ERSTE LIGA

  • Real Format (21-22): 11 Clubs

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 16 Clubs

    • The real Erste Liga is a Hungary-based league that also includes a few of the top Romanian clubs. In the NHLX the league expands to 16 to include all the major professional Romanian clubs to form a two-country super league.

Poland

​

​

POLAND (ONE-TIER)

HOKEJ LIGA

  • Real Format (21-22): 9 Clubs

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

    • The real PHL has only 9 clubs so three teams were brought up from the existing second tier: Polonia Bytom, Opole HK and Zaglebie Sosnowiec to make for a league with an even dozen.

Latvia

​

​

LATVIA (ONE-TIER)

BALTIC HOCKEY LEAGUE

  • Real Format (21-22): 7 Clubs (Latvia)

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 16 Clubs

    • The Baltic Hockey League was recently started in real-life as a supplemental competition to the domestic leagues in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. In NHLX, I've expanded it to become a full-time super league of the top clubs from the region, in lieu of separate smaller domestic leagues in each of these nations.

Slovenia

​

​

SLOVENIA (ONE-TIER)

BALKAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

  • Real Format (21-22): 8 Clubs (Slovenia)

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 16 Clubs

    • In NHLX, I've taken the small, part-time domestic competitions of Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia and Bulgaria and unified them into one professional super league of 16 clubs. Keep in mind the top Slovenian teams - Olimpija and Jesenice - ply their trade in the more powerful ICEHL and AlpsHL respectively.

Netherlands

​

​

NETHERLANDS (ONE-TIER)

BENE LEAGUE

  • Real Format (21-22): 8 Clubs

  • NHLX Format (21-22): 12 Clubs

    • I've expanded the existing BeNe League from 8 to 12 in NHLX with a few DUtch and Belgian additions - the most noteworthy of which are the Tilburg Trappers who in real life play in the neighboring third tier of German hockey.

Non-Playable

​

​

NON-PLAYABLE LEAGUES

The following real leagues are in NHLX, some with a bit of expansion - but are not currently playable and exist only as background leagues. I may toggle them to be playable at some point in the future:

  • Icelandic Hockey League

  • Israeli Premier League

  • Spanish National Ice Hockey League

  • Türkiye Buz Hokeyi Süper Ligi

​

​

bottom of page