The Maxa liga is the second-highest level of professional ice hockey in the Czech Republic, after the Extraliga. It began in 1993 and is run and administered by Czech Ice Hockey Association.
Until 2015, the league was known as the 1st Czech National Hockey League. It was then known as the WSM Liga until 2018, and the Chance Liga until 2024.
Format (2023-24) In the first phase, every team plays each other four times—twice at home and twice away—which makes for a 52-game regular season.
After the 52-game regular season, the first six teams directly qualify for the quarter-finals, while teams which placed 7 to 10 play a round-robin to determine the final two participants in the quarter-finals.
The playoffs end with the finals, with the winning team going on to face the bottom team from the Extraliga in a round-robin. The winner of the round-robin is promoted to Extraliga for the following season.
The last placed team at the end of the regular season is directly relegated to the Second League for the following season. They are replaced by the winner of a 3 team round-robin group between the winners of the East, the Central and the West divisions of the Second League.
Three points are awarded for a win in regulation time and two points for an overtime or shootout victory, while the team defeated in overtime or shootout gets one point.
The level of 1. národní hokejová liga is slightly lower than the Czech Extraliga, but there are a lot of players moving between those two leagues every season. Each team in this league is allowed to have five imports. The league has no salary cap, with an average salary of USD 2200 per month, but some of the best players reportedly sign contracts for more than USD 5000 per month, plus most of the teams cover accommodation expenses for their players during the season.
Current teams (2023-24) Team City Arena Capacity Affiliate Team HC Baník Sokolov Sokolov Zimni stadion Sokolov 5,000 independent VHK ROBE Vsetín Vsetín Zimní stadion Na Lapači 5,386 independent HC Slavia Praha Prague Zimní stadion Eden 4,000 independent HC Stadion Litoměřice Litoměřice Kalich arena 1,750 independent HC ZUBR Přerov Přerov Zimní stadion Přerov 3,000 independent HC Frýdek-Místek Frýdek-Místek Hala Polárka 2,056 HC Oceláři Třinec (ELH) LHK Jestřábi Prostějov Prostějov Zimní hokejový stadion Prostějov 5,125 independent HC Dukla Jihlava Jihlava CZ LOKO Arena 6,500 independent SK Horácká Slavia Třebíč Třebíč Zimní stadion města Třebíče 5,000 independent HC RT TORAX Poruba Poruba Zimní stadion Ostrava - Poruba 5,000 independent HC Dynamo Pardubice B Chrudim Zimní stadion Chrudim 1,744 HC Dynamo Pardubice (ELH) SC Kolín Kolín Zimní stadion Kolín 5,500 Mountfield HK (ELH) Piráti Chomutov Chomutov Rocknet Arena 4,020 HC Litvínov (ELH)Berani ZlinZlínZimní stadion Luďka Čajky 7,000independent
Champions 1993–94 Vsetínská hokejová and HC Slavia Praha 1994–95 HC Kometa Brno and TZ Třinec 1995–96 HC Přerov and HC Opava 1996–97 HC Becherovka Karlovy Vary and HC Kralupy nad Vltavou 1997–98 HC Znojemští Orli 1998–99 HC Znojemští Orli 1999–2000 HC Dukla Jihlava 2000–01 KLH Chomutov 2001–02 HC Bílí Tygři Liberec 2002–03 HC Vagnerplast Kladno 2003–04 HC Dukla Jihlava 2004–05 HC České Budějovice 2005–06 HC Slovan Ústí nad Labem 2006–07 HC Slovan Ústí nad Labem 2007–08 BK Mladá Boleslav 2008–09 HC Slovan Ústečtí Lvi 2009–10 KLH Chomutov 2010–11 HC Slovan Ústečtí Lvi 2011–12 Piráti Chomutov 2012–13 BK Mladá Boleslav and HC Olomouc 2013–14 BK Mladá Boleslav and HC Olomouc 2014–15 Piráti Chomutov and Motor České Budějovice 2015–16 HC Dukla Jihlava and HC Slavia Praha 2016–17 Motor České Budějovice and HC Dukla Jihlava 2017–18 Energie Karlovy Vary and Rytíři Kladno 2018–19 Motor České Budějovice and Rytíři Kladno 2019–20 Motor České Budějovice 2020–21 Rytíři Kladno 2021–22 HC Dukla Jihlava 2022–23 PSG Berani Zlín 2023–24 VHK Vsetín 2024–25 HC Dukla Jihlava 2025–26 HC Dukla Jihlava
References
External links Hokej.cz Hokej iDNES.cz