The Extreme Ice Hockey League (XHL) is the second-tier ice hockey league in Japan, below the Asia League Ice Hockey. It is administered by the Japan Ice Hockey Federation (JIHF), a member of the IIHF.
History The Japan Ice Hockey Federation announced the creation of the Extreme Ice Hockey League in June 2025 with the first season expected to be played from October 2025 to March 2026. Initially, the teams would all be based in the Tokyo, Nagoya, and Shiga regions. The federation that it hoped the new league would help grow the sport in Japan. The first season featured three teams: Nagoya Orques, Shiga Blue Rise, and Tokyo Wilds. The league was played in a round-robin format with each team playing six home games. The first game was held on 12 October 2025 with Shiga Blue Rise hosting Nagoya Orcs at Kinoshita Kansei Ice Arena in Ōtsu.
Current teams
Extreme Hockey League Teams: 2025–26 SeasonTeamMunicipalityVenueJoined league Hokkaido Grus Kushiro, Hokkaido Kushiro Ice Arena 2026 Tokyo Wilds Nishitokyo, Tokyo DyDo Drinco Ice Arena 2025 Nagoya Orques Nagoya, Chūbu Kuniwa Port Sports & Culture 2025 Shiga Blue Rise Ōtsu, Shiga Kinoshita Kansei Ice Arena 2025
Season results YearChampionRunner-UpThird 2025–26 Tokyo Wilds Nagoya Orques Shiga Blue Rise 2026–27
See also Asia League Ice Hockey Japan Ice Hockey Federation Japan men's national ice hockey team
External links Official website Page at Japan Ice Hockey Federation
References