Czech Extraliga

The Czech Extraliga (Extraliga ledního hokeje, ELH) is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. As of 2009, it is ranked by the IIHF as the third strongest league in Europe.

The Czech Extraliga is rooted in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League. The Czech Extraliga was spun off in 1993 following the administrative break-up of Czechoslovakia. A lot of Extraliga players leave every year on transfers to the North American NHL and Eurasian league, the KHL. There are currently 57 Czech ice hockey players based in the National Hockey League, making Czechs the third largest nationality represented in the league, after Canadians and Americans.

Name
The name of the league is leased a general sponsor and changes frequently.
 * In 1999-2000 season - Staropramen Extraliga
 * In 2001-2002 season - Český Telecom Extraliga
 * From 2003 to 2006 - Tipsport Extraliga
 * From 2007 to 2010 - O2 Extraliga
 * From 2010 - Tipsport Extraliga

Format
14 teams compete in the league. The top 10 teams at the end of the regular season advance to the final play-offs. After the 52-game regular season, the teams that finished 7th to 10th play a pre-quarter-final playoff series (best-of-five) to determine who will join the top six into the quarter-finals (best-of-seven).

Since the 2006-07 season, three points have been be awarded for a win in regular time and two points for an overtime victory, while the defeated team in overtime gets one point. If necessary, penalty shots are used to decide games after overtime.

There is also only one assist credited for each goal instead of two since 2006-07, which affected the league statistics, so the rule was cancelled in the 2008-09 season. Two assists are counted now.

The four lowest ranked teams (11 - 14) after the regular season play in a play-out group (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). The winner of this series will play in the Extraliga the following season. The loser will play in the First League.

2010-11 teams
Note: The names of most teams are leased to general sponsors and change frequently.

2009-10 Interim positions
updated monthly

The playoffs
The top 10 teams at the end of the regular season play in the final play-offs.

Starting from the 2003-04 season, the play-offs has its own general sponsor, with the play-offs' official name being Česká pojišťovna play-off Tipsport extraligy. The play-offs determine the league championship.

Champions

 * 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 HC Energie Karlovy Vary
 * 2010 HC Pardubice