Current season, competition or edition: 2017–18 NL season |
|
Formerly |
Nationalliga A
|
---|---|
Sport | Ice hockey |
Founded | 1999 |
CEO | Jean-Marie Viaccoz Michael Rindlisbacher |
No. of teams | 12 |
Country | Switzerland |
Most recent champion(s) |
SC Bern (15) |
Most titles | HC Davos (31) |
TV partner(s) | SRG, MySports |
Related competitions |
Swiss League |
Official website | www.nationalleague.ch |
Nationalliga A
1999–2007
National League A
2007-2017
The National League (NL) is a professional ice hockey league in Switzerland. It is the top tier of the Swiss hockey league system and of the two-tier National League. Prior to the 2017–18 season, the league was officially called National League A. The NL has the most attended hockey club in Europe, SC Bern, and is also the most attended league within the same continent, averaging 6,882 spectators for the 2016–17 season.
During the regular season, each of the 12 teams play 50 games. The top eight teams after the regular season qualify for the playoffs to determine the Swiss champion in best-of-seven series. The bottom four teams in the standings play a relegation tournament, called playouts, in which each team retains their regular season points and play an additional six matches. Following those matches, the two bottom ranked teams will play each other in a best-of-seven series, with the loser then playing the winner of the Swiss League playoffs in a best-of-seven series for a spot in the successive NL season.
Swiss National Championship Serie A (1909–1937)
Swiss International Championship Serie A (1916–1933)