Czech Extraliga
The Czech Extraliga (Czech: Extraliga ledního hokeje, ELH) is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. It was created by the 1993 split of the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League following the breakup of Czechoslovakia. In 2008 the IIHF ranked the Extraliga as the third-highest ice hockey league in Europe.
Naming and sponsorship
The name of the league is leased to a general sponsor and changes frequently.
1999–2000 – Staropramen Extraliga
2001–2002 – Český Telecom Extraliga
2003–2006 – Tipsport Extraliga
2007–2010 – O2 Extraliga
2010–current – Tipsport Extraliga
League format
14 teams compete in the league, with the top 6 teams at the end of the regular season play qualifying for the playoffs to determine the league champion, known as the Česká pojišťovna play-off Tipsport extraligy. The teams that finish 7th through 10th play a play-in series (best-of-five) to determine who will join the top six into the playoff quarter-finals (best-of-seven). 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 two worst placed teams after the play-out group plays with the two semi-finalists of the First League in qualify group,they will play totally 12 matches,(twice home and twice away with every team in group), with the 1st and 2nd placed teams of that group being qualified to play in Extraliga the following season while the 3rd and 4th plays in the First League.
