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Meistriliiga (ice hockey)

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This article is about the Estonian ice hockey league. For other uses, see Meistriliiga (disambiguation).
Unibet Hokiliiga
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2024-25
AssociationEstonian Ice Hockey Association
SportIce hockey
Founded1934
No. of teams6
CountryEstonia
HeadquartersTallinn, Estonia
Most recent
champion(s)		Narva PSK (19th title)
Most titlesNarva PSK (19 titles)
TV partner(s)Eesti Hoki TV - https://www.eestihoki.tv/et/home
Official websitewww.eestihoki.ee/liigad/unibet-hokiliiga

The Meistriliiga (EML), also known as the Unibet Hokiliiga for sponsorship reasons, is the top-tier ice hockey league in Estonia. The league consists of six teams.[1]

There are 28 referees in the country who officiate at Estonian championship games in all age classes. The work of hockey referees is organized by the ref in chief of Estonian hockey referees Maksim Toode.

The Estonian champion has the right to represent the country at the Continental Cup of Hockey.

History

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The league was formed in the 1990-91 season. Since 1945–46, Estonian teams had participated in the Estonian SSR Championship. Prior to the country's annexation and incorporation into the Soviet Union, the Estonian Championship had been contested in interwar Estonia from 1934 to 1940. In the 2017–18 season, the league was known as the Nordic Power Hokiliiga. In the 2018-23 the name of the league was Coolbet Hokiliiga.

Narva PSK has dominated the league at the outset, winning the first six championships and eight of the first 11 seasons. Since winning their first title in 1997, Tartu Välk 494 has been the most consistently successful team in the Meistriliiga since the league started, having won a total of nine championships. HK Stars claimed four titles in five years from 2005 to 2009.

In the 2022-23 season, the tournament acquired international status, with 7 teams participating in the championship: 5 from Estonia (HC Panter, Välk 494, Narva PSK, HC Everest, Viru Sputnik) and 2 from Latvia (HK Kurbads, HS Riga). The team that won the championship that year was HK Kurbads.

In the 2023-24 season the name of the league was Unibet Hokiliiga, seven years later the Narva hockey players were able to win the Estonian championship and will represent the country in the 2024-25 IIHF Continental Cup in Group B, the games of which will be held in Narva.[2]

The league retained its name for the 2024-25 season, with the capital's Vipers joining the five teams that played in the previous season.

Teams

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Team City Arena Capacity Founded
Narva PSK Narva Narva Ice Hall 1,500 1956
Tartu Välk 494 Tartu Astri Arena 600 1994
Kohtla-Järve Viru Sputnik Kohtla-Järve Kohtla-Järve Ice Hall 1,000 2003
HC Everest Kohtla-Järve Kohtla-Järve Kohtla-Järve Ice Hall 1,000 2012
HC Panter Tallinn Haabersti Ice Hall 900 2001
HC Vipers Tallinn Tondiraba Ice Hall 5,840 2014

Title holders

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Estonian Championship

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Estonian SSR Championship

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Meistriliiga

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Titles by team

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Titles Team Season
19 Narva PSK[A] 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2016, 2017, 2024
13 Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik[B] 1956, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989
13 Tartu Kalev-Välk[C] 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
7 Tallinn Kalev 1934, 1937, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962
6 Dünamo Tallinn 1946, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1954
4 HK Stars 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
3 Dünamo Tartu 1947, 1955, 1957
3 HC Viking[D] 2013, 2014, 2018
2 Tartu ASK 1936, 1939
2 Tallinn LTM 1950, 1951
2 Tallinn Ekskavaator 1963, 1966
2 Tallinn Tempo 1965, 1968
2 Tallinn Talleks 1978, 1981
1 Tallinn Sport 1940
1 Tallinn Taksopark 1964
1 Sillamäe Kalev 1982
1 HC Panter 2004
1 Kohtla-Järve Viru Sputnik 2010
1 HK Kurbads 2023

Estonian Youth Championships[3]

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The remaining leagues of the Estonian ice hockey championship are divided by age. In U17-U8 classes children can play according to the birth years of their age groups. In addition, a team can have up to 3 players who are one year older in their age group if they were born in the last three months of the previous year. As an exception, there is a special permit for girls who may be older than this age group by up to 2 years.

Purpose of the competition:

  1. Identify Estonian youth ice hockey champions in the age groups U20, U17, U14.
  2. To promote children's hockey in the age groups U12, U10 and U8 throughout Estonia.
  3. Find out the candidates for the U-20 and U-18 teams.
  4. To popularize ice hockey in the Republic of Estonia.

Season 2023-2024[4]

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For the 2023-24 season, the following age groups were formed: U20, U17, U14, U12-1 (full rink championship matches); U12-2 (half rink championship matches); U10-1, U10-2, U8 (championship matches on a third of the rink).

U20

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There were 2 teams represented in the U20 class:

  1. HC Panter/HK Tornaado (Tallinn)
  2. Narva PSK (Narva)

The teams had 4 meetings with each other (2 at home and 2 away), each meeting lasted 3 periods of 20 minutes. Final standings of the winners:

U20
Place Team Points
1 HC Panter/HK Tornaado 7
2 Narva PSK 1

U17

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There were 6 teams represented in the U17 class:

  1. SK Kajakas/HC Everest (Tartu, Kohtla-Järve)
  2. Narva PSK (Narva)
  3. HC Vipers (Tallinn)
  4. HK Tornaado (Tallinn)
  5. SK Viru Sputnik (Kohtla-Järve)
  6. HC Panter (Tallinn)

Each team played 4 meetings (2 at home and 2 away), each game lasted 3 periods of 20 minutes. Final standings of the winners:

U17
Place Team Points
1 SK Kajakas/HC Everest 33
2 Narva PSK 27
3 HC Vipers 24

U14

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There were 11 teams represented in the U14 class:

  1. HK Tornaado Sinine (Tallinn)
  2. SK Kajakas (Tartu)
  3. HC Vipers 11 (Tallinn)
  4. Narva PSK (Narva)
  5. HC Vipers 10 (Tallinn)
  6. HC Panter Must (Tallinn)
  7. HK Tornaado Kollane (Tallinn)
  8. Narva PSK 2 (Narva)
  9. SK Viru Sputnik (Kohtla-Järve)
  10. HC Panter Punane (Tallinn)
  11. HC Everest (Kohtla-Järve)

At the first stage, each team played one game with each, then, based on the results of the first round, the teams were divided into two groups U14-1 (the first 6 teams) and U14-2 (the last 5 teams) and in these groups they played 2 games each with each one. The first round the teams played 3 periods of 15 minutes. Second round: U14-1 - 3 periods of 15 minutes; U14-2 - 2 periods of 20 minutes. Final standings of the winners:

U14-1
Place Team Points
1 HK Tornaado Sinine 19
2 Narva PSK 14
3 HC Vipers 11 10
U14-2
Place Team Points
1 HK Tornaado Kollane 16
2 SK Viru Sputnik 12
3 Narva PSK 2 8

U12-1

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There were 7 teams represented in the U12-1 class:

  1. HK Tornaado (Tallinn)
  2. SK Kajakas (Tartu)
  3. HC Vipers 2012 (Tallinn)
  4. Narva PSK (Narva)
  5. HC Vipers 2013 (Tallinn)
  6. HC Panter (Tallinn)
  7. SK Viru Sputnik (Kohtla-Järve)

Starting from the U12-1 class and up to U8, teams do not keep score during the game and the final score in all matches was 0:0.

In the U12-1 group, each team played 3 games with each other (1 away and 2 at home or 1 at home and 2 away), each game lasted 2 periods of 20 minutes.

U12-2

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There were 6 teams represented in the U12-2 class:

  1. JHK/SOFTCOM (Jõgeva)
  2. SK Kajakas (Tartu)
  3. HC Vipers (Tallinn)
  4. Narva PSK (Narva)
  5. Viljandi Hokiklubi (Viljandi)
  6. HC Panter (Tallinn)
  7. HC Everest (Kohtla-Järve)

From U12-2 to U8, each game lasts 24 minutes.

In the U12-2 class each team had 3 meetings (1 away and 2 at home or 1 at home and 2 away). The teams played in a 4v4 format.

U10-1

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There were 8 teams represented in the U10-1 class:

  1. HK Tornaado (Tallinn)
  2. SK Kajakas (Tartu)
  3. HC Vipers 2014 (Tallinn)
  4. Narva PSK 1 (Narva)
  5. HC Vipers 2015 (Tallinn)
  6. HC Panter (Tallinn)
  7. Narva PSK 2 (Narva)
  8. SK Viru Sputnik (Kohtla-Järve)

From class U10-1 to U8, teams play in a 3v3 format.

Each team in the U10-1 class played 2 games (1 home and 1 away).

U10-2

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There were 4 teams represented in the U10-1 class:

  1. HC Vipers 2014/2015 (Tallinn)
  2. HC Panter (Tallinn)
  3. HC Everest (Kohtla-Järve)
  4. HK Tornaado (Tallinn)

Each team had 4 meetings (2 at home and 2 away).

U8

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There were 11 teams represented in the U8 class:

  1. HK Tornaado Sinine (Tallinn)
  2. SK Kajakas (Tartu)
  3. HC Vipers (Tallinn)
  4. Narva PSK Must (Narva)
  5. JHK/SOFTCOM (Jõgeva)
  6. HC Panter Must (Tallinn)
  7. HK Tornaado Kollane (Tallinn)
  8. Narva PSK Valge (Narva)
  9. SK Viru Sputnik (Kohtla-Järve)
  10. HC Panter Punane (Tallinn)
  11. HC Everest (Kohtla-Järve)

Children of the youngest class of the Estonian hockey championship played with a blue puck.

Notes
  1. ^
    Before 1999 as Narva Kreenholm, and 1999–2003 as Narva 2000.
  2. ^
    1952–1961 as Kohtla-Järve Kalev, 1961–1969 as Kohtla-Järve PK, 1969–1997 as Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik, 1997–2001 as Kohtla-Järve Central, and since 2004 as Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik.
  3. ^
    1994–2007 as Tartu Välk 494.
  4. ^
    2010–2014 as Viiking Sport.

References

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  1. ^ "Unibet Hokiliiga". Eesti Jäähokiliit (in Estonian). Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  2. ^ "Narva PSK", Wikipedia, 2024-07-08, retrieved 2024-07-08
  3. ^ "Noorte EMV 2023/2024". Eesti Jäähokiliit (in Estonian). Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  4. ^ "Jäähokiliit". ehis.eestihoki.ee. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
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