Emirates Ice Hockey League

The Emirates Hockey League (EHL) is the national ice hockey league of the United Arab Emirates. The league is governed by the International Ice Hockey Federation and founded in 2009 by the country’s Winter Sports Federation and the Emirates Olympic Committee.[1][2] The Scorpions and Mighty Camels are composed of expatriate players, including Canadians, working in the U.A.E., while the other clubs consist of mostly Emirati players who form the United Arab Emirates national team.[3]

Emirates Ice Hockey League
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2022–23 Emirates Ice Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Founded2009
No. of teams5
CountriesUnited Arab Emirates
ContinentAsia
Most recent
champion(s)		Dubai White Bears (3rd title)
Most titlesDubai Mighty Camels (5 titles)

The first game of the league was on October 7, 2009 between the Dubai Mighty Camels and the Abu Dhabi Scorpions, held at the Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.

In November 2018, Vladimir Burdun, a former karate champion who had lived in Dubai since the mid-1990s, was appointed as the new president of the League.[4] He planned to eventually field at least one Emirates team in the international, professional Kontinental Hockey League by 2021.[5] "The main goal of the EHL management is to improve the quality of the league and bring new exposure to the level of play and create bridges with one of the best leagues in Europe, the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL)", he said. At about the same time, Dmitry Butenko was appointed as Managing Director of EHL.[6] A new ice arena was expected to open in Dubai, possibly before the end of 2019, with a seating capacity of 17,000,[7] and that venue would meet all the requirements of the KHL. (Preliminary plans for a major arena in Abu Dhabi were also underway in 2018.)[8][9][10]

In April 2018, the Dubai Mighty Camels won the fourth title of Emirates Hockey League, becoming the major winner of the competition while in 2019, the champions were the Abu Dhabi Storms.[11]

2023–24 season

Current teams
Team Home City Home rink
Abu Dhabi Scorpions Abu Dhabi Zayed Sports City
Abu Dhabi Storms Abu Dhabi Zayed Sports City
Al Ain Theebs Al Ain Al Ain Ice Rink
Dubai White Bears Dubai Dubai Mall Ice Rink
Dubai Mighty Camels Dubai Dubai Mall Ice Rink
Galaxy Warriors Dubai Dubai Mall Ice Rink

Former teams
Team Home City Home rink
Abu Dhabi Shaheen Falcons Abu Dhabi Zayed Sports City

Annual champions
YearChampion
2022–23Dubai White Bears
2021–22Al Ain Theebs
2020–21Dubai Mighty Camels
2019–20Al Ain Theebs
2018–19Abu Dhabi Storms
2017–18Dubai Mighty Camels
2016–17Dubai White Bears[12]
2015–16Dubai Mighty Camels
2014–15Dubai Oilers*
2013–14Abu Dhabi Storms
2012–13Dubai Mighty Camels
2011–12Dubai Mighty Camels
2010–11Abu Dhabi Storms
2009–10Al Ain Vipers*

*The Al Ain Vipers became the Dubai Vipers in 2013, and changed their name to the Dubai Oilers in 2014. The team changed back to Dubai Vipers for the 2016-2017 season. The team later merged with the Dubai White Bears in 2018.

TeamTitles
Dubai Mighty Camels5
Dubai White Bears/Vipers4
Abu Dhabi Storms3
Al Ain Theebs2

References
  1. "arabianbusiness.com".
  2. "Emirates Hockey League details - Eurohockey.com".
  3. "Canada and the United Arab Emirates".
  4. "arabianbusiness.com".
  5. "HockeyBuzz.com - Aivis Kalnins - Russian businessman talks KHL expansion to Dubai".
  6. "Russian-UAE resident businessman set to take UAE ice hockey to great heights | ZAWYA MENA Edition".
  7. "New arena to be 'game changer' for Dubai - The Stadium Business".
  8. "Hamad Al Qubaisi calls on investors to help build ice rink on Yas Island".
  9. Sam Bridge (2018-11-23). "How one Russian expat aims to make the UAE an ice hockey force". Arabian Business. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
  10. "Dubai's new air conditioned sports arena for 17,000 spectators looks set to open next year".
  11. "Abu Dhabi Storms details - Eurohockey.com".
  12. Сергей Токарев (2017-02-09). ""Белые медведи" стали чемпионами ОАЭ по хоккею на льду" (in Russian). Русские Эмираты. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
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