Women's League (Switzerland)
The Women's League, also known as the PostFinance Women's League for sponsorship reasons, is the premier ice hockey league in the Swiss Women's Hockey League (SWHL) system.[1] The league was founded in 1986 as the Leistungsklasse A, abbreviated LKA, and was also officially known as the Ligue nationale A in French and the Lega Nazionale A in Italian, both abbreviated as LNA. During 2014 to 2019, the league was called the Swiss Women's Hockey League A, abbreviated SWHL A; the abbreviation continues to be used by the league following the 2019 name change. An amateur league, it is organized by the Regio League, an organ of the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation.
Current season, competition or edition: 2023–24 SWHL A season | |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | Swiss Ice Hockey Federation |
| Inaugural season | 1986–87 |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Switzerland |
| Most recent champion(s) | ZSC Lions Frauen (2022–23) |
| Most titles | ZSC Lions Frauen (11 titles) |
| Domestic cup(s) | Swiss Women's Hockey Cup |
| International cup(s) | EWHL Super Cup European Women's Champions Cup (2004–2015) |
| Related competitions |
|
| Official website | Official website |
History
With the creation of several women's ice hockey clubs in the early 1980s, the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation chose to incorporate women's hockey within the scope of its governance in 1984. During the 1985–86 season, an unofficial club championship was played. The following season, the first official championship tournament, called Leistungsklasse A ('Performance Class A'), was organized and the victors, the Kloten Specials of EHC Kloten, became the first Swiss Champions in women's ice hockey.
With the growing interest and participation in ice hockey among Swiss women, a second tier league, called the Leistungsklasse B (LKB), was established from the 1988–89 season. Two years later, league rules were changed to allow foreign players and several big names in international women's hockey opted to play with Swiss teams, including Canadian national team forwards Andria Hunter and France Saint-Louis, and Finnish national team phenom Riikka Sallinen. The arrival of imports coincided with the rise to dominance of SC Lyss, who won four titles in five years from 1991–92 to 1996–97. The women's section had become an independent club, the DHC Lyss, when they won their fourth title in 1997. In 1995, a third level league, the Leistungsklasse C (LKC), was introduced.
From the 2001–02 season onward, a final four tournament is held to determine the Swiss Champion. SC Reinach, the 2001 champions, retained their title in the league's inaugural final four in 2002 and followed it up with a third consecutive victory in 2003. Playoffs were introduced in the 2005–06 season and the HC Lugano Ladies Team and ZSC Lions Frauen dominated in the playoff era, with one of the two teams winning the championship in all but one year since format change.[2]
Format
Starting from the 2010–11 season, the participating teams play against each other four times in two home-and-away rounds. At the end of the first round, the each team's total of points is cut by half. Once the second round is completed, the top ranking teams qualify for the play-offs which are in a best-of-five format, excepted the third place game played on a one-off match. The finals winner is declared Swiss Champion. Meanwhile, the teams finishing in the bottom two positions dispute a best-of-five playdown. The loser then faces the second tier champions in a best-of-three games series, the winner getting to play the following season in the top tier.
Current teams
HC Fribourg-Gottéron Ladies joined the league in 2023, increasing the number of team to eight for the 2023–24 season.[3]
During summer 2023, EV Bomo Thun, a previously independent club, merged into SC Bern and the team was renamed SC Bern Frauen. The HC Thurgau Ladies team left HC Thurgau to move under the oversight of HC Davos and were renamed HC Davos Ladies.
In March 2023, HC Ladies Lugano announced the team had insufficient finances and was ceasing operations.[4] In August 2023, HC Ladies Lugano unexpectedly began pre-season training after securing a sponsorship deal with an investment company.[5]
| Team | Location | Home venue | Head coach | Captain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HC Ambrì-Piotta Girls |  Quinto |
Nuova Valascia | Dmitri Tsygourov | Rebecca Roccella |
| SC Bern Frauen |  Bern |
PostFinance Arena | Thomas Zwahlen | Stefanie Marty |
| HC Davos Ladies |  Fribourg |
Vaillant Arena | Andrea Kröni | Julina Gianola |
| HC Fribourg-Gottéron Ladies |  Davos |
BCF Arena | Valentin Dufour | Cassandra Rensch |
| SC Langenthal Damen |  Langenthal |
Eishalle Schoren | Jürg Langenegger | Sévérine Zaugg |
| HC Ladies Lugano |  Lugano |
Cornèr Arena | Benjamin Rogger | Greta Niccolai |
| Neuchâtel Hockey Academy |  Neuchâtel |
Patinoire du Littoral | Yan Gigon | Inès Berset |
| ZSC Lions Frauen |  Zürich |
KEBO Neudorf | Angela Frautschi | Sinja Leemann |
Swiss Champions
|
|
|
Titles by teams
| Team | Titles | Last title | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZSC Lions Frauen (prev. Grasshopper Club Zürich) | 11 | 2023 |
| 2 | HC Ladies Lugano | 8 | 2021 |
| 3 | EV Zug | 4 | 2005 |
| – | DHC Lyss (earlier known as SC Lyss) | 4 | 1997 |
| 5 | SC Reinach | 3 | 2003 |
| 6 | DHC Langenthal | 2 | 2008 |
| – | EHC Kloten Specials | 2 | 1988 |
| 8 | DSC St. Gallen | 1 | 2000 |
| – | EHC Bülach | 1 | 1992 |
Awards
Woman of the Year
The Woman of the Year award honours the best active Swiss player, whether she plays in the Swiss league or elsewhere.[7][8] First awarded by the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation in the 2005–06 season.[9]
- 2005–06: Nicole Bullo, Ladies Team Lugano
- 2006–07: Florence Schelling, ZSC Lions
- 2007–08: Christine Meier, AIK Hockey (Riksserien)
- 2008–09: Christine Meier, ZSC Lions
- 2009–10: Claudia Riechsteiner, SC Reinach
- 2010–11: Nicole Bullo, Ladies Team Lugano
- 2011–12: Nicole Bullo, Ladies Team Lugano
- 2013–14: Florence Schelling, ZSC Lions
- 2014–15: Julia Marty, SC Reinach
- 2015–16: Christine Meier, ZSC Lions
- 2016–17: Lara Stalder, Linköping HC (SDHL)
- 2017–18: Alina Müller, ZSC Lions
- 2018–19: Alina Müller, Northeastern Huskies
- 2019–20: Not awarded
- 2020–21: Lara Stalder, Brynäs IF (SDHL) – runners up: Andrea Brändli (Ohio State Buckeyes), Alina Müller (Northeastern Huskies)[10]
- 2021–22: Alina Müller, Northeastern Huskies – runners up: Andrea Brändli (Ohio State Buckeyes), Lara Stalder (Brynäs IF)[11]
Most Valuable Player
First awarded in the 2009–10 season to the most valuable player of each team in the Swiss Championship playoff final.[8][12]
- 2009–10: Jessica Müller (Ladies Lugano), Jaclyn Hawkins (ZSC Lions)
- 2010–11: Christine Meier (ZSC Lions), Iveta Koka (Ladies Lugano)
…
- 2013–14: Sophie Anthamatten (Ladies Lugano), Christine Meier (ZSC Lions)
- 2014–15: Céline Abgottspon (Ladies Lugano), Livia Altmann (ZSC Lions)
- 2015–16: Sasha Ronchi (Ladies Lugano), Isabel Waidacher (ZSC Lions)
- 2016–17: Evelina Raselli (Ladies Lugano), Caroline Baldin (ZSC Lions)
Others women's competitions in Switzerland
Second division (SWHL B)
The SWHL B, previously known as the Leistungsklasse B (LKB) in German, the Ligue nationale B (LNB) in French and the Lega Nazionale B in Italian, is the second tier of the Swiss Women's Hockey League system.
The team finishing first is declared SWHL B champion and qualifies for a best-of-three playoff against the loser of the top league playdown. The team finishing last is relegated in the lower division.
The ten teams taking part in the 2023–24 season[13] [14] are:
- Brandis-Juniors Ladies
- DHC Lyss
- EHC Bassersdorf Ladies
- EHC Sursee Damen
- EHC Zunzgen-Sissach Damen
- EV Zug Women
- GCK Lions Frauen
- HC Thurgau Ladies
- HC Tramelan Ladies
- Lausanne HC Féminin
- SC Rapperswil-Jona Lady Lakers
Third division (SWHL C)
The SWHL C, previously known as the Leistungsklasse C (LKC) in German, the Ligue nationale C (LNC) in French and the Lega Nazionale C in Italian, is the third tier of the Swiss Women's Hockey League system.
The team finishing first is declared SWHL C champion and is promoted to SWHL B.
For the 2023–24 season, there are fifteen participating teams:[15]
- Ass. Genève-Servette HC Féminin
- Basel Hockey Ladies 2020
- Dragon Queens
- EHC Post Bern Damen
- EHC Schaffhausen Damen
- EHC Wallisellen Damen
- EHC Worb Ladies
- HC Eisbären St. Gallen Queens
- HC Saint-Imier
- HC Sierre Féminin
- HCAP Girls
- Hockey Chicas Engiadina
- Neuchâtel Hockey Academy 1999
- SC Celerina Frauen
- ZSC Lions Frauen
Fourth division (SWHL D)
The SWHL D is the fourth tier of the Swiss Women's Hockey League system.
For the 2023–24 season, there are fifteen participating teams:[16]
- Lausanne HC Féminin
- SC Rapperswil-Jona Lady Lakers
- EHC Schaffhausen Damen
- Neuchâtel Hockey Academy 1999
- Argovia Stars
- CP Fleurier
- CP Meyrin Équipe Féminine
- EHC Rot-Blau Bern-Bümpliz Damen
- EHC Thun Damen
- EHC Zuchwil Regio Ladies
- HC Ajoie Les Panthères
- HC La Chaux-de-Fonds Féminin
- HC Luzern Damen
- HC Monthey-Chablais Féminin
- HC Prilly-Lausanne Féminin
Swiss Women's Cup
It is also called Ochsner Hockey Swiss Women Cup for sponsorship reasons.
- 2005–06 – Ladies Team Lugano
- 2006–07 – No cup
- 2007–08 – DHC Langenthal
- 2008–09 – ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2009–10 – DHC Langenthal
- 2010–11 – ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2011–12 – ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2012–13 – ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2013–14 – ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2014–15 – No cup
- 2015–16 – ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2016–17 – Ladies Team Lugano / ZSC Lions Frauen
- 2017–18 – ZSC Lions Frauen
References
- "News". Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (Press release) (in German). 13 December 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- Müller, Barbara. "Kontinuierlicher Aufschwung des Schweizer Fraueneishockeys" (PDF). sport.winterthur.ch (in German). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
- "Women's League – Clubs". Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (in German). Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- Hopkins, Simon (17 March 2023). "Swiss HC Ladies Lugano Cease Operations". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- Hopkins, Simon (18 August 2023). "Swiss team HC Ladies Lugano return". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- Patton, Kelly (10 April 2011). "The ZSC Lions Are Crowned Swiss Champions". Women's Hockey Life. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012.
- "Archiv Woman of the year". Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (in German). Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
- "Women > Auszeichnungen". Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (in German). Archived from the original on 31 March 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
- "Awards - Swiss Ice Hockey Woman of the Year". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- "Swiss Ice Hockey Awards 2021". Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (in German). 4 September 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- "Swiss Ice Hockey Awards 2022". Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (in German). 29 July 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- "Archiv MVP". Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (in German). Archived from the original on 2 March 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
- "Frauenligen – SWHL B". Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (in German). Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- "Swiss Women's Hockey League B". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- "Frauenligen – SWHL C". Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (in German). Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- "Frauenligen – SWHL D". Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (in German). Retrieved 21 October 2023.
External links
- Official website (in German)
- Official website (in French)
- News on women's hockey in Switzerland on European Women's Hockey Journal (in German, French, and Italian)
- Women's ice hockey in Switzerland Archived August 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine by Nick Heim (in German)
- History of women's ice hockey in Switzerland by Barbara Müller (in German)