European hockey leagues 1997-2012

Europe is the other hotbed of hockey in the world. Hockey is the national sport of many northern countries and enjoys widespread popularity across the continent.

Unlike North America, there is no single league (like NHL). All countries have their own leagues. This results to the leagues being smaller and player salaries lower than in the NHL, thus guaranteeing a steady migration of talent from Europe to the NHL.

Here are the most important European leagues.

  Finnish SM-League

  German League

  Swedish Elitserien

  Czech Extraleague