The Belgian Hockey League, also known as the Belgian Elite League, was the highest level of competition organized by the Royal Belgian Ice Hockey Federation. The league winner was crowned the Belgian Champion. The league had been in existence since 1912. The Brussels Royal IHSC were the most decorated team with 23 titles. In 2015, the league merged with the Dutch Eredivisie to form the BeNe League.

History

Early history The Belgian Hockey League played first in 1912. The play was interrupted several times in its history. The first game suspension happened 1914-1920 due to . The next break was from 1929 to 1934 due to the world economic crisis. The 3rd and last break was in the 1994/95 season, which was cancelled after the regular season due to issues over playoff participation.

Recent history In 2009, there were 5 clubs competing in the Elite league for the Belgian Championship.

During the 2010–2011 season, the two top Belgian teams competed in a joint tournament with the teams of the Dutch Eredivisie called the North Sea Cup. The other three teams dropped out of the Belgian elite league to join the Belgian National League, leaving only Herentals and Turnhout to decide the Belgian Championship.IIHF Leuven Chiefs played in the North Sea Cup for the 2011–2012 season, but Turnhout dropped out of the league midway through the season and Leuven dropped out at the end of the season.

In 2012, the North Sea Cup was discontinued and HYC Herentals joined the Dutch Eredivisie. For the 2012–2013 season, the teams of the Belgian National League joined Leuven and Turnhout to form the Belgian Elite League, the winner of which becomes the Belgian national champion.

As of 2012–2013, the teams of the Belgian Elite League, plus HYC Herentals, compete for the Belgian Cup, which is played before and during the Elite League season.

Former teams

Team City Antwerp Phantoms Deurne Leuven Chiefs Leuven Bulldogs Liège Liège Olympia Heist op den Berg Heist-op-den-Berg Eeklo Yeti Bears Eeklo Haskey Hasselt Hasselt HYC Herentals 2 Herentals White Caps Turnhout Turnhout Charleroi Red Roosters Charleroi Gullegem Jets Gullegem HYC Herentals Herentals Phantoms Deurne Deurne IHC Louvain LeuvenWhite Caps Turnhout Turnhout Olympia Heist op den Berg Heist-op-den-Berg Liège Bulldogs Eeklo Yeti Bears Charleroi Red Roosters Haskey Hasselt Atomic Moose Olympia I.h.c. Vzw Leuven Ihc Herentals Hyc Eindhoven Vikings Turnhout White Caps Gullegem Jets Antwerp Pahntoms Liederkerke Lions

Belgian Hockey League champions

1912: Brussels Royal IHSC 1913: Brussels Royal IHSC 1914: Cercle des Patineurs Bruxelles 1915-1919: Not Played 1920: Cercle des Patineurs Bruxelles 1921: Cercle des Patineurs Bruxelles 1922: Saint Sauveur IHC 1923: Brussels Royal IHSC 1924: Le Puck d'Anvers Antwerp 1925: Le Puck d'Anvers Antwerp 1926: Le Puck d'Anvers Antwerp 1927: Le Puck d'Anvers Antwerp 1928: Le Puck d'Anvers Antwerp 1929: Cercle des Patineurs Anversois 1930-1933: Not Played 1934: Cercle des Patineurs Anversois 1935: Cercle des Patineurs Anversois 1936: Cercle des Patineurs Anversois 1937: Cercle des Sports d'Hiver Bruxelles 1938: Brussels Royal IHSC 1939: Cercle des Sports d'Hiver Bruxelles 1940: Brussels Royal IHSC 1941: Brussels Royal IHSC 1942: Brussels Royal IHSC 1943: Brussels Royal IHSC 1944: Brussels Royal IHSC 1945: Brussels Royal IHSC 1946: Cercle des Patineurs Unis 1947: Brussels Royal IHSC 1948: Brussels Royal IHSC 1949: Cercle des Patineurs Liégeois 1950: Brabo IHC 1951: Entente Saint-Sauveur Bruxelles 1952: Brabo IHC 1953: Brabo IHC 1954: Brabo IHC 1955: Cercle des Patineurs Liégeois 1956: Antwerp IHC 1957: Antwerp IHC 1958: Antwerp IHC 1959: Antwerp IHC 1960: Cercle des Patineurs Liégeois 1961: Cercle des Patineurs Liégeois 1962: Brussels Royal IHSC 1963: Cercle des Patineurs Liégeois 1964: Cercle des Patineurs Liégeois  1965: Cercle des Patineurs Liégeois 1966: Olympia IHC 1967: Olympia IHC 1968: Brussels IHSC Poseidon 1969: Olympia IHC 1970: Brussels Royal IHSC 1971: Brussels Royal IHSC 1972: Cercle des Patineurs Liégeois 1973: Cercle des Patineurs Liégeois 1974: Cercle des Patineurs Liégeois 1975: Brussels Royal IHSC 1976: Brussels Royal IHSC 1977: Brussels Royal IHSC 1978: Brussels Royal IHSC 1979: Olympia Heist op den Berg 1980: Brussels Royal IHSC 1981: HYC Herentals 1982: Brussels Royal IHSC 1983: Olympia Heist op den Berg 1984: HYC Herentals 1985: HYC Herentals 1986: Olympia Heist op den Berg 1987: Olympia Heist op den Berg 1988: Olympia Heist op den Berg 1989: Olympia Heist op den Berg 1990: Olympia Heist op den Berg 1991: Olympia Heist op den Berg 1992: Olympia Heist op den Berg 1993: HYC Herentals 1994: HYC Herentals 1995: Not played 1996: Griffoens Geel 1997: HYC Herentals 1998: HYC Herentals 1999: Olympia Heist op den Berg 2000: Phantoms Deurne 2001: Phantoms Deurne 2002: HYC Herentals 2003: Phantoms Deurne 2004: Olympia Heist op den Berg 2005: Chiefs Leuven 2006: White Caps Turnhout 2007: White Caps Turnhout 2008: White Caps Turnhout 2009: HYC Herentals 2010: Chiefs Leuven  2011: White Caps Turnhout 2012: HYC Herentals 2013: Chiefs Leuven 2014: Bulldogs Liège 2015: Antwerp Phantoms 2016: HYC Herentals 2017: HYC Herentals 2018: HYC Herentals 2019: HYC Herentals 2020: HYC Herentals

Total titles won Titles Team Year 23 Brussels Royal IHSC1911–1948 Brussels IHSC1948–1954 Entente Saint-Sauveur1954–1966 Brussels IHSC1966–1970 Brussels IHSC Poseidon 1912, 1913, 1923, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1962, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982 15 HYC Herentals 1981, 1984, 1985, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 11 Olympia Heist op den Berg 1979, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2004 10 Cercle des Patineurs Liégeois 1949, 1955, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1972, 1973, 1974 5 Le Puck d'Anvers 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928 4 Antwerp Phantoms 2000, 2001, 2003, 2015 4 Antwerp Ice Hockey Club 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 4 Brabo IHC 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954 4 Cercle des Patineurs Anversoises 1929, 1934, 1935, 1936 4 White Caps Turnhout 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011 3 Cercle des Patineurs de Bruxelles 1914, 1920, 1921 3 Olympia IHC 1966, 1967, 1969 3 Chiefs Leuven 2005, 2010, 2013 2 Cercle des Sports d'Hiver de Bruxelles 1937, 1939 1 Saint Sauveur IHC 1922 1 Cercle des Patineurs Unis 1946 1 Griffoens Geel 1996 1 Bulldogs Liège 2014

References

External links Belgian Ice Hockey Federation