Current season, competition or edition:![]() | |
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Sport | Ice hockey |
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Founded | 2003 |
CEO | Ryuichi Kisaka |
No. of teams | 5 (2024–25 season) |
Countries | Japan South Korea |
Continent | East Asia |
Most recent champion(s) | HL Anyang (2023–24) |
Most titles | HL Anyang (8 titles) |
Official website | Official website (international) |
Asia League Ice Hockey (Japanese: アジアリーグアイスホッケー; Korean: 아시아리그 아이스하키) or ALIH (AL) is an association which operates a professional ice hockey league based in East Asia, with teams from Japan, South Korea, and formerly China and Russia. The league is headquartered in Japan. At the end of the playoffs every year the winner is awarded the Championship Trophy.[1]
The league was formed in 2003 due to declining popularity in the Japan Ice Hockey League[2] and the folding of the Korean Ice Hockey League.[3] It was formed with the goal of promoting hockey and developing players' skills.[4] The league initially comprised five teams in two countries.[5] It expanded to highs of four countries (2004–05 season)[6] and nine teams (2005–06 season)[7] and it comprised eight teams from three countries in the 2013–14 season.[8] Prior to the 2014–15 season, a Russian team from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, HC Sakhalin, was affiliated to the league.[9][10]
The league draws most of its players from the home countries of its teams. However, the league allows each team a certain number of foreign imports on their roster.[11]