The Eerste Divisie was the second level ice hockey league in the Netherlands underneath the professional Eredivisie league. In the 2015 League was founded by Dutch and Belgium teams and the Eredivisie was suspended therefore Eerste Divisie became the highest national ice hockey league in the Netherlands.
There is no promotion or relegation in the Eerste Divisie, as the league above is semi-professional and the leagues below are recreational.
Several Eerste Divisie teams are affiliated with Eredivisie teams and play at the same arenas.
Since 2012, Eerste Divisie teams compete with the Eredivisie teams for the Dutch Cup. However, they are not eligible for the title of national champions, as the national championship is determined by the Eredivisie playoffs.