Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Turkish Ice Hockey Super League

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Sport
  
Ice hockey

Country
  
Turkey

Founded
  
1993

No. of teams
  
6

Number of teams
  
6

Turkish Ice Hockey Super League httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenbb7Tur

Most recent champion(s)
  
Zeytinburnu BS (Istanbul)

Official website
  
www.tbhf.org.tr%20tbhf.org.tr

Teams
  
Kocaeli Büyükşehir Belediyes, Zeytinburnu Belediyespor, Ankara University SK, Başkent Yıldızları, Büyükşehir Belediyesi Ankara S

The Turkish Ice Hockey Super League (Turkish: Türkiye Buz Hokeyi Süper Ligi, abbreviated TBHSL) is the highest level of ice hockey in Turkey. It is operated under the jurisdiction of the Turkish Ice Hockey Federation, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Unlike the National Hockey League, the Super League is not divided into conferences; teams compete in a single division. The league currently consists of six teams, from two different cities.

Contents

The champion of the league qualifies for the first round of IIHF Continental Cup.

History

The Bel-Pa Ice Rink hosted the first match ever played in compliance with the IIHF rules and regulations, at the end of 1989 between Ankara Tarım Kredi Spor and Istanbul Paten Kulübü teams.

As of January 1990, ice hockey in Turkey was operated under the jurisdicition of the Turkish Ski Federation, and the first official championship ever was organized among two teams from Ankara and two from Istanbul. Ankara Büyükşehir Belediyesi, İstanbul Paten Klübü, Ankara Atatürk Buz Hokeyi Takımı and İstanbul Boğaziçi Patinaj Klübü has participated to the championship and B.B. Ankara SK became the champion.

The rising interest in ice hockey effected the increasing number of players and then the teams. The Turkish Ice Hockey Federation was founded in 1991. Rino Ouellette, a Canadian diplomat in Ankara, who coached two teams consecutively, contributed much to the development of ice hockey sport in Turkey. A tournament, organized in 1992, laid the ground stone for the establishment of Turkey's first ice hockey league in 1993.

2015–16 Season

The 2015–16 league season was sponsored by the iced tea brand "Didi" of the state-owned Turkish Tea Producers Corporation Çaykur, and named so Didi TBHSL.

Teams

The clubs played in the 2015–16 season are listed below, alongside their home towns. The leagues matches were played in two groups, the East Division and the West Divisionp.

Standings

The 2015–16 league ended with İzmir BB GSK leading. The first four leading teams were promoted to play semi-finals.

2016 Playoffs

League leader played against the 4th ranked team, the runner-up against the third ranked. Zeytinburnu SK became 2015–16 league champion defeating İzmir BB GSK by 3–2 in five final matches.

2009–10 Season

Final Standings
  • Kocaeli BB had to surrender three of its wins when it was discovered that a player was playing with an illegal transfer card. Therefore, for playoff standings, Kocaeli BB would take the 4th seed and Polis would take the 3rd seed.
  • Teams
    2010 Playoffs
    2010 All-Star Game

    On March 13, 2010 the Super League All-Star Game will be held in Ankara at the Bel-Pa arena. The game will be televised on TRT and there will be a special guest appearance by Turkish Pop Star Nil Karaibrahimgil. After the game Nil Karaibrahimgil will be performing at a club in Ankara for the players and fans who attend the All-Star Game.

    2008–09 Season

    Teams

    The clubs played in the 2008–2009 season are listed below, alongside their home towns.

    Season structure

    In the 2008–09 regular season, each team played 10 games. The four best teams at the conclusion of regular season proceed to the play-offs where semifinals and the final are all played. Games are played over 3 rounds. Higher-ranking teams play the first match at home. Teams are paired up for each round according to regular season results. The highest-ranking team will play against the lowest-ranking and second highest against the second lowest. Team which finishes the league in last position relegates to the Turkish Ice Hockey First League.

    League starts at the end of December and finishes in early May. Games are mostly played on Saturday or Sunday.

    The TBHSL's points system is different from the ice hockey leagues in Europe. 3 points are awarded for a win, 1 points for tie and 0 points for a loss.

    Standings

    Note: GF= Goals for, GA = Goals against

    Ice hockey rinks

    Currently, Turkish Ice Hockey Super League games are played by teams in four cities including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Erzurum. ıce hockey rinks hosting the TBHSL are Silivrikapı Ice Skating Hall (seating capacity: 900) and Zeytinburnu Ice Rink (700) in Istanbul, Ankara Ice Skating Palace (1,150) in Ankara, Bornova Ice Sports Hall (1,751) in İzmir, Palandöken Ice Skating Hall (2,000) and Yakutiye Ice Skating Hall (3,000 and 500) in Erzurum. Another olympic-sized ice hockey rink is Kocaeli B.B. Ice Arena (3,600) in İzmit.

    Hockey rinks in Turkey follow the IIHF specifications for ice surface dimensions of 60 m × 30 m (197 ft × 98 ft), and a corner radius of 8.50 m (27.9 ft).

    Champions

    Since the 1992–93 a regular Turkish national league is staged. In the first ever edition six teams competed and B.B. Ankara crowned themselves the champion, by winning all five games. This team earned most titles – seven in all. They battled out their last championship in the 2002–03 season. Polis Akademisi ve Koleji (Police Academy) won five championships and is the most successful team in recent years. Kocaeli B.B. Kağıt S.K. from Izmit was stopped after reigning from 2004. Since the beginning of the Turkish Ice Hockey Super League, Ankara teams earned most titles. Apart from the teams based in Ankara, only İstanbul Paten and Kocaeli B.B. Kağıt has won the championship.

    Performance by club

    † Club has folded and is no longer operating.

    IIHF Continental Cup

    2015–16 Continental Cup – First Round – Group A
    2014–15 Continental Cup – First Group Stage – Group A
    2013–14 IIHF Continental Cup

    Did not participate.

    2012–13 Continental Cup – First Group Stage – Group A
    2011–12 Continental Cup – First Group Stage – Group A

    † HC Metulla withdrew from tournament in July, 2011

    2010–11 Continental Cup – First Group Stage – Group A.

    † Energija Elektrenai were not able to compete in the tournament because their airline went bankrupt the day of their departure to Spain.

    Turkish teams' Continental Cup results

    From 1999 to 2002, two clubs qualified for Turkey. Only one year (2000) did both Turkish clubs compete in the same Group.

  • DNP: Did Not Participate
  • References

    Turkish Ice Hockey Super League Wikipedia