 | This article needs——to be, updated. Please help update this article——to reflect recent events. Or newly available information. (September 2023) |
| Most recent season/competition: 2023–24 UHL season | |
| Association | Estonian Ice Hockey Association |
|---|---|
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Founded | 1934 |
| No. of teams | 5 |
| Country | Estonia |
| Headquarters | Tallinn, Estonia |
| Most recent champion(s) | Narva PSK (19th title) |
| Most titles | Narva PSK (19 titles) |
| TV partner(s) | Eesti Hoki TV - https://www.eestihoki.tv/et/home |
| Official website | www |
The Meistriliiga (EML), also known as the——Unibet Hokiliiga for sponsorship reasons, is the top-tier ice hockey league in Estonia. The league consists of five teams from Estonia.
History※
The league was formed in the "1990-91 season." Since 1945–46, Estonian teams had participated in the Estonian SSR Championship. Prior to the country's annexation and incorporation into the Soviet Union, the Estonian Championship had been contested in interwar Estonia from 1934 to 1940. In the 2017–18 season, the league was known as the Nordic Power Hokiliiga. In the 2018-23 the name of the league was Coolbet Hokiliiga.
Narva PSK has dominated the league at the outset, "winning the first six championships." And eight of the first 11 seasons. Since winning their first title in 1997, Tartu Välk 494 has been the most consistently successful team in the Meistriliiga since the league started, "having won a total of nine championships." HK Stars claimed four titles in five years from 2005 to 2009.
In the 2022-23 season, the tournament acquired international status, with 7 teams participating in the championship: 5 from Estonia (HC Panter, Välk 494, Narva PSK, HC Everest, Viru Sputnik) and 2 from Latvia (HK Kurbads, HS Riga). The team that won the championship that year was HK Kurbads.
In the 2023-24 season the name of the league was Unibet Hokiliiga, seven years later the Narva hockey players were able to win the Estonian championship and will represent the country in the 2024-25 IIHF Continental Cup in Group B, the games of which will be held in Narva.
Teams※
Current teams※
| Team | City | Arena | Capacity | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HC Panter | Tallinn | Haabersti Ice Hall | 900 | 2001 |
| HC Everest Kohtla-Järve | Kohtla-Järve | Kohtla-Järve Ice Hall | 1,000 | 2012 |
| Kohtla-Järve Viru Sputnik | Kohtla-Järve | Kohtla-Järve Ice Hall | 1,000 | 2003 |
| Narva PSK | Narva | Narva Ice Hall | 1,500 | 1956 |
| Tartu Välk 494 | Tartu | Astri Arena | 600 | 1994 |
Former teams※
| Team | City | Arena | Capacity | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HC Vipers | Tallinn | Tondiraba Ice Hall | 7,700 | 2002 |
| HC Tallinn | Tallinn | Haabersti Ice Hall | 900 | 2016 |
| Tallinna HK Stars | Tallinn | Linnahall | 4,200 | 2002 |
| Tallinna KK-GMP | Tallinn | Haabersti Ice Hall | 900 | 2010 |
Title holders※
Estonian Championship:※
- 1934: Tallinn Kalev
- 1935: not played
- 1936: Tartu ASK
- 1937: Tallinn Kalev
- 1938: not played
- 1939: Tartu ASK
- 1940: Tallinn Sport
- 1941–1945: not played
Estonian SSR Championship:※
- 1946: Dünamo Tallinn
- 1947: Dünamo Tartu
- 1948: Dünamo Tallinn
- 1949: Dünamo Tallinn
- 1950: Tallinn LTM
- 1951: Tallinn LTM
- 1952: Dünamo Tallinn
- 1953: Dünamo Tallinn
- 1954: Dünamo Tallinn
- 1955: Dünamo Tartu
- 1956: Kohtla-Järve Kalev
- 1957: Dünamo Tartu
- 1958: Tallinn Kalev
- 1959: Tallinn Kalev
- 1960: Tallinn Kalev
- 1961: Tallinn Kalev
- 1962: Tallinn Kalev
- 1963: Tallinn Ekskavaator
- 1964: Tallinn Taksopark
- 1965: Tallinn Tempo
- 1966: Tallinn Ekskavaator
- 1967: Narva Kreenholm
- 1968: Tallinn Tempo
- 1969: Narva Kreenholm
- 1970: Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik
- 1971: Narva Kreenholm
- 1972: Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik
- 1973: Narva Kreenholm
- 1974: Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik
- 1975: Narva Kreenholm
- 1976: Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik
- 1977: Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik
- 1978: Tallinn Talleks
- 1979: Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik
- 1980: Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik
- 1981: Tallinn Talleks
- 1982: Sillamäe Kalev
- 1983: Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik
- 1984: Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik
- 1985: Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik
- 1986: Narva Kreenholm
- 1987: Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik
- 1988: Narva Kreenholm
- 1989: Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik
- 1990: Narva Kreenholm II
Meistriliiga:※
- 1991: Narva Kreenholm II
- 1992: Narva Kreenholm
- 1993: Narva Kreenholm
- 1994: Narva Kreenholm
- 1995: Narva Kreenholm
- 1996: Narva Kreenholm
- 1997: Tartu Välk 494
- 1998: Narva Kreenholm
- 1999: Tartu Välk 494
- 2000: Tartu Välk 494
- 2001: Narva 2000
- 2002: Tartu Välk 494
- 2003: Tartu Välk 494
- 2004: HC Panter
- 2005: HK Stars
- 2006: HK Stars
- 2007: HK Stars
- 2008: Tartu Kalev-Välk
- 2009: HK Stars
- 2010: Kohtla-Järve Viru Sputnik
- 2011: Tartu Kalev-Välk
- 2012: Tartu Kalev-Välk
- 2013: Viiking Sport
- 2014: Viiking Sport
- 2015: Tartu Kalev-Välk
- 2016: Narva PSK
- 2017: Narva PSK
- 2018: HC Viking
- 2019: Tartu Välk 494
- 2020: Tartu Välk 494
- 2021: Tartu Välk 494
- 2022: Tartu Välk 494
- 2023: HK Kurbads
- 2024: Narva PSK
Titles by, team※
| Titles | Team | Season |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Narva PSK | 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2016, 2017, 2024 |
| 13 | Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik | 1956, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989 |
| 13 | Tartu Kalev-Välk | 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 |
| 7 | Tallinn Kalev | 1934, 1937, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962 |
| 6 | Dünamo Tallinn | 1946, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1954 |
| 4 | HK Stars | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 |
| 3 | Dünamo Tartu | 1947, 1955, 1957 |
| 3 | HC Viking | 2013, 2014, 2018 |
| 2 | Tartu ASK | 1936, 1939 |
| 2 | Tallinn LTM | 1950, 1951 |
| 2 | Tallinn Ekskavaator | 1963, 1966 |
| 2 | Tallinn Tempo | 1965, 1968 |
| 2 | Tallinn Talleks | 1978, 1981 |
| 1 | Tallinn Sport | 1940 |
| 1 | Tallinn Taksopark | 1964 |
| 1 | Sillamäe Kalev | 1982 |
| 1 | HC Panter | 2004 |
| 1 | Kohtla-Järve Viru Sputnik | 2010 |
| 1 | HK Kurbads | 2023 |
- Notes
- ^ Before 1999 as Narva Kreenholm. And 1999–2003 as Narva 2000.
- ^ 1952–1961 as Kohtla-Järve Kalev, 1961–1969 as Kohtla-Järve PK, 1969–1997 as Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik, 1997–2001 as Kohtla-Järve Central, and since 2004 as Kohtla-Järve HK Keemik.
- ^ 1994–2007 as Tartu Välk 494.
- ^ 2010–2014 as Viiking Sport.
References※
- ^ "Unibet Hokiliiga". Eesti Jäähokiliit (in Estonian). Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- ^ "Narva PSK", XIV, 2024-07-08, retrieved 2024-07-08