| Alps Hockey League | |
| Pixels: | 210px |
| Sport: | Ice hockey |
| Founded: | May 21, 2016[1] |
| Inaugural: | 2016–17 |
| Teams: | 13 |
| Countries: | Austria (4 teams) Croatia (1 team) Italy (6 teams) Slovenia (2 teams) |
| Continent: | Europe |
| Champion: | Ritten (2nd title) (2023–24) |
| Most Champs: | Asiago Olimpija Ritten (all 2 titles) |
| Website: | Official website |
| Related Comps: | Austrian Hockey League Inter-National League Serie A |
The Alps Hockey League (AlpsHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in Central Europe.[2] [3] The league is made up of teams from Austria, Croatia, Italy and Slovenia.[4] It was established in 2016 as a result of a merger between Serie A and the Inter-National League.
The Alps Hockey League was founded in spring 2016 as a joint venture between the Austrian Ice Hockey Association, the Italian Ice Sports Federation, and the Ice Hockey Federation of Slovenia. The three national governing bodies have stated that they are keen to ensure that the league is both of a high standard, and financially viable in the long term.[5] In addition, the league has also stated that it is open to teams from other nations, including the Czech Republic, Germany and Slovakia.[6]
Regarding players, each team can sign a maximum four foreign-born players. The AlpsHL operates on a points-based system, with each team having 36 points available, of which a maximum of 16 can be spent on foreign players.[7] As a result of this, the league aims to focus on the development of young players from the participating countries.[8]
In the 2024–25 season, the AlpsHL consists of 13 teams, with 6 teams from Italy, 4 from Austria, 2 from Slovenia, and 1 from Croatia.[9]
Austria
Bregenzerwald Kitzbühel Red Bull Hockey Juniors Zeller EisbärenCroatia
Italy
Cortina Gherdeina Hockey Unterland Merano Ritten Wipptal BroncosSlovenia
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Series | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Ritten | Asiago | align=center | 4–1 |
| 2017–18 | Asiago | Ritten | align=center | 4–3 |
| 2018–19 |  Olimpija | Pustertal Wölfe | align=center | 4–3 |
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2020–21 | Olimpija | Asiago | align=center | 3–0 |
| 2021–22 | Asiago | Jesenice | align=center | 3–2 |
| 2022–23 | Jesenice | Cortina | align=center | 4–2 |
| 2023–24 | Ritten | Cortina | align=center | 4–0 |