League rankings right now

[Eye of Ra]

With NA leagues and second tier leagues, junior leagues and college leagues counted in:


1: NHL
2: KHL
3: NLA
4: Liiga
5: DEL
6: AHL
7: Czech League
8: SHL
9: Slovak League
10: Ebel

NHL no doubt nr 1. But i do remember many rusians argued that KHL is better than NHL or just as good, couple of years back, lmao.

Even with all players leaving KHL, i still think its second best leauge in the world.

Would be interesting to hear the arguments why SHL is a "top" league. People keep saying it, but offer no facts. Look at U20 and WC, Sweden is doing worse there than USA, Finland, Germany, Switzerland and Czechia....and this tournaments have many players from the domestic leagues.

Click to read more...

 

[matsqq]

1: NHL
2: SHL
3: KHL
4: NLA
5: DEL
6: AHL
7: Czech League
9: Slovak League
10: Ebel
11: Liiga



Swedish relegation matches between Brynäs and Malmö was much better than any of the Liiga playoff matches I saw, thats actually true !

BTW Brothers Davidsson was traded from a bottom team in the SHL but in Liiga they became champs with lots of play time. (Two years before that they played in the second swedish league were they played most of their recent seasons)

Another player is Filip Westerlund - can't take a place in his SHL team but was a trusted defensive player in Liiga in the playoffs in a team that came far. In Sweden he would most likely have played in Hockeyallsvenskan this season.

Trust me, Liiga is somewhere in between HockeyAllsvenskan and SHL. THey do have some really skilled players but the overall level of play is far worse than SHL.

Also SHL teams usually wins the CHL - not much Liiga there when you look at the history of the tournament. It's an economic incitament for teams to win that tournament and SHL teams keeps winning it. Liiga not so much.

You have to be a troll with finnish roots (in your case pretending to be rooting for Sweden) or a "not so smart person" to think Liiga is better than SHL, now which is it ?

 

[Lartsaman]

Just another thread that starts with dissing Sweden and ends up mocking Finland.....

 

[jcbio11]

Top tier, AINEC - NHL

2nd tier in no particular order - KHL, AHL, SHL, Liiga, NLA

3rd tier in no particular order - Czech extraliga, Slovak extraliga, DEL

Everybody else.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Top tier, AINEC - NHL

2nd tier in no particular order - KHL, AHL, SHL, Liiga, NLA

3rd tier in no particular order - Czech extraliga, Slovak extraliga, DEL

Everybody else.

Germany litterly took silver in og with DELers and reached semifinals and finals in WC last years with mostly DELers, DEL is in tier 1. Czech extraliga too, look at how good Czechia done in WC and u20 lately with many players from Extraliga.

SHL is 3rd tier for sure. Sweden not even reaching qf in 2021, and getting smocked in qf by latvia (2023) and germany (2018) with many SHLers in the rosters, very overated league.

1: NHL
2: SHL
3: KHL
4: NLA
5: DEL
6: AHL
7: Czech League
9: Slovak League
10: Ebel
11: Liiga



Swedish relegation matches between Brynäs and Malmö was much better than any of the Liiga playoff matches I saw, thats actually true !

BTW Brothers Davidsson was traded from a bottom team in the SHL but in Liiga they became champs with lots of play time. (Two years before that they played in the second swedish league were they played most of their recent seasons)

Another player is Filip Westerlund - can't take a place in his SHL team but was a trusted defensive player in Liiga in the playoffs in a team that came far. In Sweden he would most likely have played in Hockeyallsvenskan this season.

Trust me, Liiga is somewhere in between HockeyAllsvenskan and SHL. THey do have some really skilled players but the overall level of play is far worse than SHL.

Also SHL teams usually wins the CHL - not much Liiga there when you look at the history of the tournament. It's an economic incitament for teams to win that tournament and SHL teams keeps winning it. Liiga not so much.

You have to be a troll with finnish roots (in your case pretending to be rooting for Sweden) or a "not so smart person" to think Liiga is better than SHL, now which is it ?

Finland have many golds and silver last years in OG, U20 and WC with mostly Liiga players on their rosters, thats proof right there that Liiga is a top league. Tappara smocked Luleå in the CHL finals.

 

[matsqq]

Germany litterly took silver in og with DELers and reached semifinals and finals in WC last years with mostly DELers, DEL is in tier 1. Czech extraliga too, look at how good Czechia done in WC and u20 lately with many players from Extraliga.

SHL is 3rd tier for sure. Sweden not even reaching qf in 2021, and getting smocked in qf by latvia (2023) and germany (2018) with many SHLers in the rosters, very overated league.


Finland have many golds and silver last years in OG, U20 and WC with mostly Liiga players on their rosters, thats proof right there that Liiga is a top league. Tappara smocked Luleå in the CHL finals.

Regarding CHL - 6 of the 7 last years the champions were from Sweden! Remarkable !

U20 and WC has nothing at all to do with the state of Liiga and SHL compared to eachother - so it only shows that you don't even know HOW to debate this, so I'm out now ...

Goodbye , dear finnish mumin troll

 

[Jukurit]

1. SHL
2. Allsvenskan
3. NHL
4. KHL
5. NL
6. AHL
7. DEL
8. ExtraLiga
9. Slovakian Hockey League
10. Bulgarian Hockey League
11. Liiga

 

[Eye of Ra]

1. SHL
2. Allsvenskan
3. NHL
4. KHL
5. NL
6. AHL
7. DEL
8. ExtraLiga
9. Slovakian Hockey League
10. Bulgarian Hockey League
11. Liiga

 

[Czechboy]

I maintain the Czechs in the AHL are miles ahead of the ones in the Extraliga. I'd love to see a 'not so' super series between AHL Czechs against Extraliga Czechs. I think the Extraliga guys would be demolished.

I maintain that 90% of goalies in the NHL played in the AHL before coming to NHL.

I maintain about 70% of the Defence in the NHL played in the AHL before coming to the NHL

So if we are talking about 'best' as the league with the best players:

NHL
AHL
KHL
NLA
SHL
LIIIGA
Extraliga
DEL

If we are talking about 'best' as the league I would want to play in if I were a tweener that couldn't crack the NHL (Frk, Perlini)

NLA
SHL
LIIGA
DEL
Extraliga
AHL

 

[Fjorden]

I maintain the Czechs in the AHL are miles ahead of the ones in the Extraliga. I'd love to see a 'not so' super series between AHL Czechs against Extraliga Czechs. I think the Extraliga guys would be demolished.

I maintain that 90% of goalies in the NHL played in the AHL before coming to NHL.

I maintain about 70% of the Defence in the NHL played in the AHL before coming to the NHL

So if we are talking about 'best' as the league with the best players:

NHL
AHL
KHL
NLA
SHL
LIIIGA
Extraliga
DEL

If we are talking about 'best' as the league I would want to play in if I were a tweener that couldn't crack the NHL (Frk, Perlini)

NLA
SHL
LIIGA
DEL
Extraliga
AHL

Why do you rank NLA over SHL and Liiga?. The swedish and finnish teams have won all Champions hockey league tournaments, and never have a swiss team been in a final. The shl and Liiga teams have deeper rosters, but you may find better top players in NLA. Swedish and finnish hockey have way better depth than swiss hockey.

I can understand players they want to play in NLA because of better salaries in your 2nd ranking.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Top Leagues only:

NHL
KHL
SHL
Liiga
Czech Extraliga
NLA
DEL
Slovak Extraliga
ICEHL

Fairly fluid after the first couple. AHL is likely somewhere in the middle there. VHL and Allsvenskan likely on par with the bottom of this list.

 

[Hanji]

The problem with ranking the AHL is it's operated as a quasi-development league. It's not uncommon for better veteran players to sit in favor of youngsters.

Winning sometimes takes a back-seat to development.

 

[Czechboy]

Why do you rank NLA over SHL and Liiga?. The swedish and finnish teams have won all Champions hockey league tournaments, and never have a swiss team been in a final. The shl and Liiga teams have deeper rosters, but you may find better top players in NLA. Swedish and finnish hockey have way better depth than swiss hockey.

I can understand players they want to play in NLA because of better salaries in your 2nd ranking.

Two reasons...

1. I don't think the champions league proves anything. It's up there with the Spengler Cup which I also don't think proves anything (I love the Spengler Cup)

2. Exactly what you said.. the high end is higher IMO.

Ftr .. they are all very debatable and I like the term above... 'fluid'.

 

[Albatros]

The worst team in Switzerland can afford AHL's perennial best defenseman candidate whereas the worst Liiga teams can't afford even local Finnish pros for a full season.

 

[WayTooCold]

Liiga is the only sport association in Finland capable having professional athletes. Aka paying good enough salaries. Finnish soccer is just 9-15 desktops kicking ball for 2 hours every weekend. Having 10 months of freezing weather per year doesn't help either. Just a bunch of amateurs.

But true. The best talent goes to North America and Central Europe. They come back washed up. Liiga is basically filled w/ washed up veterans (ala Marko Anttila ...), NHL rejects and juniors. The problem w/ Liiga is that is locked like NHL. So there's very little sport motifs since you can't get dropped to B-level if you do badly.

I would rank main leagues:

NHL
KHL
SEL
Swiss
Liiga

 

[Pazucha]

I think allsvenskan team could easily match slovak extraliga team or am i wrong?

Adam Rockwood stats for example:

2021-22	HK Nitra	Slovakia	39	9	22	31	18	6	|	Playoffs	19	5	9	14	10	-3
2022-23	AIK	HockeyAllsvenskan	48	6	33	39	10

 

[bigdog16]

Top Leagues only:

NHL
KHL
SHL
Liiga
Czech Extraliga
NLA
DEL
Slovak Extraliga
ICEHL

Fairly fluid after the first couple. AHL is likely somewhere in the middle there. VHL and Allsvenskan likely on par with the bottom of this list.

This would probably be my ranking too. There is a massive gap after the NHL, and then another gap after the DEL.

As someone pointed out previously it is hard to rank the AHL because it isn’t all about winning or competiting for a championship. The rosters are also far more fluid than any of these leagues.

 

[Eye of Ra]

I think allsvenskan team could easily match slovak extraliga team or am i wrong?

Adam Rockwood stats for example:

2021-22	HK Nitra	Slovakia	39	9	22	31	18	6	|	Playoffs	19	5	9	14	10	-3
2022-23	AIK	HockeyAllsvenskan	48	6	33	39	10

you are wrong. look at olympics. slovakia crushed sweden in the bronze game with a squad full of extraliga players

 

[JabbaJabba]

With NA leagues and second tier leagues, junior leagues and college leagues counted in:


1: NHL
2: KHL
3: NLA
4: Liiga
5: DEL
6: AHL
7: Czech League
8: SHL
9: Slovak League
10: Ebel

NHL no doubt nr 1. But i do remember many rusians argued that KHL is better than NHL or just as good, couple of years back, lmao.

Even with all players leaving KHL, i still think its second best leauge in the world.

Would be interesting to hear the arguments why SHL is a "top" league. People keep saying it, but offer no facts. Look at U20 and WC, Sweden is doing worse there than USA, Finland, Germany, Switzerland and Czechia....and this tournaments have many players from the domestic leagues.

The Latvians beat Swedes in the recent championships, so their league is definitely ahead of SHL.

 

[Eye of Ra]

The Latvians beat Swedes in the recent championships, so their league is definitely ahead of SHL.

nope, because almost no one was from the latvian league

 

[theslatcher]

Obviously:

1. NHL
2. AHL
3. NL
4. Liiga
5. DEL
6. Czech Extraliga
7. ECHL
8. Slovak Extraliga
9. Mestis
10. DEL2
11. SL
12. NBA
13. NFL
14. PGA
15. KHL
16. Allsvenskan
17. SHL

 

[vorky]

Leagues by budgets for players salaries

KHL $7 million (minimum per club) to $17+ million (maximum per clubs)
NL a few clubs around $8-10 million, others below
SHL top team with $5,5 million, others below + big taxes
Liiga, DEL, CZ below SHL

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

1 NHL
2 KHL
3 AHL
4 SHL
5 NLA
6 Liiga
7 Extraliga Cz
8 DEL
9 ECHL
10 Allsvenkan
11 ICEHL
12 Extraliga Sv

 

[Albatros]

Leagues by budgets for players salaries

KHL $7 million (minimum per club) to $17+ million (maximum per clubs)
NL a few clubs around $8-10 million, others below
SHL top team with $5,5 million, others below + big taxes
Liiga, DEL, CZ below SHL

Looking at many KHL rosters one has to ask where exactly that money is supposed to go to, with second or third-rate Russians to be found plus maybe the occasional ECHL-level Canadian that flopped in Allsvenskan.

 

[JabbaJabba]

nope, because almost no one was from the latvian league

Yeah but they got their training in Latvian league so therefore it's a better league.