The Erste Liga is an international ice hockey league organized for clubs based in Hungary and Romania. It was founded in 2008 as the MOL Liga and was so known until being renamed Erste Liga in 2017 due to a sponsorship agreement with Erste Bank Hungary.
Games played between Hungarian teams count towards the Hungarian national championship league, the OB I Bajnokság, and games played between Romanian teams count towards the Romanian national championship league, the Liga NaÃÂionalÃÂ.
The last 6* seasons have been won by Romanian teams: HSC CsÃÂkszereda three times, Gyergyói HK twice and CSM Corona BraÃÂov once. <br><small>* The season 2019âÂÂ20 (Covid) recognized both Ferencvárosi TC and HSC CsÃÂkszereda as winners.</small>
In the first season, the league comprised six Hungarian teams and four Romanian teams. HC CsÃÂkszereda went undefeated in the post-season to win the first MOL Liga title.
In 2009âÂÂ10, the number of teams went down to five Hungarian and two Romanian teams. Following the regular season, they decided the winner in a final four system. The Budapest Stars met ÃÂjpesti TE in the final, after they beat SC CsÃÂkszereda and DAB-Docler, respectively. ÃÂjpest started the match better, taking the lead just after one and a half minutes. However, the events took a U-turn and about two hours later, it was the Budapest Stars who lifted the trophy, after winning the match 3âÂÂ1.
The 2010âÂÂ11 MOL Liga season was the third edition of the international ice hockey championship for teams from Hungary and Romania. This season, nine teams participated, including defending champions Vasas Budapest Stars, the second team of Erste Bank Eishockey Liga outfit SAPA AV19 Székesfehérvár, and HSC CsÃÂkszereda from Miercurea Ciuc
The 2011âÂÂ12 MOL Liga season was the fourth edition of the international ice hockey championship for teams from Hungary and Romania. Following the withdrawal of Vasas HC, the field is composed of eight clubs this season, including five Hungarian and three Romanian. The regular season ran from 6 September 2011 to 20 January 2012. After the conclusion of the regular season, the six best ranked teams won the right to participate in the playoffs. The top two clubs had byes in the first round of the playoffs, while the remaining four teams were drawn together according to their final position in the regular season (3âÂÂ6, 4âÂÂ5). The winners of the match-ups advanced to the semifinals, where they met DAB-Docler and HSC CsÃÂkszereda, respectively. Eventually, Miskolci JJSE beat HSC CsÃÂkszereda and thus secured their spot in the finals, where they faced Dunaújváros, which won their duel in straight matches against Corona Fenestela Braà Âov. Dunaújváros enjoyed the home ice advantage in the best-of-seven series final, where they swept away Miskolc 4âÂÂ0 and took the 2011âÂÂ12 MOL Liga title, the first ever of its kind in the history of the club.
The 2012âÂÂ13 MOL Liga season was the fifth season of the MOL Liga, a multi-national ice hockey league consisting of teams from Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. Seven teams participated in the league, and DAB-Docler won the championship. The league also served as the Hungarian Championship for 2012âÂÂ13. DAB-Docler, the MOL Liga champion, was also the Hungarian national champion.
The 2013âÂÂ14 MOL Liga season was the sixth season of the MOL Liga, and HC Nové Zámky won the title. The league is a multi-national ice hockey league consisting of teams from Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. Balázs Ladányi from DAB-Docler was the season's leading scorer with 63 points.
The 2014âÂÂ15 MOL Liga season was the seventh season of the MOL Liga. The league is a multi-national ice hockey league consisting of teams from Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. HC Nové Zámky were the defending Champions after defeating ASC Corona Braà Âov in the 2014 Championship, but they lost their championship to Miskolci Jegesmedvék in a 4âÂÂ0 sweep against them.
The 2015âÂÂ16 MOL Liga season was the 8th season of the MOL Liga. DVTK Jegesmedvék was the defending champion after defeating HC Nové Zámky in the 2014âÂÂ2015 season. They successfully defended their title after sweeping MAC Budapest in the finals. The league is a multi-national ice hockey league consisting of teams from Hungary and Romania. A new team, Budapest based MAC Budapest, joined the league while Slovakian based, and previous season's finalist, HC Nové Zámky left.
The 2016âÂÂ17 MOL Liga season was the 9th season of the MOL Liga. DVTK Jegesmedvék was the two-time defending champion after defeating MAC Budapest in the 2015âÂÂ2016 season. They once again successfully defended their title after beating MAC Budapest in the finals, this time in 5 games (4âÂÂ1). A new team from Serbia, the Belgrade based HK Beograd, joined the league.
In July 2017, MOL, who was formerly the league's naming sponsor, decided against renewing their sponsorship. From the 2017âÂÂ18 season onwards, the league will be known as the Erste Liga. DVTK Jegesmedvék is the three-time defending champion after defeating MAC Budapest in the 2016âÂÂ2017 season. A new team from Austria, the second team of Erste Bank Eishockey Liga outfit Vienna Capitals, joined the league while three clubs, Hungarian based Debreceni HK, Romanian based DunÃÂrea GalaÃÂi and Serbian based HK Beograd, all left the league.
The departure of Ferencvárosi TC to the ICE Hockey League following the 2024âÂÂ25 season left nine teams to participate in the 2025âÂÂ26 Erste Liga season, six from Hungary and three from Romania.
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