Independent Amateur hockey league (Latvia)
Encyclopedia
Independent Amateur hockey league NAHL (Riga, Latvia) is the largest amateur
ice hockey
league in the Baltic States
(Estonia
, Latvia
, Lithuania
). It unites more than 80 teams and about 2 400 players in 8 leagues (including 2 oldtimers leagues).
returned to the top division of the Ice Hockey World Championship. Possibly this fact was very important in the further development of amateur hockey in Latvia.
At the end of summer in 1996 a group of enthusiasts decided to unite the unorganised groups of amateur hockey players and organize their 1st ice hockey championship for amateur teams. The tournament was successful - 7 teams took part in it ("Krāsainie Lējumi", "Bauska
-Inčukalns
", "Tiesneši", "Ledus Vaboles", "Vakara Ziņas", "Balsts", RTU
). The first season in 1997/1998 started with even more teams - 16 teams in two groups.
The first NAHL Championship took place in autumn 1999, where 7 teams participated ("Anatta", "Lūši", "Vektor", "Lattelecom
", Jaunpils, Jūrmala
, "Vikingi-Eglīte").
In the season 2001/2002, 25 teams competed in two divisions. In the strongest group such teams as "Anatta", "Kurbads", "Lūši", "RD Electronics", "Profsistems", "Memphis/Smokers", "Berģu nams", "Viva sports-1", "Viva sports-2", "Mamuti", "Buldogi", "DSM" participated.
The increase in the number of participants required more effort for organising the tournaments - Oļegs Siračenko, Aleksandrs Mejlehs, Sergejs Šarkovs, Eduards Andersons, Oskars Miljons, Guntars Precinieks and Aleksejs Rešetņikovs joined the NAHL management. They put the finishing touches to the regulations of competitions and elected the League Council.
Independent Amateur Hockey League «NAHL» has been an officially registered sport public organization since autumn 2001. It provides the hockey competitions not only in Riga, but also in other hockey halls of Latvia.
The season 2002/2003 started with 43 teams. They are all divided into 3 groups - the Superleague (16 teams), Higher League (14) and the First League (13).
NAHL teams have an experience of friendly matches in abroad - NAHL hockey clubs have participated in friendly matches in Canada, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Ireland, Belarus and Russia.
Currently NAHL unites 80 amateur teams, which are divided, according to their level, into 6 leagues, plus 2 old-timer leagues divided into Group А (ex-professionals) and В (amateurs). There are also the Latvian regional teams – their numbers are about 200.
NAHL competitions take place in 10 ice halls. The league has annually organised the Latvian ice-hockey championship among amateur hockey teams (from September to March), and then – the NAHL CUP in April. Besides the regular Championship and the NAHL CUP - NAHL also organizes tournaments, where teams from Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Switzerland and Finland are participating.
The hockey season begins with the Captains Match, at the end of the January a Star Match takes place. Spring is the season of "Bank Cup", in May-June the following tournaments are usually organized - it’s “NAHL - PREMJERA” for the beginner teams, and the senior tournament 45+ “SENJOR” ("SENIORS").
Almost all teams use the services of professional coaches. Such famous hockey players as Helmuts Balderis
, Oleg Znarok, Anatolijs Jemeļjanenko, Sergejs Povečerovskis, Juris Opuļskis, Aleksandrs Kerčs
take part in NAHL competitions.
Amateur teams from Lithuania are also interested in participating. The Lithuanian team "LEDO LINIJA" from Šiauliai
participates in NAHL championship.
The league's latest project is the tournament Open Ice Riga. The first part of it – Spring 2008 – took place in March 2008. The teams from Russia, Lithuania and Latvia took part in these games for the teams in the “C-Club” group.
NAHL competitions have evoked great interest of Latvian enterprises, companies and financial institutions – Swedbank
, Parex
, Aizkraukles Banka, Rietumu Banka
, Latvijas Biznesa Banka, Lattelecom
, LMT
, Latvijas Pasts
, Balva, Monarh, RER
, Rīgas Satiksme
, ASK
, Sāga
have participated in NAHL organized competitions and tournaments.
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
league in the Baltic States
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
(Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
). It unites more than 80 teams and about 2 400 players in 8 leagues (including 2 oldtimers leagues).
History
The modern history of amateur ice hockey began in 1996, when Latvian national ice hockey teamLatvian national ice hockey team
The Latvian men's national ice hockey team is currently ranked 12th in the world by IIHF as of 2011. The team is controlled by the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation. Its current head coach is Ted Nolan. Their best finishes ever at the World Championships were in 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2009 where they...
returned to the top division of the Ice Hockey World Championship. Possibly this fact was very important in the further development of amateur hockey in Latvia.
At the end of summer in 1996 a group of enthusiasts decided to unite the unorganised groups of amateur hockey players and organize their 1st ice hockey championship for amateur teams. The tournament was successful - 7 teams took part in it ("Krāsainie Lējumi", "Bauska
Bauska
Bauska is a town in Bauska municipality, in the Zemgale region of southern Latvia. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Mūsa and Mēmele where they form the Lielupe River...
-Inčukalns
Inčukalns
Inčukalns is a village in Inčukalns municipality, Latvia. Inčukalns had 2,028 residents as of 2006....
", "Tiesneši", "Ledus Vaboles", "Vakara Ziņas", "Balsts", RTU
Riga Technical University
Riga Technical University is located in Riga, Latvia.- Riga Polytechnical Institute, 1862-1918 :...
). The first season in 1997/1998 started with even more teams - 16 teams in two groups.
The first NAHL Championship took place in autumn 1999, where 7 teams participated ("Anatta", "Lūši", "Vektor", "Lattelecom
Lattelecom
Lattelecom is a Latvian internet service provider and telecommunications company.The Lattelecom group provides IT, telecommunication and outsourced business process solutions that are provided by all of the companies of the group...
", Jaunpils, Jūrmala
Jurmala
Jūrmala is a city in Latvia, about 25 kilometers west of Riga. Jūrmala is a resort town stretching and sandwiched between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe River...
, "Vikingi-Eglīte").
In the season 2001/2002, 25 teams competed in two divisions. In the strongest group such teams as "Anatta", "Kurbads", "Lūši", "RD Electronics", "Profsistems", "Memphis/Smokers", "Berģu nams", "Viva sports-1", "Viva sports-2", "Mamuti", "Buldogi", "DSM" participated.
The increase in the number of participants required more effort for organising the tournaments - Oļegs Siračenko, Aleksandrs Mejlehs, Sergejs Šarkovs, Eduards Andersons, Oskars Miljons, Guntars Precinieks and Aleksejs Rešetņikovs joined the NAHL management. They put the finishing touches to the regulations of competitions and elected the League Council.
Independent Amateur Hockey League «NAHL» has been an officially registered sport public organization since autumn 2001. It provides the hockey competitions not only in Riga, but also in other hockey halls of Latvia.
The season 2002/2003 started with 43 teams. They are all divided into 3 groups - the Superleague (16 teams), Higher League (14) and the First League (13).
NAHL teams have an experience of friendly matches in abroad - NAHL hockey clubs have participated in friendly matches in Canada, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Ireland, Belarus and Russia.
Currently NAHL unites 80 amateur teams, which are divided, according to their level, into 6 leagues, plus 2 old-timer leagues divided into Group А (ex-professionals) and В (amateurs). There are also the Latvian regional teams – their numbers are about 200.
NAHL competitions take place in 10 ice halls. The league has annually organised the Latvian ice-hockey championship among amateur hockey teams (from September to March), and then – the NAHL CUP in April. Besides the regular Championship and the NAHL CUP - NAHL also organizes tournaments, where teams from Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Switzerland and Finland are participating.
The hockey season begins with the Captains Match, at the end of the January a Star Match takes place. Spring is the season of "Bank Cup", in May-June the following tournaments are usually organized - it’s “NAHL - PREMJERA” for the beginner teams, and the senior tournament 45+ “SENJOR” ("SENIORS").
Almost all teams use the services of professional coaches. Such famous hockey players as Helmuts Balderis
Helmuts Balderis
Helmuts Balderis-Sildedzis is a retired Latvian ice hockey player. He played right wing.-Playing career:...
, Oleg Znarok, Anatolijs Jemeļjanenko, Sergejs Povečerovskis, Juris Opuļskis, Aleksandrs Kerčs
Aleksandrs Kercs
Alexander Kerch is a professional ice hockey left wing, currently playing in Latvian hockey league club DHK Latgale.- Career :...
take part in NAHL competitions.
Amateur teams from Lithuania are also interested in participating. The Lithuanian team "LEDO LINIJA" from Šiauliai
Šiauliai
Šiauliai , is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 133,900. It is the capital of Šiauliai County. Unofficially, the city is the capital of Northern Lithuania.-Names:...
participates in NAHL championship.
The league's latest project is the tournament Open Ice Riga. The first part of it – Spring 2008 – took place in March 2008. The teams from Russia, Lithuania and Latvia took part in these games for the teams in the “C-Club” group.
NAHL competitions have evoked great interest of Latvian enterprises, companies and financial institutions – Swedbank
Swedbank
Swedbank AB is a leading Nordic-Baltic banking group with 9.5 million retail customers and 534,000 corporate customers in Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. In Sweden, the group has 377 branches. In the Baltic countries, it has another 224 branches...
, Parex
Parex Bank
Parex Banka is a Latvian bank with branches in Berlin, Stockholm and Tallinn, and representative offices in Tokyo, Moscow, Kiev, Baku and other cities. The bank employs 2,600 staff in 14 countries....
, Aizkraukles Banka, Rietumu Banka
Rietumu Banka
Rietumu Banka - JSC Rietumu Banka is a Latvian commercial bank that was established in 1992. It is one of the largest private banks in the Baltic States, specialising in corporate banking and affluent individuals...
, Latvijas Biznesa Banka, Lattelecom
Lattelecom
Lattelecom is a Latvian internet service provider and telecommunications company.The Lattelecom group provides IT, telecommunication and outsourced business process solutions that are provided by all of the companies of the group...
, LMT
Latvian Mobile Telephone
Latvian Mobile Telephone is a mobile GSM/UMTS operator in Latvia.- History :LMT has operated on the mobile market since 1992 and is the first mobile network operator in the country. The service was established as an operator of the NMT system. Within a couple of years of starting, the company has...
, Latvijas Pasts
Latvijas Pasts
VAS Latvijas Pasts is the company in charge of the Latvian postal service. Established in 1992 following newly regained Latvian independence, it took over the mail delivery duties of its predecessors that began in the year 1632...
, Balva, Monarh, RER
RER
The RER is a rapid transit system in France serving Paris and its suburbs. The RER is an integration of a modern city-centre underground rail and a pre-existing set of commuter rail lines. It has several connections with the Paris Métro within the city of Paris. Within the city, the RER...
, Rīgas Satiksme
Rigas Satiksme
Rīgas Satiksme is a limited liability company of Riga municipality which operates public transport and vehicle hire in the Latvian capital Riga and its surrounding areas. The organisation's principal activities involve the operation of the city's 476 buses, 354 trolleybuses and 267 trams. It is...
, ASK
ASK Riga
ASK Rīga is the name of a former professional basketball club based in Riga, Latvia. "ASK" stands for "Armijas Sporta Klubs" .-History:...
, Sāga
Saga
Sagas, are stories in Old Norse about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, etc.Saga may also refer to:Business*Saga DAB radio, a British radio station*Saga Airlines, a Turkish airline*Saga Falabella, a department store chain in Peru...
have participated in NAHL organized competitions and tournaments.