Latvian Hockey Higher League
The Latvian Hockey Higher League (Latvian: Latvijas Virslīgas hokeja čempionāts), also known as the Optibet Hockey League (Latvian: Optibet hokeja līga) since 2017 due to sponsorship by Optibet, is the top tier league of ice hockey in Latvia. The league is competed by nine teams from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Previously it was also known as the Latvian Open Hockey Championships (Latvijas atklātais čempionāts hokejā) and the Samsung Premier League (Samsung Premjerlīga) from 2006 to 2008. The league was established in 1931.
| Most recent season or competition: 2023–24 Latvian Hockey League season | |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1931 |
| No. of teams | 9 |
| Countries | Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania |
| Most recent champion(s) | HK Mogo (3rd title) (2023–24) |
| Most titles | HK Liepājas Metalurgs (7 titles) |
| Official website | lhf |
HK Liepājas Metalurgs, which played in the league between 1999 and 2013, has been the most successful team of the tournament, having won seven titles.
A number of players who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) have played in the league, including Latvians Kaspars Astašenko, Uvis Balinskis, Helmuts Balderis, Oskars Bārtulis, Kaspars Daugaviņš, Kristers Gudļevskis, Viktors Ignatjevs, Artūrs Irbe, Raitis Ivanāns, Mārtiņš Karsums, Aleksandrs Kerčs, Matīss Kivlenieks, Artūrs Kulda, Kārlis Skrastiņš, Pēteris Skudra, Jānis Sprukts, Artūrs Šilovs, as well as imports Darby Hendrickson, Konstantin Pushkaryov, Rob Schremp.