Lajos Tokési, Roger Holéczy, Tamás Sille and Krisztián Palkovics - the players of Alba Volán FeVita are celebrating after a goal.
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Hungarian League
Teams
Today six teams are competing in the Hungarian League: Alba Volán FeVita Székesfehérvár, DAC Invitel Dunaújváros, Újpesti Torna Egylet, Ferencváros Torna Club, Miskolci Jegesmedvék JSE and Győri ETO HC. Dunaferr and Volán are professional teams, the other clubs have semi-professional players.
Playing format
During the regular season the teams play against each other two times, then the first four plays antoher round. Then the best two play a best-of-seven final. The top teams also compete in the Hungarian Republic's Cup and in the International Ice Hockey League. There have been a junior championship held since 1954 and a midget one since 1961.History
Since the 1990's the finals have drawn crowds between 4000 and 7500 per game. Ferencváros dominated the action throughout the 1970's and the first half of the 90's, Újpesti TE (named as Újpesti Dózsa) was the best team in the 80's but in the recent years Dunaferr SE have taken over, mainly thanks to their great work with the junior players. At the end of the 90's the teams from Budapest went downhill, because Dunaferr and Alba Volán have had covered ice rinks, but the capital city has no such a facility. In 1998/99 Alba Volán won the medal after 20 years. Next season they were unable to qualify for the final, so Dunaferr ascended the throne.
In 2000/2001 Volán signed a great Slovakian contingent: HC Kosice's ex-representative forward Lubomir Rybovic, '96 World Cup star goalie Roman Mega, and trainer Jan Jasko. In addition the club managed to keep their Hungarian star players, Ocskay and Palkovics. This strong team showed great performance during the final games, so the title went to Székesfehérvár again.
In 2001/2002 Alba Volán controlled the regular season, but the IIHL playoff games were demanding. Besides Dunaferr's trainer Dusan Kapusta timed his players' top form very well, so Dunaújváros gave no chance for the fatigued Székesfehérvár in the league finals. Next year Alba Volán have won back the title, and managed to defend it in the last three years.
Sergei Mylnikov was the first player in the Hungarian League who has played in the NHL. The goalie was signed by Újpesti TE in 1993, three years after his NHL debut. In 2005 NHL star players Rob Niedermayer and Jason Strudwick helped Ferencváros, but this was not enough for the green-white team to catch the bronze medal. However the best player ever to wear a Hungarian team's jersey was the Russian ice hockey genius, Aleksandr Maltsev, who played 13 games for Újpest in 1990. Internationally experienced foreigners in the last 10 years were Evgeny Chizmin, former productive player of Spartak Moscow and Swedish Roma IF, Vladimir Svitek who was drafted by Philadelphia in 1981, Peter Veselovsky who won an olympic bronze medal as the member of the Slovakian national team, Lubomir Rybovic who played 57 games in the Slovakian national team and Karol Rusznyak who was a member of Team Slovakia at the Olympic Games in 1998, Nagano.
There have not been a Hungarian born or trained player in the NHL yet, but Joseph Schertzl played for Hershey (AHL) and Tulsa (USHL) between 1947-53. Before that he played for the Boston Olympics. He was born in Budapest on August 24, 1923. Four Hungarian players were drafted so far at the NHL Entry Draft: János Vas by Dallas Stars in 2002 (place 32), Tamás Gröschl by Edmonton Oilers in 2000 (place 256), Levente Szuper by Calgary Flames in 2001 (place 116) and Frank Kovács by Minnesota in 1990 (place 71).
Champions
| 1936-37. | BKE |
| 1937-38. | BKE |
| 1938-39. | BKE |
| 1939-40. | BKE |
| 1940-41. | BBTE |
| 1941-42. | BKE |
| 1942-43. | BBTE |
| 1943-44. | BKE |
| 1945-46. | BKE |
| 1946-47. | MTK |
| 1947-48. | MTK |
| 1948-49. | MTK |
| 1949-50. | Meteor Mallerd |
| 1950-51. | Budapesti Kinizsi |
| 1951-52. | Vörös Meteor |
| 1952-53. | Budapesti Postás |
| 1953-54. | Budapesti Postás |
| 1954-55. | Budapesti Kinizsi |
| 1955-56. | Budapesti Kinizsi |
| 1956-57. | Budapesti Vörös Meteor |
| 1957-58. | Újpesti Dózsa |
| 1958-59. | Budapesti Vörös Meteor |
| 1959-60. | Újpesti Dózsa |
| 1960-61. | FTC |
| 1961-62. | FTC |
| 1962-63. | Budapesti Vörös Meteor |
| 1963-64. | FTC |
| 1964-65. | Újpesti Dózsa |
| 1965-66. | Újpesti Dózsa |
| 1966-67. | FTC |
| 1967-68. | Újpesti Dózsa |
| 1968-69. | Újpesti Dózsa |
| 1969-70. | Újpesti Dózsa |
| 1970-71. | FTC |
| 1971-72. | FTC |
| 1972-73. | FTC |
| 1973-74. | FTC |
| 1974-75. | FTC |
| 1975-76. | FTC |
| 1976-77. | FTC |
| 1977-78. | FTC |
| 1978-79. | FTC |
| 1979-80. | FTC |
| 1980-81. | Székesfehérvári Volán |
| 1981-82. | Újpesti Dózsa |
| 1982-83. | Újpesti Dózsa |
| 1983-84. | FTC |
| 1984-85. | Újpesti Dózsa |
| 1985-86. | Újpesti Dózsa |
| 1986-87. | Újpesti Dózsa |
| 1987-88. | Újpesti Dózsa |
| 1988-89. | FTC |
| 1989-90. | Lehel H.C. |
| 1990-91. | FTC |
| 1991-92. | FTC |
| 1992-93. | FTC |
| 1993-94. | FTC |
| 1994-95. | FTC |
| 1995-96. | Dunaferr S.E. |
| 1996-97. | FTC |
| 1997-98. | Dunaferr S.E. |
| 1998-99. | Alba Volán - Riceland |
| 1999-2000. | Dunaferr S.E. |
| 2000-2001. | Alba Volán - FeVita |
| 2001-2002. | Dunaferr S.E. |
| 2002-2003. | Alba Volán - FeVita |
| 2003-2004. | Alba Volán - FeVita |
| 2004-2005. | Alba Volán - FeVita |
| 2005-2006. | Alba Volán - FeVita |