Emirates Ice Hockey League
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| No. of teams | 5 |
| Countries | United Arab Emirates |
| Continent | Asia |
| Most recent champion(s) | Dubai Mighty Camels (5th title) |
| Most titles | Dubai Mighty Camels (5) |
The Emirates Hockey League (EHL) is the national ice hockey league of the United Arab Emirates. The league is governed by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Founded in 2009 by the country’s Winter Sports Federation and the Emirates Olympic Committee, and licensed by the International Hockey Federation,[1] the league now (2019) consists of six teams: the Abu Dhabi Scorpions, the Dubai Vipers/White Bears (previously Al Ain Vipers and Dubai Oilers), the Dubai Mighty Camels, the Abu Dhabi Storms, the Al Ain Theebs and the Abu Dhabi Shaheen Falcons.[2] The Scorpions and Mighty Camels are composed of expatriate players, including Canadians, working in the U.A.E., while the other clubs consist of mostly Emirati players who form the United Arab Emirates national team.[3]
The first game of the league was on October 7, 2009 between the Dubai Mighty Camels and the Abu Dhabi Scorpions, held at the Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.
In November 2018, Vladimir Burdun, a former karate champion who had lived in Dubai since the mid-1990s, was appointed as the new president of the League.[4] He planned to eventually field at least one Emirates team in the international, professional Kontinental Hockey League by 2021.[5] "The main goal of the EHL management is to improve the quality of the league and bring new exposure to the level of play and create bridges with one of the best leagues in Europe, the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL)", he said. At about the same time, Dmitry Butenko was appointed as Managing Director of EHL.[6] A new ice arena was expected to open in Dubai, possibly before the end of 2019, with a seating capacity of 17,000,[7] and that venue would meet all the requirements of the KHL. (Preliminary plans for a major arena in Abu Dhabi were also underway in 2018.)[8][9][10]
In April 2018, the Dubai Mighty Camels won the fourth title of Emirates Hockey League, becoming the major winner of the competition while in 2019, the champions were the Abu Dhabi Storms.[11]
2021 season[]
Current teams[]
| Team | Home City | Home rink |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi Scorpions | Abu Dhabi | Zayed Sports City |
| Abu Dhabi Storms | Abu Dhabi | Zayed Sports City |
| Al Ain Theebs | Al Ain | Al Ain Ice Rink |
| Dubai White Bears | Dubai | Dubai Mall Ice Rink |
| Dubai Mighty Camels | Dubai | Dubai Mall Ice Rink |
Former teams[]
| Team | Home City | Home rink |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi Shaheen Falcons | Abu Dhabi | Zayed Sports City |
Annual champions[]
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | Dubai Mighty Camels |
| 2019-2020 | Al Ain Theebs |
| 2018-2019 | Abu Dhabi Storms |
| 2017-2018 | Dubai Mighty Camels |
| 2016-2017 | White Bears Dubai [12] |
| 2015-2016 | Dubai Mighty Camels |
| 2014-2015 | Dubai Oilers* |
| 2013-2014 | Abu Dhabi Storms |
| 2012-2013 | Dubai Mighty Camels |
| 2011-2012 | Dubai Mighty Camels |
| 2010-2011 | Abu Dhabi Storms |
| 2009-2010 | Al Ain Vipers* |
*The Al Ain Vipers became the Dubai Vipers in 2013, and changed their name to the Dubai Oilers in 2014. The team changed back to Dubai Vipers for the 2016-2017 season.
| Team | Titles |
|---|---|
| Dubai Mighty Camels | 5 |
| Abu Dhabi Storms | 3 |
| Dubai White Bears | |
| Al Ain Theebs | 1 |
References[]
- ^ "arabianbusiness.com".
- ^ "Emirates Hockey League details - Eurohockey.com".
- ^ "Canada and the United Arab Emirates".
- ^ "arabianbusiness.com".
- ^ "HockeyBuzz.com - Aivis Kalnins - Russian businessman talks KHL expansion to Dubai".
- ^ "Russian-UAE resident businessman set to take UAE ice hockey to great heights | ZAWYA MENA Edition".
- ^ "New arena to be 'game changer' for Dubai - The Stadium Business".
- ^ "Hamad Al Qubaisi calls on investors to help build ice rink on Yas Island".
- ^ Sam Bridge (2018-11-23). "How one Russian expat aims to make the UAE an ice hockey force". Arabian Business. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
- ^ "Dubai's new air conditioned sports arena for 17,000 spectators looks set to open next year".
- ^ "Abu Dhabi Storms details - Eurohockey.com".
- ^ Сергей Токарев (2017-02-09). ""Белые медведи" стали чемпионами ОАЭ по хоккею на льду" (in Russian). Русские Эмираты. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
External links[]
- IIHF article on foundation of EIHL
- 2015/2016 Season Preview http://www.thenational.ae/sport/other/its-heating-up-in-the-uaes-ice-rinks-this-201516-season
- 2010 Season Preview http://www.khaleejtimes.com/sport/other/all-set-for-emirates-hockey-league-cup
- 2009 Season Preview http://www.thenational.ae/sport/uae-sport/a-guide-to-the-teams-in-emirates-hockey-league
- NHL.com Hockey Finds an unlikely home in the Arabian Gulf https://www.nhl.com/news/hockey-finds-an-unlikely-home-in-arabian-gulf/c-615662
- Ice hockey leagues in the United Arab Emirates
- Sports leagues established in 2009
- 2009 establishments in the United Arab Emirates