View source for Belarusian Extraleague

{{Short description|Top league in Belarus}}
{{Infobox sports league
| title           = Belarusian Extraleague<br>Экстраліга
| current_season  = 
| logo            = BLRextraleague-logo.png
| pixels          = 165px
| caption         = 
| Formerly        = 
| sport           = Ice hockey
| founded         = {{start date and age|1992}}
| fame            = 
| motto           = 
| inaugural       = [[1992–93 Belarusian Extraliga season|1992–93]]
| teams           = 14
| country         = {{flag|Belarus}} (13 teams)<br>{{flag|Russia}} (1 team)
| champion        = [[Metallurg Zhlobin]] (4th title)
| champ_season    = 2023–24
| most_champs     = [[Yunost Minsk]] (9 titles)
| qualification   = 
| folded          = 
| website         = {{url|https://extra.hockey.by/}}
| singles         = 
| ceo             = 
| Director        = 
| Founder         = [[Belarusian Ice Hockey Association]]
| TV              = Belarus 5, [[Fanseat]]
| related_comps   = [[Vysshaya Liga (Belarus)|Vysshaya Liga]]
}}

The '''Belarusian Extraleague''', abbreviated '''BHL''', also known as the '''BETERA Extraleague''' for sponsorship reasons, or known as the '''Belarusian Open Championship''', ({{Langx|be|Экстраліга|translit=Ekstraliha}}), officially formed in 2006, is the top [[ice hockey]] league in [[Belarus]]. In its past, it has switched several times between being and not being an open league (in reference to allowing foreign teams), but for the 2008–2009 season, the [[Belarusian Ice Hockey Association]] decided to open the Belarusian Extraleague, the [[Belarusian Premier League]] and the Belarusian junior leagues.
 
Before the season 2018-2019 the '''Belarusian Extraleague''' was divided in two leagues: '''Extraleague A''' with 8 teams and '''Extraleague B''' with 9 teams. For the 2021-2022 season, this division into Extraleague A and Extraleague B was canceled, with 12 teams taking part in the single championship.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://belarushockey.com/rb/news/2021/06/07/v-ekstralige-v-sezone-2021/2022-sygrajut-12-komand/|title=В Экстралиге в сезоне-2021/2022 сыграют 12 команд|date=7 June 2021|publisher=belarushockey.com|access-date=14 September 2021|language=ru}}</ref>

The Extraleague championships for the [[2016–17 Belarusian Extraliga season|2016-2017 season]] and [[2017–18 Belarusian Extraliga season|2017-2018 season]] were won by [[HC Neman Grodno]]

The 2019/2020 Belarusian ice hockey championship was the only championship in the world that was not interrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Юность" стала чемпионом Беларуси по хоккею, ряд игроков отправится в КХЛ |url=https://prosports.kz/news/444935-yunost-stala-chempionom-belarusi-po-hokkeyu-ryad-igrokov-komandy-otpravitsya-v-khl |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=Prosports.kz |language=ru}}</ref>

Teams from the BHL can participate in the [[International Ice Hockey Federation|IIHF]]'s annual [[Champions Hockey League]] (CHL), competing for the European Trophy. Participation is based on the strength of the various leagues in Europe (excluding the European/Asian [[Kontinental Hockey League]]). Going into the [[2022–23 Champions Hockey League|2022–23 CHL season]], the BHL was [[Champions Hockey League#League ranking|ranked the No. 7 league]] in Europe, allowing them to send their top team to compete in the CHL.

==Current teams==
===2024–25 season===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left"
! style="background:lightgrey;width:14em" | Team
! style="background:lightgrey;width:10em" | City
! style="background:lightgrey;width:18em" | [[Ice arenas in Belarus|Arena]]
! style="background:lightgrey;width:4em" | Capacity
! style="background:lightgrey;width:4em" | Ice rink size
! style="background:lightgrey;width:18em" | Affiliate Team
|-
|[[Aviator Baranovichi]]
|{{flagicon|BLR}} [[Baranavichy|Baranovichi]]
|[[Baranovichi Ice Sports Palace]]
|align = center |2,158
|align = center | -
|[[Sobol Beryoza]] ([[Vysshaya Liga (Belarus)|Belarus2]])
|-
| [[HK Brest]]
| {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Brest, Belarus|Brest]]
| [[Brest Ice Sports Palace]]
| align = center | 2,000
| align = center | 60x30
| [[Sobol Beryoza]] ([[Vysshaya Liga (Belarus)|Belarus2]])
|-
| [[HK Vitebsk]]
| {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Vitebsk]]
| [[Vitebsk Ice Sports Palace]]
| align = center | 1,900
| align = center | 61x30
| [[Medvedi Vitebsk]] ([[Vysshaya Liga (Belarus)|Belarus2]])
|-
| [[HC Dinamo-Molodechno]]
| {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Maladzyechna|Molodechno]]
| [[Molodechno Ice Sports Palace]]
| align = center | 2,197
| align = center | 
|[[Dinamo-Olimpik Minsk]] ([[Vysshaya Liga (Belarus)|Belarus2]])
|-
| [[HK Gomel]]
| {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Gomel]]
| [[Gomel Ice Sports Palace]]
| align = center | 2,760
| align = center | 61х30
| [[Rysi Gomel]] ([[Vysshaya Liga (Belarus)|Belarus2]])
|-
| [[HK Lida]]
| {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Lida]]
| [[Lida Ice Palace]]
| align = center | 1,000
| align = center | 60х30
| [[Rytsari Lida]] ([[Vysshaya Liga (Belarus)|Belarus2]])
|-
| [[HK Lokomotiv Orsha]]
| {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Orsha]]
| [[Orsha Ice Sports Palace]]
| align = center | 3,500
| align = center | 
|[[Loko Orsha]] ([[Vysshaya Liga (Belarus)|Belarus2]])
|-
| [[Metallurg Zhlobin]]
| {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Zhlobin]]
| [[Ice Palace Metalurg]]
| align = center | 2,018
| align = center | 60x30
| [[HC Belstal Zhlobin|Belstal Zhlobin]] ([[Vysshaya Liga (Belarus)|Belarus2]])
|-
| [[HK Mogilev]]
| {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Mogilev]]
| [[Sports Palace Mogilev]]
| align = center | 3,048
| align = center | 60х30
| [[Dneprovskiye Lvy Mogilev]] ([[Vysshaya Liga (Belarus)|Belarus2]])
|-
| [[HC Neman Grodno]]
| {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Grodno]] 
| [[Grodno Ice Sports Palace]]
| align = center | 2,550
| align = center | 60x30
| [[HC Neman Grodno 2|Progress Grodno]] ([[Vysshaya Liga (Belarus)|Belarus2]])
|-
| [[Khimik-SKA Novopolotsk|Khimik Novopolotsk]]
| {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Novopolotsk]]
| [[Palace of Sports and Culture|Novopolotsk Palace of Sports and Culture]]
| align = center | 1,200
| align = center | 
| [[Neftekhimik Novopolotsk]] ([[Vysshaya Liga (Belarus)|Belarus2]])
|-
|[[Slavutych Smolensk]]
|{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Smolensk]]
|[[SGAFKST Arena]]
| align = center | -
| align = center | -
|Independent
|-
| [[HC Shakhtyor Soligorsk]]
| {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Soligorsk]]
| [[Soligorsk Sports and Entertainment Complex]]
| align = center | 1,759
| align = center | 60х29
| [[Yastreby Pinsk]] ([[Vysshaya Liga (Belarus)|Belarus2]])
|-
| [[Yunost Minsk|HC Yunost-Minsk]]
| {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Minsk]] 
| [[Čyžoŭka-Arena]]
| align = center | 8,807
| align = center | 61x30
| [[HC Dinamo Minsk]] ([[Kontinental Hockey League|KHL]])<br>[[Yunior Minsk]] ([[Vysshaya Liga (Belarus)|Belarus2]])
|}

==Former teams==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left"
! Team
! City
! Arena
! Capacity
|-
| [[Belarus men's national junior ice hockey team|Belarus U20]] || {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Minsk]] || [[Čyžoŭka-Arena]] Practice ice rink || align = center | 473
|-
| [[Belarus men's national junior ice hockey team|Belarus U18]] || {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Raǔbičy]] || Indoor ice rink of sport complex [[Raǔbičy]] || align = center | 300
|-
| [[Yastreby Pinsk]]|| {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Pinsk]] || [[Ice arena of the Universal sports complex Volna of the Polessky state university (Pinsk)|Ice arena of the Universal sports complex Volna]] || align = center | 598
|-
| [[HC Babruysk]] || {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Babruysk]] || [[Babruysk Arena]] || align = center | 7,191
|-
| [[Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruisk|Dinamo U20 Bobruisk]] || {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Babruysk]] || [[Babruysk Arena]] || align = center | 7,151
|-
| [[HC Dinamo Minsk|Dinamo Minsk]] || {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Minsk]] || [[Minsk Sports Palace]] || align = center | 3,311
|-
| [[Keramin Minsk]] || {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Minsk]] || [[Minsk Ice Palace]] || align = center | 1,823
|-
| [[Shinnik Bobruisk]] || {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Babruysk]] || [[Babruysk Arena]] || align = center | 7,151
|-
| [[Sokil Kyiv]] || {{flagicon|UKR}} [[Brovary]]<br>{{flagicon|UKR}} [[Kyiv]] || [[Ice Arena TEC Terminal (Brovary)|Ice Arena TEC Terminal]]<br>[[Palace of Sports, Kyiv|Kyiv Palace of Sports]] || align = center | 1,500<br>7,200
|-
| [[Tivali Minsk]] || {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Minsk]] || [[Minsk Sports Palace]] || align = center | 3,311
|-
| [[HC Torpedo Minsk|Torpedo Minsk]] || {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Minsk]] || Unknown || align = center | -
|-
| [[Triumph Minsk]] || {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Minsk]] || Unknown || align = center | -
|-
| [[Yunior Minsk]] || {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Minsk]] || [[Ice Palace Yunost Minsk]] || align = center | 767
|-
| [[HK Liepājas Metalurgs]] || {{flagicon|LAT}} [[Liepāja]] || [[Ice Arena Liepājas Metalurgs]] || align = center | 1,700
|-
| [[HK Riga 2000]] || {{flagicon|LAT}} [[Riga]] || [[Inbox.lv ledus halle]] || align = center | 2,000
|-
| [[ASK/Ogre]] || {{flagicon|LAT}} [[Ogre, Latvia|Ogre]] || [[Vidzemes Ledus Halle]] || align = center | 1,880
|-
| [[DHK Latgale]] || {{flagicon|LAT}} [[Daugavpils]] || [[Daugavpils Ice Arena]] || align = center | 1,234
|}

==Champions by season==
===Extraleague/Extraleague A===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*[[1992–93 Belarusian Extraliga season|1992–93]]: [[Tivali Minsk]]
*[[1993–94 Belarusian Extraliga season|1993–94]]: [[Tivali Minsk]]
*[[1994–95 Belarusian Extraliga season|1994–95]]: [[Tivali Minsk]]
*[[1995–96 Belarusian Extraliga season|1995–96]]: [[Khimik-SKA Novopolotsk|Polimir Novopolotsk]]
*[[1996–97 Belarusian Extraliga season|1996–97]]: [[Khimik-SKA Novopolotsk|Polimir Novopolotsk]]
*[[1997–98 Belarusian Extraliga season|1997–98]]: [[HC Neman Grodno|Neman Grodno]]
*[[1998–99 Belarusian Extraliga season|1998–99]]: [[HC Neman Grodno|Neman Grodno]]
*[[1999–2000 Belarusian Extraliga season|1999–2000]]: [[Tivali Minsk]]
*[[2000–01 Belarusian Extraliga season|2000–01]]: [[HC Neman Grodno|Neman Grodno]]
*[[2001–02 Belarusian Extraliga season|2001–02]]: [[Keramin Minsk]]
*[[2002–03 Belarusian Extraliga season|2002–03]]: [[HK Gomel]]
*[[2003–04 Belarusian Extraliga season|2003–04]]: [[Yunost Minsk]]
*[[2004–05 Belarusian Extraliga season|2004–05]]: [[Yunost Minsk]]
*[[2005–06 Belarusian Extraliga season|2005–06]]: [[Yunost Minsk]]
*[[2006–07 Belarusian Extraliga season|2006–07]]: [[HC Dinamo Minsk|Dinamo Minsk]]
*[[2007–08 Belarusian Extraliga season|2007–08]]: [[Keramin Minsk]]
*[[2008–09 Belarusian Extraliga season|2008–09]]: [[Yunost Minsk]]
*[[2009–10 Belarusian Extraliga season|2009–10]]: [[Yunost Minsk]]
*[[2010–11 Belarusian Extraliga season|2010–11]]: [[Yunost Minsk]]
*[[2011–12 Belarusian Extraliga season|2011–12]]: [[Metallurg Zhlobin]]
*[[2012–13 Belarusian Extraliga season|2012–13]]: [[HC Neman Grodno|Neman Grodno]]
*[[2013–14 Belarusian Extraliga season|2013–14]]: [[HC Neman Grodno|Neman Grodno]]
*[[2014–15 Belarusian Extraliga season|2014–15]]: [[HC Shakhtyor Soligorsk]]
*[[2015–16 Belarusian Extraliga season|2015–16]]: [[Yunost Minsk]]
*[[2016–17 Belarusian Extraliga season|2016–17]]: [[HC Neman Grodno|Neman Grodno]]
*[[2017–18 Belarusian Extraliga season|2017–18]]: [[HC Neman Grodno|Neman Grodno]]
*[[2018–19 Belarusian Extraliga season|2018–19]]: [[Yunost Minsk]]
*[[2019–20 Belarusian Extraliga season|2019–20]]: [[Yunost Minsk]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iihf.com/en/news/18466/europe-s-only-champion|title=IIHF - Europe's only champion}}</ref>
*[[2020–21 Belarusian Extraliga season|2020–21]]: [[Yunost Minsk]]
*[[2021–22 Belarusian Extraliga season|2021–22]]: [[Metallurg Zhlobin]]
*[[2022–23 Belarusian Extraliga season|2022–23]]: [[Metallurg Zhlobin]]
*[[2023–24 Belarusian Extraliga season|2023–24]]: [[Metallurg Zhlobin]]
{{div col end}}

===Extraleague B===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*[[2018–19 Belarusian Extraliga season|2018–19]]: [[HK Lokomotiv Orsha]]
*[[2019–20 Belarusian Extraliga season|2019–20]]: [[HK Lokomotiv Orsha]]
*[[2020–21 Belarusian Extraliga season|2020–21]]: [[Khimik-SKA Novopolotsk|Khimik Novopolotsk]]
{{div col end}}

==Titles by team==
===Extraleague/Extraleague A===
{| class="wikitable" 
|- bgcolor=#ececec
! Titles 	 
! Club	 
! Years
|-
! 10
| [[Yunost Minsk]]
| 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021
|-
! 7
| [[HC Neman Grodno]] 
| 1998, 1999, 2001, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018
|-
! 5 
| [[Tivali Minsk]]/[[HC Dinamo-Minsk]]* 
| 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2007*
|-
! 3
| [[Metallurg Zhlobin]]
| 2012, 2022, 2023
|-
! 2 
| [[Khimik-SKA Novopolotsk|Polimir Novopolotsk]]
| 1996, 1997
|-
! 2 
| [[Keramin Minsk]] 
| 2002, 2008
|-
! 1 
| [[HK Gomel]]
| 2003
|-
! 1
| [[HC Shakhtyor Soligorsk]]
| 2015
|}

===Extraleague B===
{| class="wikitable" 
|- bgcolor=#ececec
! Titles 	 
! Club	 
! Years
|-
! 2
| [[HK Lokomotiv Orsha]]
| 2019, 2020
|-
! 1
| [[Khimik-SKA Novopolotsk|Khimik Novopolotsk]]
| 2021
|}

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* [https://extra.hockey.by/ Official website]
* [https://hockey.by/natsionalnyy-chempionat/ekstraliga-a/ Belarusian Extraleague] at hockey.by
* [https://belarushockey.com/ Belarusian hockey website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090604130508/http://hockeyus.at.tut.by/ Belarus hockey archive website]

{{Belarusian Extraleague}}
{{Ice hockey in Belarus}}
{{Top sport leagues in Belarus}}
{{Ice Hockey Leagues}}

[[Category:Belarusian Extraleague| ]]
[[Category:Top-tier ice hockey leagues in Europe]]
[[Category:Professional ice hockey leagues in Belarus]]