Norumbrian Continental Hockey League
Current season, competition or edition: 2019-2020 | |
 NKLH Shield | |
| Sport | Ice Hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 27th of July, 1961 |
| Inaugural season | 1962-1963 (57 seasons) |
| No. of teams | 26 |
| Countries | Skaldafen (8 teams) Belfras (8 teams) Tsurushima (4 teams) Enyama (2 teams) Nunaaqqinit (4 teams) |
| Continent | Trans-Makiran |
| Most titles | Veshiv Vikings (10) |
The Nasjonel Kontinentr Legen Hocken (NKLH) is an international professional ice hockey league based out of the Skaldafen Confederation and Belfras. Financially, it is a world leader among organizations of its kind, and is considered to be part of the highest tier of play within the sport. The Burnt Woods Cup (named for the rampant wildfires that characterized the league's inaugural year) is awarded annually to the winners of the league post-season playoff tournament.
Originally founded as a local league based in ten cities along the Belfras-Skaldanian border, rampant international popularity and successful expansions has led the NKLH to expand well beyond its nominal continental boundaries. It currently hosts a total of 28 teams, organized into two conferences composed of 14 teams each. Since the Tsurushima expansion in 1989 and the fourth general expansion in 2011, the league has shown a vested interest in expanding both within Norumbria and overseas. A spike in cities from non-member states applying for teams began in 2014, and such requests have only increased over the past few years.
Players from 16 different countries currently play in the NKLH. Historically, the league has been dominated by players originating from member states, but recent years have seen rapid spikes of players joining and being drafted from all over the world. This trend has been most notable from Latium and Liothidia.
History
Founded by the Latium-born professional player Arcus 'Black Eye' Scipio on the 27th of July 1961 as a passion project, the league had a number of rocky early years financially until the 1972-73 season in which a massive spike in attendance permitted the league's first expansion. Doubling in size from 5 teams to 10, the NKLH soon became the most prominent sports league in Norumbria by the 80's.
The second and third expansions, dubbed the northern expansion and the Tsurushiman expansion respectively, added a total of another 8 new teams from 1981 to 1989 in 3 new countries. The last expansion to take place was after the 2010-11 season, in which a whole 8 more teams were added in a dramatic restructuring of the league.
Season Structure
Regular Season
Starting from September 13th every year, the league begins an 7-month season that sees every team play 68 games around the world.