Extreme Ice Hockey League
Current season, competition or edition: 2025–26 XHL season | |
 | |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2025 |
| First season | 2025–26 |
| Administrator | JIHF |
| No. of teams | 3 |
| Country | Japan |
Most recent champion | Tokyo Wilds |
| Most titles | Tokyo Wilds (1) |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Website | https://xhl.jp/ |
The Extreme Ice Hockey League (XHL) is the second-tier ice hockey league in Japan, below the Asia League Ice Hockey. It is administered by the Japan Ice Hockey Federation (JIHF), a member of the IIHF.[1]
History
The Japan Ice Hockey Federation announced the creation of the Extreme Ice Hockey League in June 2025 with the first season expected to be played from October 2025 to March 2026. Initially, the teams would all be based in the Tokyo, Nagoya, and Shiga regions. The federation that it hoped the new league would help grow the sport in Japan.[2][3] The first season featured three teams: Nagoya Orques, Shiga Blue Rise, and Tokyo Wilds. The league was played in a round-robin format with each team playing six home games. The first game was held on 12 October 2025 with Shiga Blue Rise hosting Nagoya Orcs at Kinoshita Kansei Ice Arena in Ōtsu.[4]
Current teams
Locations of the 2025–26 XHL teams| Extreme Hockey League Teams: 2025–26 Season[5] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Municipality | Venue | Joined league |
| Tokyo Wilds | Nishitokyo, Tokyo | DyDo Drinco Ice Arena | 2025 |
| Nagoya Orques | Nagoya, Chūbu | Kuniwa Port Sports & Culture | 2025 |
| Shiga Blue Rise | Ōtsu, Shiga | Kinoshita Kansei Ice Arena | 2025 |
Season results
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26[6] | Tokyo Wilds | Nagoya Orques | Shiga Blue Rise |
| 2026–27 |
See also
External links
References
- ↑ "A new ice hockey league is born in Japan". nationalteamsoficehockey.com. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
- ↑ "国内に新たなアイスホッケーリーグ誕生「EXTREME ICE HOCKEY LEAGUE」2025年10月開幕！" (in Japanese). PR Times. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
- ↑ Hoshi, Aka. "We are proud to support the XHL professional ice hockey team "TOKYO WILDS"". RLAM Trading. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
- ↑ "新リーグ『EXTREME ICE HOCKEY LEAGUE』が発足 10／12（日）に滋賀・木下カンセーアイスアリーナで開幕戦" (in Japanese). Ice Press Japan. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
- ↑ "Teams" (in Japanese). Extreme Ice Hockey League. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
- ↑ "The XHL's first season concludes with the Tokyo Wilds winning the championship". Extreme Ice Hockey League. Retrieved 20 April 2026.