Valorian Hockey League
| Current Season: VHL 2024 | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Country | Valoria |
| First season | 1978 |
| Commissioner | Calvin Halcomb |
| No. of teams | 16 |
| Current champions | Boston Spirits (17th title) |
| Most championships | Boston Spirits (17 titles) |
| Current Earle Trophy holders | Boston Spirits (25th trophy) |
| Most Earle Trophies | Boston Spirits (25 trophies) |
| Current Coupe Balbuzard champions | Newfoundland Sailors (9th cup) |
| Most Coupes Balbuzard | Providence Doves (10 cups) |
| Golden Puck holder | Carlos Ortega (2nd award) |
| Current League MVP | Carlos Ortega (1st award) |
The Valorian Hockey League (abbreviated VHL, French: Ligue valorienne de hockey—LVH) is the highest level of professional ice hockey competition in Valoria. Along with the Coupe Balbuzard, the VHL is organized, regulated, and sanctioned by the Valorian Hockey Federation. 45 seasons have been run since the inaugural 1978 campaign.
Across a VHL season, each team plays thirty games (playing each other team in the league twice, once at home and once away), with points awarded based off game results. As of the 2024 season, the eight teams with the most points at the end of the season qualify for the playoffs, playing each other in a best-of-five elimination tournament to determine the league champion.
The VHL has a longstanding rivalry with the NHL, with whom they play an All-Stars match every year, typically in July.
The Boston Spirits are current VHL champions, having defeated the Mainers [3 - 2] in the 2023 VHL Finals Series. The Spirits also hold the record for most VHL titles, with 17.
History[edit | edit source]
1976–1977: Founding[edit | edit source]
When King Nicholas ascended to the throne in February 1976, he envisioned a reboot of the Valorian Ice Hockey Championship, which had run since 1908 and had, in his view, been co-opted by his father and grandfather to promote their regimes. Seeking to distance himself from the regimes of his predecessors and pursue his "New Valoria" policy, he sought for a new top-flight professional hockey league to be created, featuring new teams. The VIHC was formally dissolved after _ were crowned the final champions in April 1976, with a new league scheduled to begin sometime in 1977.
1977–1978: First season[edit | edit source]
Teams[edit | edit source]
16 teams currently compete in the VHL. Six have won the Earle Trophy, while eight have won the championship.
| Team | Abbreviation | Home Arena | Home City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia Rage | ACA | Arena Acadia | Moncton, AC |
| Boston Spirits | BOS | Charley Milner Arena | Boston, BO |
| Concord Venom | COV | New Hampshire Provincial Stadium | Concord, NH |
| Connecticut Bandits | CNB | House of New Haven | New Haven, CO |
| Charlottetown Hockey | CHA | Charlottetown Gardens | Charlottetown, NS |
| EH Bas-Canada | BAS | Stade de Canada | Montréal, BC |
| Fredericton Stars | FRE | Fredericton Rink | Fredericton, AC |
| Halifax Hockey Club | HHC | Yellow Bowl | Halifax, NS |
| Hartford Hockey | HAR | Hartford Arena | Hartford, CO |
| Mainers | MAI | Maine Province Hockey Arena | Augusta, MN |
| Newfoundland Sailors | NEW | Alexander Kaufman Arena | St. John's, NF |
| Plymouth Fishermen | PLY | The Cove | Plymouth, MA |
| Providence Doves | PRO | Camp Eden | Providence, RI |
| Salem Loggers | SAL | Naumkeag Arena | Lynn, BO |
| Springfield Bullets | SPR | Massachusetts Rink | Springfield, MA |
| Vermont | VER | Montpelier Arena | Montpelier, VE |
The five most valuable teams are as follows
- Newfoundland Sailors: $4.8 billion
- Boston Spirits: $4.0 billion
- EH Bas-Canada: $3.8 billion
- Salem Loggers: $2.7 billion
- Providence Doves: $2.6 billion
List of VHL champions by year[edit | edit source]
| Year | Champion | Series | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Salem Loggers | [3–2] | Boston Spirits |
| 1979 | Newfoundland Sailors | [3–2] | Vermont |
| 1980 | Boston Spirits | [3–0] | Salem Loggers |
| 1981 | Boston Spirits (2) | [3–1] | Concord Venom |
| 1982 | Salem Loggers (2) | [3–1] | Boston Spirits |
| 1983 | Salem Loggers (3) | [3–0] | Charlottetown Hockey |
| 1984 | Boston Spirits (3) | [3–0] | Mainers |
| 1985 | Boston Spirits (4) | [3–0] | Salem Loggers |
| 1986 | Salem Loggers (4) | [3–0] | EH Bas-Canada |
| 1987 | EH Bas-Canada | [3–1] | Boston Spirits |
| 1988 | Boston Spirits (5) | [3–0] | Halifax Hockey Club |
| 1989 | Boston Spirits (6) | [3–2] | Halifax Hockey Club |
| 1990 | Boston Spirits (7) | [3–2] | Newfoundland Sailors |
| 1991 | Boston Spirits (8) | [3–2] | Newfoundland Sailors |
| 1992 | Boston Spirits (9) | [3–1] | Newfoundland Sailors |
| 1993 | Boston Spirits (10) | [3–1] | Newfoundland Sailors |
| 1994 | Concord Venom | [3–2] | Halifax Hockey Club |
| 1995 | Newfoundland Sailors (2) | [3–1] | Boston Spirits |
| 1996 | Providence Doves | [3–1] | Halifax Hockey Club |
| 1997 | Newfoundland Sailors (3) | [3–2] | Providence Doves |
| 1998 | Newfoundland Sailors (4) | [3–0] | Boston Spirits |
| 1999 | Newfoundland Sailors (5) | [3–1] | Mainers |
| 2000 | Providence Doves (2) | [3–1] | Newfoundland Sailors |
| 2001 | Providence Doves (3) | [3–1] | Boston Spirits |
| 2002 | Providence Doves (4) | [3–0] | Connecticut Bandits |
| 2003 | Providence Doves (5) | [3–2] | Boston Spirits |
| 2004 | Boston Spirits (11) | [3–2] | Providence Doves |
| 2005 | Providence Doves (6) | [3–0] | Boston Spirits |
| 2006 | Boston Spirits (12) | [3–2] | Providence Doves |
| 2007 | Salem Loggers (5) | [3–2] | Acadia Rage |
| 2008 | Boston Spirits (13) | [3–2] | Providence Doves |
| 2009 | Boston Spirits (14) | [3–1] | Plymouth Fishermen |
| 2010 | Boston Spirits (15) | [3–2] | Providence Doves |
| 2011 | Newfoundland Sailors (6) | [3–0] | Boston Spirits |
| 2012 | Providence Doves (7) | [3–1] | Boston Spirits |
| 2013 | Boston Spirits (16) | [3–0] | Newfoundland Sailors |
| 2014 | Newfoundland Sailors (7) | [3–1] | Mainers |
| 2015 | Newfoundland Sailors (8) | [3–2] | Boston Spirits |
| 2016 | Newfoundland Sailors (9) | [3–1] | Providence Doves |
| 2017 | Salem Loggers (6) | [3–2] | Newfoundland Sailors |
| 2018 | Newfoundland Sailors (10) | [3–1] | Salem Loggers |
| 2019 | Halifax Hockey Club | [3–2] | Newfoundland Sailors |
| 2020 | cancelled | ||
| 2021 | Newfoundland Sailors (11) | [3–0] | Boston Spirits |
| 2022 | Mainers | [3–2] | Boston Spirits |
| 2023 | Boston Spirits (17) | [3–2] | Mainers |
| 2024 | Halifax Hockey Club (2) | [3–0] | EH Bas-Canada |
Teams by VHL championships[edit | edit source]
| Rank | Team | Titles | Years Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston Spirits | 17 | 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2023 |
| 2 | Newfoundland Sailors | 11 | 1979, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021 |
| 3 | Providence Doves | 7 | 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2012 |
| 4 | Salem Loggers | 6 | 1978, 1982, 1983, 1986, 2007, 2017 |
| 5 | Halifax Hockey Club | 2 | 2019, 2024 |
| 6 | EH Bas-Canada | 1 | 1987 |
| Concord Venom | 1 | 1994 | |
| Mainers | 1 | 2022 |
Teams by VHL Finals Series appearances[edit | edit source]
| Rank | Team | Finals Appearances | Years Appeared | Titles Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston Spirits | 30 | 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023 | 17 |
| 2 | Newfoundland Sailors | 19 | 1979, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 | 11 |
| 3 | Providence Doves | 13 | 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2016 | 7 |
| 4 | Salem Loggers | 9 | 1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 2007, 2017, 2018 | 6 |
| 5 | Halifax Hockey Club | 6 | 1988, 1989, 1994, 1996, 2019, 2024 | 2 |
| 6 | Mainers | 5 | 1984, 1999, 2014, 2022, 2023 | 1 |
| 7 | EH Bas-Canada | 3 | 1986, 1987, 2024 | 1 |
| 8 | Concord Venom | 2 | 1981, 1994 | 1 |
| 9 | Vermont | 1 | 1979 | - |
| Charlottetown Hockey | 1 | 1983 | - | |
| Connecticut Bandits | 1 | 2002 | - | |
| Acadia Rage | 1 | 2007 | - | |
| Plymouth Fishermen | 1 | 2009 | - |
Winning Managers[edit | edit source]
In the 45 VHL seasons since 1978, a total of 14 managers have won the championship, 8 of which have won it more than once. Emmanuel Bernardi has won the most, with 7 titles. Chris Lindstrom is the reigning championship-winning manager, taking his second title with the Boston Spirits in the 2023 VHL Finals Series. By winning that title, he also became the first manager in VHL history to win the championship with two different teams (winning a prior title with Halifax Hockey Club).
| Rank | Manager | Trophies | Team(s) | Years Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emmanuel Bernardi | 7 | Providence Doves | 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2012 |
| 2 | Quentin Bethea | 6 | Boston Spirits | 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 |
| Charley Milner | 6 | Boston Spirits | 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013 | |
| Dorian Hargrove | 6 | Newfoundland Sailors | 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021 | |
| 3 | Clement Sterling | 4 | Boston Spirits | 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985 |
| Edwin Redmond | 4 | Salem Loggers | 1978, 1982, 1983, 1986 | |
| Jules Lundsford | 4 | Newfoundland Sailors | 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 | |
| 4 | Chris Lindstrom | 2 | Halifax Hockey Club, Boston Spirits | 2019, 2023 |
| 5 | Garrett Jacobsen | 1 | Newfoundland Sailors | 1979 |
| Edouard Lefebvre | 1 | EH Bas-Canada | 1987 | |
| Riley Booker | 1 | Concord Venom | 1994 | |
| Pascal Montalvo | 1 | Salem Loggers | 2007 | |
| Joseph Courtney | 1 | Salem Loggers | 2017 | |
| Dominique Bergeron | 1 | Mainers | 2022 | |
| Nigel Murray | 1 | Halifax Hockey Club | 2024 |