Editing Valorian Hockey League

{| style="float:right;border:1px solid black;margin-left: 10px;width: 40%;"
|+'''<big>Valorian Hockey League</big>'''</br>''Ligue valorienne de hockey'' (French)
! colspan="2" |''<small>Current Season: [[VHL 2025]]</small>''
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! style="text-align:left" |<small>Sport</small>
|[[wikipedia:Ice_hockey|<small>Ice hockey</small>]]
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! style="text-align:left;" |<small>Country</small>
|[[Republic of Valoria|<small>Valoria</small>]]
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! style="text-align:left;" |<small>First season</small>
|[[VHL 1978|<small>1978</small>]]
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! style="text-align:left;" |<small>Commissioner</small>
|[[Calvin Halcomb|<small>Calvin Halcomb</small>]]
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! style="text-align:left;" |<small>No. of teams</small>
|style="text-align:left;" |<small>16</small>
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! style="text-align:left;" |<small>Current champions</small>
|[[Halifax Hockey Club|<small>Halifax Hockey Club</small>]] <small>(2nd title)</small>
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! style="text-align:left;" |<small>Most championships</small>
|style="text-align:left;" |<small>Boston Spirits (17 titles)</small>
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
!style="text-align:left;" |<small>Current [[Dan Earle Trophy|Earle Trophy]] holders</small>
|style="text-align:left;" |<small>Boston Spirits (25th trophy)</small>
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
!style="text-align:left;" |<small>Most Earle Trophies</small>
|style="text-align:left;" |<small>Boston Spirits (25 trophies)</small>
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
!style="text-align:left;" |<small>Current [[Coupe Balbuzard]] champions</small>
|style="text-align:left;" |<small>[[Newfoundland Sailors]] (10th cup)</small>
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
!style="text-align:left;" |<small>Most Coupes Balbuzard</small>
|style="text-align:left;" |<small>[[Providence Doves]], Newfoundland Sailors (10 cups)</small>
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
!style="text-align:left;" |<small>Golden Puck holder</small>
|style="text-align:left;" |<small>[[Danilo Lorenz]] (6th award)</small>
|-style="vertical-align:top;"
!style="text-align:left;" |<small>Current League MVP</small>
|style="text-align:left;" |<small>Carlos Ortega (1st award)</small>
|}

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 [[VHL 2024|2024 season]], the eight teams with the most points at the end of the season qualify for the [[VHL Playoffs|playoffs]], playing each other in a best-of-five elimination tournament to determine the league champion.

The VHL has a longstanding rivalry with the [[wikipedia:National_Hockey_League|NHL]], with whom they play an [[NHL/VHL All-Stars Match|All-Stars match]] every year, typically in July.

[[Halifax Hockey Club]] are current VHL champions, having defeated [[EH Bas-Canada]] [3–0] in the 2024 VHL Finals Series to win their second title.

== History ==

=== 1976–1977: Founding ===
When [[Nicholas (Augustine)|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 [[Michael II of Valoria|father]] and [[Michael I of Valoria|grandfather]] to promote their regimes. Seeking to distance himself from the regimes of his predecessors and pursue his "[[New Valoria movement|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 ===

== Teams ==
16 teams currently compete in the VHL. Six have won the [[Dan Earle Trophy|Earle Trophy]], while eight have won the championship.
{| class="wikitable"
!Team
!Abbreviation
!Home Arena
!Home City
|-
|[[Acadia Rage]]
|ACA
|Arena Acadia
|Moncton, [[Acadia|AC]]
|-
|[[Boston Spirits]]
|BOS
|Charley Milner Arena
|Boston, [[Boston (province)|BO]]
|-
|[[Concord Venom]]
|COV
|New Hampshire Provincial Stadium
|Concord, [[New Hampshire|NH]]
|-
|[[Connecticut Bandits]]
|CNB
|House of New Haven
|New Haven, [[Connecticut|CO]]
|-
|[[Charlottetown Hockey]]
|CHA
|Charlottetown Gardens
|Charlottetown, [[Nova Scotia|NS]]
|-
|[[EH Bas-Canada]]
|BAS
|Stade de Canada
|Montréal, [[Bas-Canada|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, [[Maine|MN]]
|-
|[[Newfoundland Sailors]]
|NEW
|Alexander Kaufman Arena
|St. John's, [[Newfoundland|NF]]
|-
|[[Plymouth Fishermen]]
|PLY
|The Cove
|Plymouth, [[Massachusetts|MA]]
|-
|[[Providence Doves]]
|PRO
|Camp Eden
|Providence, [[Rhode Island|RI]]
|-
|[[Salem Loggers]]
|SAL
|Naumkeag Arena
|Lynn, BO
|-
|[[Springfield Bullets]]
|SPR
|Massachusetts Rink
|Springfield, MA
|-
|[[Vermont (VHF team)|Vermont]]
|VER
|Montpelier Arena
|Montpelier, [[Vermont (province)|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 ==
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Champion
!Series
!Runner-up
|-
|[[VHL 1978|1978]]
|[[Salem Loggers]]
|[3–2]
|Boston Spirits
|-
|[[VHL 1979|1979]]
|[[Newfoundland Sailors]]
|[3–2]
|[[Vermont (VHF team)|Vermont]]
|-
|[[VHL 1980|1980]]
|[[Boston Spirits]]
|[3–0]
|Salem Loggers
|-
|[[VHL 1981|1981]]
|Boston Spirits (2)
|[3–1]
|Concord Venom
|-
|[[VHL 1982|1982]]
|Salem Loggers (2)
|[3–1]
|Boston Spirits
|-
|[[VHL 1983|1983]]
|Salem Loggers (3)
|[3–0]
|[[Charlottetown Hockey]]
|-
|[[VHL 1984|1984]]
|Boston Spirits (3)
|[3–0]
|Mainers
|-
|[[VHL 1985|1985]]
|Boston Spirits (4)
|[3–0]
|Salem Loggers
|-
|[[VHL 1986|1986]]
|Salem Loggers (4)
|[3–0]
|EH Bas-Canada
|-
|[[VHL 1987|1987]]
|[[EH Bas-Canada]]
|[3–1]
|Boston Spirits
|-
|[[VHL 1988|1988]]
|Boston Spirits (5)
|[3–0]
|Halifax Hockey Club
|-
|[[VHL 1989|1989]]
|Boston Spirits (6)
|[3–2]
|Halifax Hockey Club
|-
|[[VHL 1990|1990]]
|Boston Spirits (7)
|[3–2]
|Newfoundland Sailors
|-
|[[VHL 1991|1991]]
|Boston Spirits (8)
|[3–2]
|Newfoundland Sailors
|-
|[[VHL 1992|1992]]
|Boston Spirits (9)
|[3–1]
|Newfoundland Sailors
|-
|[[VHL 1993|1993]]
|Boston Spirits (10)
|[3–1]
|Newfoundland Sailors
|-
|[[VHL 1994|1994]]
|[[Concord Venom]]
|[3–2]
|Halifax Hockey Club
|-
|[[VHL 1995|1995]]
|Newfoundland Sailors (2)
|[3–1]
|Boston Spirits
|-
|[[VHL 1996|1996]]
|[[Providence Doves]]
|[3–1]
|Halifax Hockey Club
|-
|[[VHL 1997|1997]]
|Newfoundland Sailors (3)
|[3–2]
|Providence Doves
|-
|[[VHL 1998|1998]]
|Newfoundland Sailors (4)
|[3–0]
|Boston Spirits
|-
|[[VHL 1999|1999]]
|Newfoundland Sailors (5)
|[3–1]
|Mainers
|-
|[[VHL 2000|2000]]
|Providence Doves (2)
|[3–1]
|Newfoundland Sailors
|-
|[[VHL 2001|2001]]
|Providence Doves (3)
|[3–1]
|Boston Spirits
|-
|[[VHL 2002|2002]]
|Providence Doves (4)
|[3–0]
|[[Connecticut Bandits]]
|-
|[[VHL 2003|2003]]
|Providence Doves (5)
|[3–2]
|Boston Spirits
|-
|[[VHL 2004|2004]]
|Boston Spirits (11)
|[3–2]
|Providence Doves
|-
|[[VHL 2005|2005]]
|Providence Doves (6)
|[3–0]
|Boston Spirits
|-
|[[VHL 2006|2006]]
|Boston Spirits (12)
|[3–2]
|Providence Doves
|-
|[[VHL 2007|2007]]
|Salem Loggers (5)
|[3–2]
|[[Acadia Rage]]
|-
|[[VHL 2008|2008]]
|Boston Spirits (13)
|[3–2]
|Providence Doves
|-
|[[VHL 2009|2009]]
|Boston Spirits (14)
|[3–1]
|[[Plymouth Fishermen]]
|-
|[[VHL 2010|2010]]
|Boston Spirits (15)
|[3–2]
|Providence Doves
|-
|[[VHL 2011|2011]]
|Newfoundland Sailors (6)
|[3–0]
|Boston Spirits
|-
|[[VHL 2012|2012]]
|Providence Doves (7)
|[3–1]
|Boston Spirits
|-
|[[VHL 2013|2013]]
|Boston Spirits (16)
|[3–0]
|Newfoundland Sailors
|-
|[[VHL 2014|2014]]
|Newfoundland Sailors (7)
|[3–1]
|Mainers
|-
|[[VHL 2015|2015]]
|Newfoundland Sailors (8)
|[3–2]
|Boston Spirits
|-
|[[VHL 2016|2016]]
|Newfoundland Sailors (9)
|[3–1]
|Providence Doves
|-
|[[VHL 2017|2017]]
|Salem Loggers (6)
|[3–2]
|Newfoundland Sailors
|-
|[[VHL 2018|2018]]
|Newfoundland Sailors (10)
|[3–1]
|Salem Loggers
|-
|[[VHL 2019|2019]]
|[[Halifax Hockey Club]]
|[3–2]
|Newfoundland Sailors
|-
|[[VHL 2020|2020]]
| style="text-align:center" colspan="3" |''cancelled''
|-
|[[VHL 2021|2021]]
|Newfoundland Sailors (11)
|[3–0]
|Boston Spirits
|-
|[[VHL 2022|2022]]
|[[Mainers]]
|[3–2]
|Boston Spirits
|-
|[[VHL 2023|2023]]
|Boston Spirits (17)
|[[2023 VHL Finals Series|[3–2]]]
|Mainers
|-
|[[VHL 2024|2024]]
|Halifax Hockey Club (2)
|[3–0]
|EH Bas-Canada
|}

== Teams by VHL championships ==
{| class="wikitable"
!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
|-
| rowspan="3" |6
|EH Bas-Canada
|1
|1987
|-
|Concord Venom
|1
|1994
|-
|Mainers
|1
|2022
|}

== Teams by VHL Finals Series appearances ==
{| class="wikitable"
!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
|-
| rowspan="5" |9
|Vermont
|1
|1979
| -
|-
|Charlottetown Hockey
|1
|1983
| -
|-
|Connecticut Bandits
|1
|2002
| -
|-
|Acadia Rage
|1
|2007
| -
|-
|Plymouth Fishermen
|1
|2009
| -
|}

== Winning Managers ==
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).
{| class="wikitable"
!Rank
!Manager
!Trophies
!Team(s)
!Years Won
|-
|1
|[[Emmanuel Bernardi]]
|7
|Providence Doves
|1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2012
|-
|rowspan="3"|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
|-
|rowspan="3"|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
|-
| rowspan="7" |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
|}

[[Category:Ice Hockey in Valoria]]