Czech Extraliga

The Tipsport Extraliga (Tipsport extraliga ledního hokeje, TELH) is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic.

The Czech Extraliga is rooted in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League. The Czech Extraliga was spun off in 1993 following the administrative break-up of Czechoslovakia. A lot of Extraliga players leave every year on transfers to the North American NHL and Eurasian league, the KHL.

Name
The name of the league is leased to a general sponsor and changes frequently.
 * In 1999-2000 season - Staropramen Extraliga
 * In 2001-2002 season - Český Telecom Extraliga
 * From 2003 to 2006 - Tipsport Extraliga
 * From 2007 to 2010 - O2 Extraliga
 * From 2010 - Tipsport Extraliga

League format
14 teams play four times with each other in the regular season. Every team plays 52 games.

After the regular season, top 10 teams advance into the play-offs. Teams on 7th - 10th place after the regular season play 1st round of the play-off (best-of-five, 7th vs. 10th, 8th vs. 9th). Winners of the 1st rounds advance into the quarterfinals where they join the best 6 teams after the regular season, so in the quarterfinals (best-of-seven, 1st vs. 8th, 2nd vs. 7th and so on) play 8 teams. After the semifinals (best-of-seven, 1st vs. 4th, 2nd vs. 3rd) comes the final (best-of-seven). The winner of the final is named the champion of the Tipsport Extraliga.

Since 2020-21 season, Tipsport Extraliga is unrelegatious for two seasons. Into the Tipsport Extraliga proceeds the best team of the Chance Liga.

Since the 2006-07 season, three points are awarded for a win in regular time and two points for an overtime victory, while the defeated team in overtime gets one point. If necessary, penalty shots are used to decide games after 5-minute 3 on 3 overtime in the regular season. In the first 3 games of the 1st rounds of the play-offs and first 4 games of the quarterfinals, semifinals and final, 20-minute 5 on 5 overtime is used. If there is not scored any goal in the overtime, penalty shots are used. In the game 4 and 5 of the 1st rounds of the play-offs and in the game 5, 6 and 7 of the quarterfinals, semifinals and final, continuous 20-minute 5 on 5 overtime is used. The game is over when the goal is scored.