Orixtal Hockey League
Current season, competition or edition: 2034–25 OHL season | |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1951 |
| Inaugural season | 1951–52 |
| President | Nicholas Taihana |
| No. of teams | 32 |
| Country |  Tierrador (21 teams) Alstin (6 teams) Ceylonia (2 teams) Porlos (2 teams) Istrenya (1 team) |
| Most recent champion(s) | Tulangia Centurions (7th title) |
| Most titles | Qabór Phoenix (24 titles) |
| TV partner(s) |
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| International cup(s) | Cronan Hockey Cup |
| Official website | http://www.ohl.tw |
The Orixtal Hockey League (Tierradorian: Orixhtal Leiga le Hoquí, OLH) is a professional ice hockey league in South Crona founded in 1951. It currently comprises of 32 teams; 21 in Tierrador, 6 in Alstin, 2 each in Ceylonia and Porlos, and 1 in Istrenya. It is one of the most popular sports leagues in Crona, with league and playoff matches being broadcasted in every Cronan country, along with many countries around the world.
The OHL was organized and founded at the Spitzer Hotel in Taisgol on November 26, 1951, after the suspension of operations of its predecessor organization, the six-team South Cronan Hockey Association (SCHA), which had been founded in 1913 in Qabór. The OHL immediately took the SCHA's place as one of the leagues that contested for the THA Cup in an annual inter-league competition consisting of the OHL, the CHL (until 1966), and the original rendition of the WHL (until they merged in 1976). A long series of league mergers and foldings left the OHL as the only league left competing for the THA Cup, which had been renamed to the Watson Cup to honor hockey legend Matt Watson in 1976.
The OHL is an active member of the Tierradorian Hockey Administration (THA), which is recognized by the WAHF as the national governing body for hockey in Tierrador. The league's several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices in Central Square in Taisgol, while its OHL Entertainment and OHL TV studios are directed out of offices located in Qabór, Las Rozas. In Tierrador, the OHL is the second wealthiest professional sport league after the Premiership, and one of the top ice hockey leagues in the world, directly rivaling the Levantine Hockey League.
The OHL's regular season is typically held from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. Following the conclusion of the regular season, 16 teams advance to the Watson Cup playoffs, a four-round tournament that runs into June to determine the league champion. Since the OHL's incorporation in 1951, the Qabór Phoenix have won the most outright OHL titles with 24; 7 pre-merger OHL championship series before the league took full exclusivity of the Watson Cup in 1976, and 17 Watson Cups afterwards. The reigning league champions are the Tulangia Centurions, winning their seventh Watson Cup over the Wadičaq Phantoms in the 2034 Watson Cup Finals.
History
Early years
The presence of hockey in Crona, specifically the south, dates back to 1893, when Kiravian immigrants began playing the sport in Tierrador. Eventually, many organized leagues would be established in the northeastern part of the country, as the more mountainous areas consisted of the appropriate climate for that time. The Tierradorian Hockey Administration would be founded in 1910, and the first professional competition, the Tierradorian Hockey Cup, would be established three years later. The first two professional clubs, the Qabór Monarchs and the Taisgol Spires, were both established in 1913 and played the first edition of the Tierradorian Hockey Cup, with Qabór winning the best-of-five series three games to one. As the sport grew throughout the area, several short-lived clubs would be established around the Southeastern Metropolis to compete for the Cup, with league membership exceeding 35 in 1919. Despite this, many of these clubs would fold after five or so years due to a multitude of issues, the most common being from financial difficulties or lack of a permanent home rink. The THA would be reduced from 35 clubs in 1919 to just 12 around the beginning of the 1922 edition of the tournament. The THA would add three more teams—Porvaos Condors, the Naihungo Prairie Dogs, and the Caxano Titans—before the start of the 1923 season.
The 1920s and 30s were a stagnant time for the THA. Four new teams would be added from 1924 to 1933; the Prisamarina Mystics, the Arrecife Firebirds, the Ominasky Rockets, and the Qazrogzo Wheatmen. The Tierradorian Hockey Cup would be split between Qabór and Taisgol, with the exception of 1929, where the Porvaos Condors would upset the heavily favored Phoenix in a dominant four-game sweep. In 1931, the THA would make major changes to its competition format; instead of tournament-style bracket, all of the teams competed in a quadruple round-robin, for a total of 72 games. After the regular season ended, the top eight teams would advance to a playoff round, where a team must prevail in three best-of-seven series in order to win the Tierradorian Hockey Cup. Following these changes, the league would begin to see many new champions, the most notable being the Prisamarina Mystics, who won their first three cups in 1937, 1938 and 1939. In 1940, the Caxano Titans, following many financial woes, would fold, reducing the league to just 18 teams, where it would stay at until the dissolution of the THA.
THA dissolves
OHL-CHL merger
Matt Watson and the "Golden Era" of hockey
Merging with the WHL
Modern era
Season structure
Regular season
Playoffs
Teams
Trophies and awards
Champions
The league champion is contested by the champions of both the King of Tapkoii and Patrick Wilson Conferences, and is awarded the Watson Cup, arguably one of the most famous sports trophy, along with being one of the most difficult to win. Below is a list of every Watson Cup champion since 1951.
| Year | Winning team | Coach | Games | Losing team | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2034 | Tulangia Centurions (46–28–8) | Barry Adriza | 4–3 | Wadičaq Phantoms (45–28–9) | Levar Xirótin |
| 2033 | Tulangia Centurions (47–27–8) | Barry Adriza | 4–2 | Taisgol Spires (52–21–9) | Petr Tolakov |
| 2032 | Prisamarina Mystics (53–25–4) | Colin Tayyis | 4–3 | Auqali Shockers (46–30–6) | Aphío Antonov |
| 2031 | Sedem Regni Thrones (48–20–14) | Petr Tolakov | 4–3 | Taisgol Spires (47–29–6) | Jean-Charles Carre dePerrier |
| 2030 | Wadičaq Phantoms (54–20–8) | Levar Xirótin | 4–2 | Sedem Regni Thrones (51–22–9) | Jean-Charles Carre dePerrier |
| 2029 | Tulangia Centurions (53–21–8) | Barry Adriza | 4–2 | Qabór Phoenix (50–23–9) | Qasperi Santonai |
| 2028 | Auqali Shockers (50–24–8) | Aphío Antonov | 4–3 | Tulangia Centurions (60–13–9) | Badry Adriza |
| 2027 | Naqili Hornets (39–27–16) | Jean-Yves Lazard leMonde | 4–3 | Tawakee Hurricanes (48–28–6) | Francisco Asonakee |
| 2026 | Tulangia Centurions (62–13–7) | Barry Adriza | 4–2 | Auqali Shockers (53–21–8) | Aphío Antonov |
| 2025 | Auqali Shockers (65–12–5) | Aphío Antonov | 4–3 | Veraise Raiders (51–23–8) | Satolo Aikala |
| 2024 | Auqali Shockers (62–16–4) | Aphío Antonov | 4–2 | Naqili Hornets (54–21–7) | Jean-Yves Lazard leMonde |
| 2023 | Prisamarina Mystics (50–22–10) | Colin Tayyis | 4–3 | Tansher Spirit (45–33–4) | Jerry Iostenari |
| 2022 | Taisgol Spires (64–13–5) | Petr Tolakov | 4–2 | Tulangia Centurions (58–17–7) | Barry Adriza |
| 2021 | Sačia Tropics (45–29–8) | Xavier Cristobál | 4–1 | Alstin Sentinels (40–33–9) | Mike DeSoto |
| 2020 | Sačia Tropics (46–31–5) | Xavier Cristobál | 4–3 | Anloiya Blizzard (40–35–7) | Hectór Qosnan |
| 2019 | Tawakee Hurricanes (42–32–8) | Jason Saunders | 4–2 | Vernaza Titans (49–27–6) | Hectór Qosnan |
| 2018 | Karaba Mountaineers (52–21–9) | Petr Tolakov | 4–1 | Cuzco Beserkers (55–20–7) | Pyotr Šalasi |
| 2017 | Naihungo Prairie Dogs (49–22–11) | Matthew Qabolov | 4–3 | Auqali Shockers (40–31–11) | Andrew Walls |
| 2016 | Naihungo Prairie Dogs (47–29–6) | Matthew Qabolov | 4–2 | East Sachia Tubarões (43–32–7) | Levar Xirótin |
| 2015 | Agualaría Bluewave (46–32–4) | Kil Faxanan | 4–2 | Naihungo Prairie Dogs (51–20–11) | Matthew Qabolov |
| 2014 | Vernaza Titans (47–21–14) | Jason Saunders | 4–2 | Qabór Phoenix (56–20–6) | William E. Roberts |
| 2013 | Vernaza Titans (54–19–9) | Jason Saunders | 4–3 | Porvaos Condors (46–25–11) | Trevor Šalasi |
| 2012 | Santa Maria Blazers (54–15–13) | Aphía Nešomi | 4–2 | Utopia Rouges (52–23–7) | Austin Mays |
| 2011 | Auqali Shockers (50–26–6) | Phoenix Simmons | 4–2 | Vernaza Titans (53–21–8) | Jason Saunders |
| 2010 | Porvaos Condors (43–28–11) | Joel Laqeim | 4–3 | Pacuí Penguins (42–32–8) | Amani Ayala |