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It’s getting to be the time of year when hockey fans once again start to think about the season ahead. Hockey is a fantastic sport to watch and wager on, and we particularly love live in-game betting, as there are very often ebbs and flows in a game that result in quick momentum shifts, which is great for those live bets. What may come as a surprise to many is that there is more than one league to wager on in hockey, so let’s take a quick look at the strongest hockey leagues to bet on this season.
NHL
This is the league that even non-hockey fans are aware of, but let’s do a quick recap for those who may not be familiar with how things go. There are 2 conferences (Eastern and Western) in the NHL, with each conference home to 2 divisions. The top 3 teams in each division head to the playoffs, with a pair of Wild Card teams also making it in. I would also suggest that the race for the Stanley Cup is the most exciting playoff tournament you will watch. It is fast, physical, and generally a ton of fun to watch. The Florida Panther and Edmonton Oilers have made to the Final in each of the last 2 seasons, with Florida winning both times. It’s probably no real surprise that they are both among the favorites again this season but keep an eye on the Carolina Hurricanes.
American Hockey League (AHL)
The AHL is home to 32 teams (26 in the US, 6 in Canada) and is a developmental league. The teams taking part are all affiliated with NHL clubs, but that does not necessarily mean that the best team in the AHL is affiliated with the best team in the NHL. Some teams like to rebuild through the youth system, so they may be strong in the AHL and poor in the NHL, but it is also a sign that the big team might be ready to break out. The AHL works in a similar way to the NHL in terms of the playoffs, with the eventual champion winning the Calder Cup. The Abbotsford Canucks come into this season as the defending champions, breaking a 2 in a row run by the Hershey Bears.
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Swedish Hockey League
The SHL works differently from what we are used to here in North America, most specifically in that they have relegation at the end of the season. There are 14 teams in the SHL, with the top 8 teams making the playoffs, while the bottom 2 teams go into a playoff against the lower division to try and avoid relegation. In recent years, it has been Växjö that has been the most successful team, ending as champions 3 of the last 7 seasons. Djugardens are the most successful team in Sweden, and they are making their return to the SHL this season after winning the lower league last season.
Swiss National League
One of the strongest hockey leagues to bet on is the KHL probably deserves some recognition, too, as a league worth wagering on, but we are now going to take a closer look at the Swiss National League. The National League is home to 14 teams, each of whom plays 52 games over the course of the regular season. The top 8 teams go to the playoffs, while the bottom 4 go into a relegation playoff, so there is a lot going on in this league. The current champions are ZSC Lions, who have won it in each of the last 2 seasons, so they will be among the favorites again this year.
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— Swiss Ice Hockey (@SwissIceHockey) July 29, 2025
Denis Malgin | ZSC Lions
Šimon Hrubec | ZSC Lions
Sven Andrighetto | ZSC Lions
ℹ️: https://t.co/QL0vbwTQAN #SIHF #SwissIceHockeyNight pic.twitter.com/4ZtyUG7yDc
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