The Swiss national championship in ice hockey has been contested in various forms since 1909.
History
The Swiss National Championship was first contested in 1909, and continued until 1937, when it was replaced by the Nationalliga A. Due to World War I, it was not contested in the 1914 and 1915 seasons.
Between 1916 and 1933, alongside the Swiss National Championship, the Swiss International Championship was contested. Unlike the National Championship, which had restrictions on the number of foreigners allowed to play, an unlimited number of foreign players were allowed to compete in the International Championship.
Since the 1937–38 season, the Nationalliga A, now called the National League A, is established as the highest level league in Switzerland. In the 1985–86 season, the Swiss Champion was first awarded in the playoffs.
The women's national championship has been contested annually since 1987. The league is known as the Leistungsklasse A. It is also known as Swiss Women's Hockey League A.
