Liiga vs Oberliga

How would you compare/contrast Liiga and Oberliga?

Liiga sits at a higher tier than Oberliga which sits at the 3rd level in Germany. The pace, skill level, and competition is a bit more intense in Liiga.

Our team has partners based in each of these countries and we regularly scout games here. Our insights come from this experience at matches in each league.

Liiga

Liiga is the top ice hockey league in Finland.

Oberliga

Oberliga is the third highest tier of ice hockey in all of Germany, with clubs carrying a mix of talented locals and veteran imports.

Location: Finland

Location: Germany

Skill Level in Liiga

Liiga is the highest professional hockey league in Finland. Founded in 1975, the league has 15 clubs that span from the South near Helsinki all the way up to the Arctic Circle. It's considered by many to be one of the stronger leagues in Europe.

Skill Level in Oberliga

Oberliga is Germany’s third highest tier hockey league with a couple dozen teams spread across the country. Most clubs roster a bulk of talented local players and a small subset of experienced imports.

Player Perspective: Liiga

"Liiga is the perfect league to play in, especially as an import from North America who enjoys the physical play paired with skill. I'd agree that Liiga's caliber is up there with a number of the top leagues in Europe based on my experience also playing in Germany and Austria. The fans hear love their hockey.

Player Perspective: Oberliga

"Oberliga is a great league to play in and the level of hockey is good.Playing in front of a few thousand fans each night is exactly what you want as an import who's playing overseas."

Number of Teams in Liiga: 15

Number of Teams in Oberliga: 28

Caliber of Players and Imports in Liiga

Skill level of Liiga players is extremely high, with only the best Finnish players moving up to the highest league. For imports, teams expect players in Europe with strong resumes and players from North America with high-end ECHL/AHL experience on their resumes. Some even have NHL games played. This shows the strength of the league.

Caliber of Players and Imports in Oberliga

The majority of players in Oberliga are German players, but the majority of teams all carry a number of veteran imports that possess solid resumes. The level of play in Oberliga continues to strengthen based on the level of imports paired with the growth of hockey increasing local talent in Germany.