IIHF European Champions Cup

The IIHF European Champions Cup (ECC) was an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which took place during a long weekend in early January. The winner was considered the official club champion of Europe by the IIHF. The Champions Cup was first played in 2005, as a replacement for the defunct European Cup (1965–1997), and the suspended European Hockey League (1996–2000).[1] Beginning in the 2008–09 season, it was replaced by the Champions Hockey League, which is the new official European club championship event.[1]

Contents

European Cup

The European Cup, also known as the Europa Cup, was a European ice hockey club competition for champions of national leagues which was contested between 1965 and 1997, governed by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The competition was originated by Günther Sabetzki,[2] based on the Association football European Cup (now UEFA Champions League), and began in 1965. Teams were seeded and drawn into groups of four teams, with the winners of each group progressing to the next round, where they were drawn into groups again. Each round was played over a long weekend (Friday to Sunday) in a single venue, until one final group was left, the winner of which would be considered champions.

The tournament encountered problems. Countries had different levels of development in ice hockey, so some teams were weaker than others, resulting in a number of uncompetitive, one-sided games. Organisational difficulties were also posed by the refusal of some Soviet Union teams to play away games in certain places. This resulted in no final being held some years, and more than one final being held in others. The competition was discontinued after 1997.

Winners
Knockout, 1966–1978
Season Winner Score Runner-up
1966 ZKL Brno 6–4, 7–5, 6–2, 6–1 EV Füssen
1967 ZKL Brno 3–2, 5–4 Ilves
1968 ZKL Brno 3–0, 3–3 Dukla Jihlava
1969 CSKA Moscow 9–1, 14–3 EC KAC
1970 CSKA Moscow 2–3, 8–5 Spartak Moscow
1971 CSKA Moscow 7–0, 3–3 Dukla Jihlava
1972 CSKA Moscow 8–2, 8–3 Brynäs
1973 CSKA Moscow 6–2, 12–2 Brynäs
1974 CSKA Moscow 2–3, 6–1 Tesla Pardubice
1975 Krylya Sovetov Moscow 2–3, 7–0 Dukla Jihlava
1976 CSKA Moscow 6–0, 4–2 Poldi Kladno
1977 Poldi Kladno 4–4, 4–4 (2-1 SO) Spartak Moscow
1978 CSKA Moscow 3–1 Poldi Kladno
Group, 1979–1990
Season Winner Runner-up Third Venue
1979 CSKA Moscow Poldi Kladno Ässät Innsbruck, Austria
1980 CSKA Moscow Tappara Slovan Bratislava Innsbruck, Austria
1981 CSKA Moscow HIFK Poldi Kladno Urtijëi, Italy
1982 CSKA Moscow TJ Vítkovice SC Riessersee Düsseldorf, West Germany
1983 CSKA Moscow Dukla Jihlava Tappara Tampere, Finland
1984 CSKA Moscow Dukla Jihlava Dynamo Berlin Urtijëi, Italy
1985 CSKA Moscow Kölner EC Dukla Jihlava Megève, France
1986 CSKA Moscow Södertälje SK SB Rosenheim Rosenheim, West Germany
1987 CSKA Moscow TJ VSŽ Košice Färjestads BK Lugano, Switzerland
1988 CSKA Moscow Tesla Pardubice Tappara Davos, Switzerland
1989 CSKA Moscow TJ VSŽ Košice Kölner EC Köln, West Germany
1990 CSKA Moscow TPS Djurgårdens IF Berlin, West Germany
Knockout, 1991–1997
Season Winner Score Runner-up Venue
1991 Djurgårdens IF 3–2 Dynamo Moscow Düsseldorf, Germany
1992 Djurgårdens IF 7–2 Düsseldorfer EG Düsseldorf, Germany
1993 Malmö IF 3–3 (1-0 SO) Dynamo Moscow Düsseldorf, Germany
1994 TPS 4–3 Dynamo Moscow Düsseldorf, Germany
1995 Jokerit 4–2 Lada Togliatti Turku, Finland
1996 Jokerit 3–3 (3-2 SO) Kölner Haie Köln, Germany
1997 Lada Togliatti 4–3 (OT) Modo Düsseldorf, Germany

European Hockey League

The European Hockey League was a European ice hockey club competition which ran between the years 1996 and 2000.

It was established in 1996 by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and commercial partner CWL Telesport and first contested in 1996-1997. In 1996-1997, twenty teams played in five divisions. After home and away inter-division matches, the division winners plus the three best second-placed teams went into the quarter-finals. The first winners were Finnish side TPS, who beat Russian HC Dynamo Moscow 5-2.

In the 1997-1998 season, 24 teams competed in six divisions. The division winners and the two best second-placed teams progressed to the quarter-finals. The league was won by Austrian side VEU Feldkirch, who beat Russian side Dynamo Moscow 5-3.

In 1998-1999, 24 teams competed in six divisions. The top two in each division went into playoff matches. The winners of these six playoffs went into the semi-final round, which was played in two leagues. The winners of these two leagues played the final. For the third year in a row, Dynamo Moscow lost the final, this time to fellow-Russians Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

In 1999-2000, 16 teams competed in four divisions. The two best clubs of each divisions advanced to the semi-final round, which was played as home and away games. The four winners of the semi-finals qualified for the EHL Top Four Final. In that final, Metallurg Magnitogorsk defended its title, this time beating Czech side Sparta Prague 2-0.

Following consultation with its commercial partner, now CWL Holding AG, the IIHF decided to suspend the running of the European Hockey League for the 2000-2001 season. Despite financial investment and the improved quality of the contest, attention from the media, spectators and TV networks in Europe was not seen as satisfactory. In order to optimise exposure of the league in Europe, the IIHF decided to consult with European broadcasters starting from the 2001-2002 season. An international club competition, in the tradition of the previous European Cup, was staged by the IIHF for the 2000-2001 season, but the European Hockey League did not restart.

European Hockey League Finals
Season Winner Score Runner-up Venue
1997 TPS 5–2 Dynamo Moscow Turku, Finland
1998 VEU Feldkirch 5–3 Dynamo Moscow Feldkirch, Austria
1999 Metallurg Magnitogorsk 2–1 (OT) Dynamo Moscow Moscow, Russia
2000 Metallurg Magnitogorsk 2–0 Sparta Praha Lugano, Switzerland

IIHF Continental Cup

The Continental Cup is an ice hockey tournament for European clubs, begun in 1997 after the discontinuing of the European Cup. It was intended for teams from countries without representatives in the European Hockey League, with participating teams chosen by the countries' respective ice hockey associations.

IIHF Super Cup

The IIHF Super Cup was an ice hockey event played between the champions of the two main European club tournaments at the time; it began in 1997 and ended in 2000.

IIHF European Champions Cup

Format

The competition features the reigning club champions from the top six European hockey nations according to the IIHF World Ranking, which are known as the Super Six. Two groups of three play a round-robin, with the winner of each group facing each other in a championship game. The two groups are named after international hockey legends Alexander Ragulin and Ivan Hlinka.

2005 participants

Group A

Group B

2005 results

Group A
Dukla Trenčín - Avangard Omsk - 1:6
HV71 - Dukla Trenčín - 4:1
Avangard Omsk - HV71 - 9:0

Group B
HC Hamé Zlín - Frankfurt Lions - 4:3
Kärpät - HC Hamé Zlín - 4:1
Frankfurt Lions - Kärpät - 3:6

Final

Avangard Omsk - Kärpät - 2:1 (OT)

2006 participants

Alexander Ragulin division:

Ivan Hlinka division:

2006 results

Alexander Ragulin division
HC Dynamo Moscow - Slovan Bratislava - 3:1
Slovan Bratislava - HC Moeller-Pardubice - 0:2
HC Moeller-Pardubice - HC Dynamo Moscow - 1:5

Ivan Hlinka division
Kärpät - HC Davos - 3:1
HC Davos - Frölunda HC - 6:2
Frölunda HC - Kärpät - 0:3

Final
HC Dynamo Moscow - Kärpät - 5:4 after OT and Game Winning Shot

2007 participants

Alexander Ragulin division:

Ivan Hlinka division:

2007 results

Alexander Ragulin division:

HPK - MsHK Žilina - 7:0 (2:0; 3:0; 2:0)
MsHK Žilina - HC Sparta Praha - 4:2 (0:1; 2:1; 2:0)
HC Sparta Praha - HPK 2:3 (1:1; 1:2; 0:0)

Ivan Hlinka division:

Ak Bars Kazan - Färjestads BK - 6:4 (2:2; 2:1; 2:1)
Färjestads BK - HC Lugano - 0:3 (0:1; 0:1; 0:1)
HC Lugano - Ak Bars Kazan - 0:3 (0:1; 0:1; 0:1)
Final:
HPK - Ak Bars Kazan - 0:6 (0:3, 0:0, 0:3)

2008 participants

Alexander Ragulin division:

Ivan Hlinka division:

2008 results

Alexander Ragulin division:

Metallurg - Modo - 3:0 (2:0; 1:0; 0:0)
Modo - HC Slovan - 1:4 (1:0; 0:3; 0:1)
HC Slovan - Metallurg - 1:2 (1:0; 0:0; 0:1; 0:0; 0:1)

Ivan Hlinka division:

Kärpät - HC Sparta Praha - 3:5 (0:2; 1:2; 2:1)
HC Sparta Praha - HC Davos - 6:4 (1:2; 3:1; 2:1)
HC Davos - Kärpät - 1:6 (0:1; 1:3; 0:2)
Final:
HC Sparta Praha - Metallurg - 2:5 (1:1; 1:2; 0:2)

ECC winners

Season Winner Score Runner-up Venue
2005 Avangard Omsk 2–1 (OT) Kärpät St. Petersburg, Russia
2006 Dynamo Moscow 4–4 (2-1 SO) Kärpät St. Petersburg, Russia
2007 Ak Bars Kazan 6–0 HPK St. Petersburg, Russia
2008 Metallurg Magnitogorsk 5–2 Sparta Praha St. Petersburg, Russia

IIHF Champions Hockey League

European Hockey League is conducted by 14 teams of which 12 are in the group stage.

IIHF Champions Hockey League Final

Season Winner Score Runner-up
2008-2009 ZSC Lions 2–2 5–0 Metallurg Magnitogorsk

See also

References

External links