This article is about the tournament that was launched in the 2014–15 season.
For the tournament that was cancelled after the 2008–09 season, see
Champions Hockey League (2008–09).
The Champions Hockey League is a European ice hockey tournament launched by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which will start in the 2014–15 season. The tournament will feature several teams from the first-tier leagues of at least six countries in Europe.
Background
The IIHF launched a tournament with the same name in 2008 to coincide with the IIHF's 100th anniversary. The tournament's only season was played between 8 October 2008 and 28 January 2009, and was won by the ZSC Lions who got to play in the 2009 Victoria Cup game as a result. The IIHF planned to launch another season, but was ultimately forced to cancel the tournament due to problems with finding sponsors and failure to agree on a format. On 9 December 2013, the IIHF officially announced that they had launched a new tournament with the same name, born out of the European Trophy, starting in the 2014–15 season.[1]
2014–15 season
The 2014–15 season's regulation round will be played between 21 August 2014 and 7 October 2014. 40 clubs from at least six different European countries will participate in the season and be divided into ten groups of four teams each. Each team will play a double round-robin in their group, for a total of 6 games per team. The ten group winners as well as the top six group runners-up will qualify for the playoffs, which will begin on 4 November 2014 and end with the final on 4 February 2015. The playoffs will be played as a single-elimination tournament. In total, 149 games will be played (including the regulation round and playoffs). A draw taking place in Minsk, Belarus on 21 May 2014 will determine the groups.[1][2]
Teams
40 clubs from the first-tier leagues of at least six different European countries will participate in the inaugural 2014–15 season.[1] 26 "founding clubs", mainly from the European Trophy, are planned to participate. Djurgårdens IF, however, must promote to the Swedish first-tier league SHL prior to the 2014–15 season, for participation in this CHL season.[3] Two teams – the regular-season winner and the playoff champion in the 2013–14 season – in each of the first-tier leagues of the six "founding" countries (Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland) will also be guaranteed participation. Two "wild card" teams, from other European first-tier leagues than the founding ones, will also participate. If this does not bring up the total number of participating teams to 40 (i.e. a regular-season winner also won the playoffs, or Djurgården failed to promote), other top teams from the founding leagues will be invited to give exactly 40 teams. It has been confirmed that no KHL teams will participate in this season.[2]
Founding clubs of the 2014–15 Champions Hockey League. The label colors are not related to the groups.
Prize money
In the 2014–15 season, 40 teams will compete for a grand total of 1.5 million euros. However, the money distribution has not been announced.[2]
References
See also
- European Trophy, a similar tournament played annually from 2006, disbanded after 2013
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 Category:International Ice Hockey Federation
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2014–15 Champions Hockey League
