IIHF European Champions Cup
The IIHF European Champions Cup was one of the International Ice Hockey Federation IIHF in 2005 first time transmitted Hockey European Cup competition for club teams. The tournament was considered a successor to the 1965 and 1996 European Cup discharged and the European Hockey League, which was intended as the Champions League and in hockey was played in the seasons 1996-2000. The winner of the tournament was a revised version of the designed for the European Hockey League in 1997 Silverstone Trophy.
Eligible were the reigning champions of the six top European leagues after the IIHF World Ranking. The reigning champions of other European leagues can participate in the IIHF Continental Cup. From the German-speaking countries, the Frankfurt Lions were from Germany in 2005, the Swiss Teams HC Davos in 2006 and the HC Lugano participate in 2007. This left Frankfurt without a win, while the two Swiss teams each have won a victory.
Record participant is the team of Kärpät Oulu, which could be three times qualify for the tournament. They lost twice in the finals only to the relevant participants from Russia. The most successful nation is Russia, have all won their matches in the competition teams. Then the teams of Finland, which had final opponents in three tournaments to follow.
On 20 April 2007, the World Association announced that the newly introduced Champions Hockey League IIHF European Champions Cup replaces the 2008/09 season as national champions competition.
Mode
The six teams were divided into two groups of three, each of which identified a group winners. The winners of the two groups played in a Final game of the tournament winner.