Champions Hockey League
The Champions Hockey League ( CHL short, also: hockey Champions League ) is the highest European Cup competition for ice hockey clubs. He is first discharged to the 2014/15 season.
Prehistory
After setting up the European Hockey League, the successor competition of hockey European Cup, in 2000 there were until 2005 again a high quality European Cup competition, which was, however, only be played in a weekend tournament under the name IIHF European Champions Cup. In April 2007, the World Federation IIHF announced that a new competition called the Champions Hockey League ( CHL) would be introduced. In the CHL high premiums were offered for Hockey conditions designed to ensure the attractiveness of the competition for the participants. The premiums are covered by sponsors, including by Russia's Gazprom.
Winner of the first and only discharge were the ZSC Lions from Zurich. The 2009/10 season was canceled due to the ongoing financial crisis and lack of sponsors in the summer of 2009. Subsequent plans of the IIHF to re- start the CHL were dashed.
As an alternative, organized some of the European top clubs from 2010 independently the European Trophy. This competition resulted from the limited to Scandinavia Nordic Trophy and the Red Bulls Salute. Finally, the IIHF, clubs and leagues in the United Hockey Europe in the autumn of 2013 a new European Cup competition which will again bear the name of the Champions Hockey League.
Mode
Eligible to participate in the Champions Hockey League, the champion and winner of the first round of the participating leagues and 26 clubs with so-called A- license, insofar as they play in one of the leagues. The number of participants is Filled by teams with so-called " wildcard" ( bye ).
1 The Djurgårdens IF currently does not belong to the non Svenska Hockey ligands and is therefore not authorized to start.
To the wildcards, the clubs of the so-called Challenge can apply Leagues. To check the status of the Challenge League have been advertised:
- Elite Ice Hockey League (United Kingdom United Kingdom)
- GET ligaen ( Norway)
Organization
The CHL is conducted by a corporation and is sanctioned by the International Federation IIHF world. At the company keep the 26 clubs with A- license 63 % of the shares. The six participating leagues hold 25%, the IIHF 12%. The clubs participated, each with 80,000 euros in the company.