IIHF European Champions Cup#European Hockey League
The IIHF European Hockey League (short- EHL ) of the International Ice Hockey Federation IIHF was the successor competition of the European Cup, which was held from 1965 to 1996, and ancestor of the 2005-2008 organized IIHF European Champions Cup and the 2008/ 09 for the first and only time discharged Champions Hockey League.
In the period of its existence from 1996 to 2000 the European Hockey League was the main ice hockey tournament for club teams in Europe. The IIHF invited to this one the master and other qualified teams of the first leagues in the country. In the first season in 1996/97 parallel nor the European Champion Clubs' Cup took place, so that some national champion at EHL, others took part in the national champion trophy. The winner of the competition arrived in 1997 IIHF Super Cup to the winner of the national champion - Europe Cup. After the setting of the EHL - winner arrived between 1998 and 2000 the winner of the IIHF Continental Cup.
The IIHF introduced the EHL in 2000 again, since the resonance of the major leagues in Europe was too low, and TV rights could not be sold accordingly. The role of the highest club competition first of the IIHF European Champions Cup took the IIHF Continental Cup, later. In the 2008 /09 season of the European Hockey League similar competition was introduced with the Champions Hockey League.
Mode
In the four years hosting the competition there was in each case a different implementation format, mainly due to the differing number of participants.
In the premiere of season 1996 /97, which was still held in parallel with the European Cup, 20 teams took part in the tournament. These were divided into five groups of four teams against each other disputed each return game in league system. The five group winners and the best runners-up three-point qualified for the quarter-finals, which was also played in the return game mode. The four winning teams from these pairings reached the so-called Final Four, for it was during the four years of the start of the competition each of the semi-finalists hosts. Within two days the clubs then played out the tournament winner.
For subsequent years played a total of 24 teams playing in six preliminary round groups of four teams, bringing the six group winners and two best runners qualified for the quarter-finals. The rest of the mode remained untouched, with the exception that was changed in the qualifying groups of the two- point rule with draw - rating on a three - point rule with victories and defeats after overtime shootout respectively.
In the 1998/99 season, the mode was first changed drastically. Like last year, also took 24 teams, divided into six groups of four teams each, in part. After they had played the rankings within the groups in the league system, each of the first and second place finisher reached the play-offs. There, each of the group winners met on one of the runners-up. After the six winners were determined in return game, this played in two groups of three again from the first two places. In the Final Four, consisting of the two semi-finals, the match for third place and the final, she finally found the tournament winner.
Last year, the host played only 16 teams from the tournament winner. À From the four preliminary round groups of four clubs each reached the top two the quarterfinals. Since the mode had been adjusted back to the first two years of competition, the eight quarter-final qualifiers determined in each case, in home and away matches, the winners who qualified for the Final Four and the tournament winner playing off.