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] In the 2008–09 season, the ECC was replaced by the Champions Hockey League, which was the new official European club championship event.^[1] Since the Champions Hockey League was cancelled after only one season, there is currently no official competition for the national ice hockey champions of Europe.

Format[]

The competition featured the reigning club champions from the top six European hockey nations according to the IIHF World Ranking; these teams were known as the Super Six. Two groups of three played in a round-robin tournament, with the winners of each group facing off in a championship game. The two groups were named after international hockey legends Alexander Ragulin and Ivan Hlinka.

ECC winners (2005–2008)[]

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

Participants and results (2005–2008)[]

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 results[]

Alexander Ragulin division

HC Dynamo Moscow – HC Slovan Bratislava – 3:1
HC 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 (in overtime)

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 – Färjestad BK – 6:4 (2:2; 2:1; 2:1)
Färjestad 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 results[]

Alexander Ragulin division

Metallurg Magnitogorsk – Modo Hockey – 3:0 (2:0; 1:0; 0:0)
Modo – HC Slovan Bratislava – 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)

Predecessors[]

European Cup (1965–1997)[]

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). 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 the champion.

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. Organizational 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	Färjestad BK	Lugano, Switzerland
1988	CSKA Moscow	Tesla Pardubice	Tappara	Davos, Switzerland
1989	CSKA Moscow	TJ VSŽ Košice	Kölner EC	Cologne, 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	Cologne, Germany
1997	Lada Togliatti	4–3 (OT)	Modo	Düsseldorf, Germany

Source: European Cup (1966-1997)^[3]

European Hockey League (1996–2000)[]

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 groups. The winner of each of these two groups played in 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 in each division 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 Praha 2–0.

Following consultation with its commercial partner, then called 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 with 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 (1997–present)[]

Main article: IIHF Continental Cup

The Continental Cup is an ice hockey tournament for European clubs, begun in 1997 after the discontinuing of the IIHF 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 (1997–2000)[]

Main article: 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.

Successors[]

IIHF Champions Hockey League (2008–2009)[]

Main article: Champions Hockey League

Champions Hockey League was conducted by 14 teams of which 12 are in the group stage. It replaced the IIHF European Champions Cup in 2008. The league was staged for one year only.