IIHF Continental Cup

Last updated
IIHF Continental Cup
Most recent season or competition:
2025–26 IIHF Continental Cup
ContinentalCupLogo.jpg
Formerly IIHF European Cup
Sport Ice hockey
Founded1997
Founder IIHF
Most recent
champion(s)
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Cardiff Devils
(1st title)
Most titles Flag of Belarus.svg Yunost Minsk
(3 titles)
Qualification Champions Hockey League
Official website iihf.com

The Continental Cup is a second-level ice hockey tournament for European clubs (behind Champions Hockey League), begun in 1997 after the discontinuing of the 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. Hans Dobida served as chairman of the Continental Cup until 2018. [1]

Contents

Format

IIHF Federation Cup

The Federation Cup was an official European ice hockey club competition created in 1995. It was the second European competition for club teams, intended for those teams who could not qualify for the European Cup, especially for those from Eastern European countries. It was the direct predecessor of the IIHF Continental Cup, which was played two seasons later.

In the first year of competition, 13 Eastern European teams from twelve countries participated in the tournament. In a KO-system with three qualifying groups, which qualifies the four participants in the finals. The following year was played in the same mode. Due to the increased number of participants (some Western European clubs had registered for the competition), an additional qualifying round was introduced.

IIIHF Continental Cup

The competition began in 1997–98 with 42 clubs from 26 countries, which expanded to 48 teams for the next two years. The tournament was played in seeded rounds of qualifying groups. There were three rounds of qualifying groups, with winners of qualifying groups progressing to the next round. The three winners of the third round groups entered the semifinals, along with the host club. The first round was held in September, the second in October, the third in November and the finals in December.

In the 2000–01 season, with the European Hockey League on hiatus, the Continental Cup became the de facto European club championship. The format remained the same, with 36 teams from 27 countries.

With the beginning of the IIHF European Champions Cup from 2004 to 2005, participants included national champions of countries not in the Super Six (the top six European nations according to the IIHF World Ranking), as well as teams from Super Six leagues, which included HC Dynamo Moscow and HKm Zvolen.

Winners

Federation Cup winners

#SeasonWinnerScoreRunner-upThirdHost
1 1994–95 Flag of Russia.svg Salavat Yulaev Ufa 4–1 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg HC Pardubice Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia Ljubljana, Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia
2 1995–96 Flag of Italy.svg AS Mastini Varese 4–3 Flag of Russia.svg Metallurg Magnitogorsk Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Trenčín, Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia

Continental Cup winners

#SeasonWinnerRunner-upThirdHost
1 1997–98 Flag of Slovakia.svg TJ VSŽ Košice Flag of Germany.svg Eisbären Berlin Flag of Finland.svg Ilves Flag of Finland.svg Tampere
2 1998–99 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg HC Ambrì-Piotta Flag of Slovakia.svg HC Košice Flag of Russia.svg Avangard Omsk Flag of Slovakia.svg Košice
3 1999–2000 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg HC Ambrì-Piotta Flag of Germany.svg Eisbären Berlin Flag of Russia.svg Ak Bars Kazan Flag of Germany.svg Berlin
4 2000–01 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg ZSC Lions Flag of England.svg London Knights Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovan Bratislava Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Zürich
5 2001–02 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg ZSC Lions Flag of Italy.svg Milano Vipers Flag of Slovakia.svg HKm Zvolen Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Zürich
6 2002–03 Flag of Finland.svg Jokerit Flag of Russia.svg Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg HC Lugano Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Lugano & Flag of Italy.svg Milan
7 2003–04 Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovan Bratislava Flag of Belarus (1995-2012).svg HK Gomel Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg HC Lugano Flag of Belarus.svg Gomel
8 2004–05 Flag of Slovakia.svg HKm Zvolen Flag of Russia.svg Dynamo Moscow Flag of Hungary.svg Alba Volán Székesfehérvár Flag of Hungary.svg Székesfehérvár
9 2005–06 Flag of Russia.svg Lada Togliatti Flag of Latvia.svg HK Riga 2000 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg ZSC Lions Flag of Hungary.svg Székesfehérvár
10 2006–07 Flag of Belarus (1995-2012).svg Yunost Minsk Flag of Russia.svg Avangard Omsk Flag of Finland.svg Ilves Flag of Hungary.svg Székesfehérvár
11 2007–08 Flag of Russia.svg Ak Bars Kazan Flag of Latvia.svg HK Riga 2000 Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazzinc-Torpedo Flag of Latvia.svg Riga
12 2008–09 Flag of Slovakia.svg MHC Martin Flag of France.svg Dragons de Rouen Flag of Italy.svg HC Bolzano Flag of France.svg Rouen
13 2009–10 Flag of Austria.svg Red Bull Salzburg Flag of Belarus (1995-2012).svg Yunost Minsk Flag of England.svg Sheffield Steelers Flag of France.svg Grenoble
14 2010–11 Flag of Belarus (1995-2012).svg Yunost Minsk Flag of Austria.svg Red Bull Salzburg Flag of Denmark.svg SønderjyskE Ishockey Flag of Belarus.svg Minsk
15 2011–12 Flag of France.svg Dragons de Rouen [2] Flag of Belarus (1995-2012).svg Yunost Minsk Flag of Ukraine.svg HC Donbass Flag of France.svg Rouen
16 2012–13 Flag of Ukraine.svg HC Donbass Flag of Belarus.svg Metallurg Zhlobin Flag of France.svg Dragons de Rouen Flag of Ukraine.svg Donetsk
17 2013–14 Flag of Norway.svg Stavanger Oilers Flag of Ukraine.svg HC Donbass Flag of Italy.svg HC Asiago Flag of France.svg Rouen
18 2014–15 Flag of Belarus.svg Neman Grodno Flag of Germany.svg Fischtown Pinguins Flag of France.svg Ducs d'Angers Flag of Germany.svg Bremerhaven
19 2015–16 Flag of France.svg Dragons de Rouen Flag of Denmark.svg Herning Blue Fox Flag of Poland.svg GKS Tychy Flag of France.svg Rouen
20 2016–17 Flag of England.svg Nottingham Panthers Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Beibarys Atyrau Flag of Denmark.svg Odense Bulldogs Flag of Italy.svg Ritten
21 2017–18 Flag of Belarus.svg Yunost Minsk Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Nomad Astana Flag of England.svg Sheffield Steelers Flag of Belarus.svg Minsk
22 2018–19 Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Arlan Kokshetau Ulster Banner.svg Belfast Giants Flag of Poland.svg GKS Katowice Ulster Banner.svg Belfast
23 2019–20 Flag of Denmark.svg SønderjyskE Ishockey Flag of England.svg Nottingham Panthers Flag of Belarus.svg Neman Grodno Flag of Denmark.svg Vojens
- 2020–21 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic [3]
24 2021–22 Flag of Poland.svg Cracovia Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Saryarka Karagandy Flag of Denmark.svg Aalborg Pirates Flag of Denmark.svg Aalborg
25 2022–23 Flag of Slovakia.svg HK Nitra Flag of France.svg Ducs d'Angers Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Cardiff Devils Flag of France.svg Angers
26 2023–24 Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Nomad Astana Flag of Denmark.svg Herning Blue Fox Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Cardiff Devils Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Cardiff
27 2024–25 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Cardiff Devils Flag of France.svg Brûleurs de Loups Flag of Poland.svg GKS Katowice Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Cardiff
28 2025–26 Flag of England.svg Nottingham

Medals

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia 5128
2Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus 4419
3Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 4037
4Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 2349
5Flag of France.svg  France 2327
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 2327
7Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan 2316
8Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1236
9Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 1113
10Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 1102
11Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 1034
12Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 1023
13Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1001
14Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 0303
15Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia 0202
16Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 0123
17Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 0011
Totals (17 entries)27272781

Note: Great Britain's medal total includes three teams from England, one from Northern Ireland, and one from Wales.

See also

References

  1. Merk, Martin (19 May 2018). "Congress approves Statutes changes" (Press release). Copenhagen, Denmark: International Ice Hockey Federation. Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  2. Merk, Martin (15 January 2012). "Le Miracle de Rouen" (Press release). Rouen, France: International Ice Hockey Federation. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  3. "IIHF cancels Continental Cup". IIHF. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.