The Continental Cup is an ice hockey tournament for European clubs, 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]
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.
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 IIHF European Cup, especially for those from eastern European countries. It was the direct predecessor of the 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.
| Season | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–95 |  Salavat Yulaev Ufa | 4–1 |  HC Pardubice | Ljubljana, Slovenia |
| 1995–96 |  AS Mastini Varese | 4–3 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | Trenčín, Slovakia |
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual international men's ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European Championships, the precursor to the World Championships, were first held in 1910. The tournament held at the 1920 Summer Olympics is recognized as the first Ice Hockey World Championship. From 1920 to 1968, the Olympic hockey tournament was also considered the World Championship for that year.
The European Hockey League was a European ice hockey club competition which ran between the years 1996 and 2000.
The IIHF World Women's Championship is the premier international tournament in women's ice hockey. It is governed by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
The 2006 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships was the 70th such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 45 countries participated in four levels of competition. The competition also served as qualifications for division placements in the 2007 competition. In the Division I Championship held in April, Germany and Austria were promoted to the Championship division while Israel and Croatia were demoted to Division II. In the Division II competition, Romania and China were promoted, South Africa and New Zealand were relegated to Division III. In the Division III competition, Iceland and Turkey were promoted to Division II for 2007.
The 2002–03 UEFA Champions League was the 11th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since its rebranding in 1992, and the 48th European Cup tournament overall. The competition was won by Milan, who beat Juventus on penalties in the European Cup's first ever all-Italian final, to win their sixth European title, and its first in nine years. Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy was again the top scorer, scoring 12 goals over the two group stages and knockout stage, in addition to two goals he had scored in the qualifying phase, although his side bowed out in the quarter-finals and missed out on the chance of playing in a final at their own stadium.
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). In the 2008–09 season, the ECC was replaced by the Champions Hockey League, which was the new official European club championship event. The new tournament was cancelled after only one season. However, another tournament with the same name was introduced in 2014.
The IIHF World Junior Championship (WJC), or simply the "World Juniors" in ice hockey circles, are an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world. They are traditionally held in late December, ending in early January. The tournament usually attracts top hockey players in this age category. However, some NHL teams do not release their top players as the tournament overlaps with the NHL season.
The Champions Hockey League was a short-lived ice hockey tournament which was launched in 2008 by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) after adopting the proposal put forth by Ovation Sports AG, and only played in the 2008–09 season. Its creation coincided with the IIHF's 100th anniversary and replaced the IIHF European Champions Cup, the previous competition for Europe's top ice hockey teams. The financial reward for progressing to the CHL Group Stage was a portion of the 16.9 million Swiss francs that was distributed between the teams with a 1,000,000 Swiss francs bonus going to the winner; the largest monetary reward ever given in any European ice hockey competition.
The Turkish Ice Hockey Super League is the highest level of professional ice hockey in Turkey. It is operated under the jurisdiction of the Turkish Ice Hockey Federation, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Unlike the National Hockey League, the Super League is not divided into conferences; teams compete in a single division. The league currently consists of six teams, from two cities.
The International Ice Hockey Federation is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 81 member countries. Over two thirds of registered members are North-American.
IIHF European Women's Champions Cup (EWCC) was an annual women's ice hockey club tournament, contested by the national women's ice hockey champions from many European countries. The event was established and organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The competition format included two group phases followed by a final round. Each phase was played as a round robin in groups of four teams each.
The Champions Hockey League is a European ice hockey tournament. Launched in the 2014–15 season by 26 clubs, 6 leagues and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the tournament features top teams from the first-tier leagues of countries across Europe.
The 2015–16 Continental Cup was the 19th edition of the IIHF Continental Cup, Europe's second-tier ice hockey club competition organised by International Ice Hockey Federation. The season started on 2 October 2015 and the Super Final was played on 8–10 January 2016. Dragons de Rouen won the competition for the second time and also qualified for the 2016–17 Champions Hockey League.
HK Kremenchuk is an ice hockey team based in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, playing in the Ukrainian Hockey Extra League that was formed prior to the 2016–17 season. The club was founded in 2010 and initially competed in Ukrainian amateur championships before joining the Belarusian Vysshaya Liga for 2013–14 season. After finishing the regular 2013–14 season Kremenchuk was forced to withdraw from the league prior to the playoffs due to the political situation in Ukraine. The team then joined the Ukrainian Championship for the 2014–15 season, winning the regular season and finishing as runners-up in the playoffs. Kremenchuk has also qualified for the IIHF Continental Cup on one occasion.
The 2016–17 Champions Hockey League is the third season of the Champions Hockey League, a European ice hockey tournament launched by 26 founding clubs, six leagues and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The season started on 16 August 2016 with the group stage and ended with the final game on 7 February 2017 with Frölunda defeating HC Sparta Praha, 4–3 in overtime.
The IIHF 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 2018–19 Champions Hockey League was the fifth season of the Champions Hockey League, a European ice hockey tournament. The tournament was competed by 32 teams, and qualification was on sporting merits only. The six founding leagues were represented by between three and five teams, while seven "challenge leagues" were represented by one team each. One place was awarded to the Continental Cup champion. Unlike in the first three editions, founding teams did not automatically qualify. The group stages began on 30 August 2018, and ended on 17 October 2018. The season had an average attendance of 3,401 per game, one percent increase from the previous season.
The 2019–20 Champions Hockey League is the sixth season of the Champions Hockey League, a European ice hockey tournament. 32 teams are competing in the tournament, and qualification was on sporting merits only. The six founding leagues are represented by between three and five teams, while seven "challenge leagues" are represented by one team each. One place was awarded to the champion of the 2018–19 Champions Hockey League as well as a wild card spot selected by the board. Unlike in the first three editions of the tournament, founding teams did not automatically qualify.
The 2021–22 Champions Hockey League is scheduled to be the seventh season of the Champions Hockey League, a European ice hockey tournament. The tournament is planned to be competed by 32 teams, with qualification being on sporting merits only. The six founding leagues are represented by between three and five teams, while seven "challenge leagues" are to be represented by one team each.
The 2020–21 Continental Cup would have been the 24th edition of the IIHF Continental Cup, Europe's second-tier ice hockey club competition organised by International Ice Hockey Federation. The season was scheduled to begin on 16 October 2020 and the final tournament was scheduled to be played from 8 to 10 January 2021.
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