- European Trophy
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European Trophy Current season or competition:
2011 European Trophy
Official European Trophy logoFormerly Nordic Trophy (2006–2009) Sport Ice hockey Founded 2006 Commissioner Bo Lennartsson Inaugural season 2006 No. of teams 24 Country(ies) Austria (2 teams)
Czech Republic (7 teams)
Finland (6 teams)
Germany (2 teams)
Slovakia (1 team)
Sweden (6 teams)
Most recent champion(s) Eisbären Berlin
Qualification Invitation Related competitions European Trophy Junior Tournament Official website EuropeanTrophy.com European Trophy (previously named Nordic Trophy between 2006 and 2009) is a pre-season ice hockey tournament, traditionally composed of teams from some of the higher-level ice hockey leagues in countries across Europe. With 24 participating teams from six different countries as of 2011, European Trophy is currently the biggest active pre-season ice hockey tournament in Europe.[1] Sweden and Finland were the only two countries participating when the tournament was named "Nordic Trophy". No team has ever won the tournament more than one time.
The tournament was inaugurated in 2006. In 2007 the tournament expanded from six to eight teams and included the respective clubs' junior team. In 2008 the league expanded again with another two teams.
In 2010, the tournament changed name to European Trophy and featured clubs also from Norway, Germany, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Austria, in addition to the Finnish and Swedish clubs.[2]
In 2011, the tournament included 24 teams. Slovakia was for the first time represented in the tournament, but Norway and Switzerland were not represented.
Contents
Teams
In 2006 and 2007, the Nordic Trophy consisted of four Swedish teams, Djurgården, Frölunda, Färjestad and Linköping; and four Finnish teams, HIFK, Oulun Kärpät, Tappara and TPS. In 2008, the tournament was expanded with two teams, Swedish team HV71 and Finnish team Jokerit. It got expanded again in 2009, when Malmö Redhawks from Sweden and Lukko from Finland.[3] However, the Swedish and Finnish teams were split that year and instead, there were two tournaments: a Swedish 2009 Nordic Trophy tournament for the Swedish teams only; and a Finnish 2009 Nordic Trophy tournament for the Finnish teams only.
In 2010, the tournament became European. Lukko from Finland disappeared, and was replaced by fellow Nordic team Vålerenga from Norway. Adler Mannheim and Eisbären Berlin from Germany, and Czech team Sparta Praha, completed the Capital Division; while Austrian team Red Bull Salzburg, along with Bern and ZSC Lions from Switzerland, completed the Central Division. These new teams prompted the changing of the tournament name to European Trophy.
In the 2011 tournament, Sweden and Finland were represented by six teams each. Luleå HF replaced the Swedish team Malmö Redhawks. From Finland, KalPa was for the first time included in the tournament. Seven teams from the Czech Republic participated: HC Slavia Praha, HC Sparta Praha, HC Mountfield České Budějovice, HC Liberec, HC Pardubice, HC Plzeň 1929, and HC Kometa Brno. The German teams Eisbären Berlin and Adler Mannheim remained in the tournament. Besides EC Red Bull Salzburg, there was now a second team from Austria, the Vienna Capitals. Slovakia was for the first time represented in the European Trophy tournament, with HC Slovan Bratislava. Norway and Switzerland, however, were no longer represented.[4]
Tournament structure
In the 2011 edition of the European Trophy, the tournament is divided into regular round games between August and September, when teams play each other in a predefined schedule, and a playoff weekend in December which is an elimination tournament where two teams play against each other to win in order to advance to the next round. The final remaining team is crowned the European Trophy Champion.[4]
Regular round games
In the regular round games, the 24 teams are divided into four divisions and each team plays against each other team in the same division, and an additional three games against teams from the other divisions, for a total of eight games per team. Points are awarded for each game, where three points are awarded for a win in regulation time, two points for winning in overtime or penalty shots, one point for losing in overtime or penalty shots, and zero points for a loss in regulation time. The two highest ranked teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. However, the worst second ranked team out of all four divisions misses the playoffs if EC Red Bull Salzburg qualify as hosts.
Playoffs
The European Trophy playoffs are played as the Red Bull Salute in Salzburg and Vienna during a weekend in December. It is a single-elimination tournament, where two teams play against each other in order to advance to the next round.
Trophies and awards
At the end of the final weekend, the winner of the final game is crowned the European Trophy Champions. There are four player awards based on their statistics during the tournament: the RBK Nordic Star, best goalkeeper, best defencemen and best forward.[5]
Winners
Nordic Trophy Year Regular round winners Playoff winners
(Nordic Trophy Champions)2006 Färjestads BK
Färjestads BK
2007 Oulun Kärpät
Oulun Kärpät
2008 Linköpings HC
Linköpings HC
2009 HV71 (Swedish tournament)
Djurgårdens IF (Swedish tournament)
Lukko (Finnish tournament)
Tappara (Finnish tournament)
European Trophy Year Regular round winners Playoff winners
(European Trophy Champions)2010 HV71
Eisbären Berlin
2011 Plzeň 1929
TBD References
- ^ "Luleå debuterar i European Trophy" (in Swedish). Sportal. 2011-08-12. http://www.sportal.se/ishockey/elitserien/lulea-debuterar-i-european-trophy. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
- ^ "European Clubs form European Trophy pre-season tournament". EuropeanTrophy.com. http://www.europeantrophy.com/news.php?news=1. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
- ^ "Nordic Trophy 2009 becomes a Swedish affair". Nordic Trophy. NordicTrophy.com. 2009-06-16. http://www.nordictrophy.com/news.php?news=132. Retrieved 2009-06-16.
- ^ a b "Så blir European Trophy 2011" (in Swedish). Hockeysverige. 2011-05-17. http://hockeysverige.se/article/11795411/sa-blir-european-trophy-2011. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
- ^ Gyllander, Peter (2007-09-08). "Kärpät Champions". Nordic Trophy Ice Hockey Tournament. NordicTrophy.com. http://www.nordictrophy.com/news.php?news=35. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
External links
See also
Top-level ice hockey leagues of Europe International Kontinental Hockey League · Belarusian Extraleague · Erste Bank Eishockey Liga · MOL Liga · Slohokej Liga · North Sea CupNational Armenia · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Greece · Germany · Hungary · Iceland · Italy · Ireland · Kazakhstan · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Romania · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey · Ukraine · United KingdomRelated Topics International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) · Champions Hockey League · Victoria Cup · IIHF Continental Cup · IIHF European Champions Cup · Hockey Europe · Spengler Cup · IIHF Super Cup · United Hockey Europe · European Trophy (Junior tournament) · List of KHL vs NHL games · World Junior Club CupDefunct Leagues Soviet Union · Russia · Czechoslovakia · Yugoslavia · East Germany · Alpenliga · Interliga · Panonian League · Eastern European · Balkan League · Baltic League · Carpathian LeagueCategories:- Ice hockey tournaments in Europe
- Ice hockey trophies and awards
- Awards established in 2006
- European Trophy
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