Nordic Trophy

Infobox Sports league
title = Nordic Trophy
current_season = 2008 Nordic Trophy

pixels = 250px
caption = Test
sport = Ice hockey
founded = 2006
inaugural = 2006 Nordic Trophy
teams = 10
country = FIN

champion = flagicon|SWE Linköpings HC
website = [http://www.nordictrophy.com/ www.nordictrophy.com]

Nordic Trophy is an ice hockey tournament composed of ten teams from the highest-level ice hockey leagues in Finland and Sweden. 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.

Teams

Nordic Trophy consisted in 2007 of four Swedish teams, Djurgårdens IF, Frölunda HC, Färjestads BK and Linköping HC; and four Finnish teams, HIFK, Kärpät, Tappara and TPS. In 2008, the tournament was expanded with another two teams, Swedish team HV71 and Finnish team Jokerit.

Tournament structure

The Nordic Trophy tournament is divided into regular round games from early August through the beginning of September, when teams play each other in a predefined schedule, and a playoff weekend in September, 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 Nordic Trophy Champion.

Regular round games

In the regular round games, each team plays nine games. Points are awarded for each game, where two points are awarded for a win, one point for losing in overtime or penalty shots, two points for winning in overtime or penalty shots, and zero points for a loss in regulation. The four highest ranked teams by points qualify for the semi-finals. Teams ranked five to eight qualify for play for the 5th and 7th placed game. Teams ranked nine and ten play in the 9th placed game.

Playoffs

The Nordic Trophy playoffs, called the "Final Weekend" [cite web |url=http://www.nordictrophy.com/news.php?news=94 |title=Nordic Trophy playoffs in Linköping |work=Nordic Trophy Ice Hocket Tournament |publisher=Nordic Trophy AB |last=Dammbro |first=Jerker |date=2008-08-25 |accessdate=2008-09-05] , is an elimination tournament, where two teams play each other in order to advance to the next round. The first round of the playoffs, or semi-finals, consists of the first ranked team playing the fourth ranked team; and the second playing the third. In the second round, the winning teams play in the final, and the loosing team play in the bronze medal game. Teams placed fifth through eight play in an elimination tournament in the same manner as the top four teams, except that the final game is the 5th placed game and the bronze medal game is the 7th placed game. The teams ranked ninth and tenth play in the 9th placed game.

Trophies and awards

At the end of the Final Weekend, the winner of the final game is crowned as the Nordic Trophy Champions. There are four player awards based on their statistics during the tournament; the RBK Nordic Star, best goalkeeper, best defensmen and best forward. [cite web |url=http://www.nordictrophy.com/news.php?news=35 |title=Kärpät Champions |work=Nordic Trophy Ice Hocket Tournament |publisher=Nordic Trophy AB |last=Gyllander |first=Peter |date=2007-09-08 |accessdate=2008-09-05]

Previous winners

Previous Nordic Trophy regular round winners

*2006 - flagicon|SWE Färjestads BK
*2007 - flagicon|FIN Kärpät
*2008 - flagicon|SWE Linköpings HC

Previous Nordic Trophy playoff winners (Nordic Trophy Champions)

*2006 - flagicon|SWE Färjestads BK
*2007 - flagicon|FIN Kärpät
*2008 - flagicon|SWE Linköpings HC

References