2008–09 Champions Hockey League

Infobox sports season
title = 2008–09 Champions Hockey League
league = Champions Hockey League
sport = Ice hockey
logo =
pixels =
caption =
duration = 8 October 2008 – 28 January 2009
no_of_teams = 14 (12 in group stage)
attendance =
TV =
season =
season_champs =
season_champ_name=
league_champs =
league_champ_name=
second_place =
MVP =
MVP_link =
top_scorer =
top_scorer_link =
promote =
promoted_from =
relegate =
relegate_to =
playoffs =
playoffs_link =
conf1 =
conf1_link =
conf1_champ =
conf1-runner-up =
conf2 =
conf2_link =
conf2_champ =
conf2-runner-up =
playoffs_MVP =
playoffs_MVP_link=
finals =
finals_link =
finals_champ =
finals-runner-up =
finals_MVP =
finals_MVP_link =
seasonslist =
seasonslistnames =
prevseason_link =
prevseason_year = none
nextseason_link =
nextseason_year =

The 2008–09 Champions Hockey League is the inaugural season of the Champions Hockey League, an IIHF organized ice hockey league for the best club teams in Europe. The first edition, starting October 8 2008, is played with 12 teams from seven countries (two teams each from Russia, Czech Republic, Sweden and Finland,one team each from Switzerland, Germany and Slovakia and a 12th team from one of these three countries, determined in a qualification tournament). cite web | title = Three teams to compete for 12th CHL spot
url = http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/article/three-teams-to-compete-for-12th-chl-spot.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=955&cHash=8511afdfb5 | accessdate = 2008-02-05] Every participating team is guaranteed an appearance fee of 300,000 euro and the winner will receive 1,000,000 euro. Prize money will also be awarded for winning group stage matches (50,000 euro), for the semi-final appearance (200,000 euro) and for the other finalist (500,000 euro).In total, 10 million euros per season will be distributed, the largest prize sum ever in a European hockey club competition.cite web | title = Europe's new Club Competition
url = http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/club-events/champions-hockey-league.html | accessdate = 2008-01-19]

Participating teams

The 2008–09 edition of the Champions Hockey League will be played with twelve teams from Europe's top seven hockey leagues. Ten teams are qualified directly for the group stage due to their performances in the domestic leagues. The field is completed with the winner of last season's Champions Cup and one team from the qualifying tournament. The tables below lists these teams together with the reasons for qualifying.cite web | title = Playoffs in Europe's Top-7 Leagues | url = http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/club-events/champions-hockey-league/road-to-chl.html | accessdate = 2008-04-23]

Directly qualified for group stage

hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 12 September, 2008
team1 = Sinupret Ice Tigers flagicon|GER
score = 1–4
team2 = flagicon|SUI SC Bern
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Nuremberg Arena, Nuremberg hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 13 September, 2008
team1 = SC Bern flagicon|SUI
score = 5–4
team2 = flagicon|SVK HC Košice
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Nuremberg Arena, Nuremberg hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 14 September, 2008
team1 = HC Košice flagicon|SVK
score = 3–5
team2 = flagicon|GER Sinupret Ice Tigers
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Nuremberg Arena, Nuremberg

Group stage

The draw for the group stage took place on Friday, 25 April 2008 in Zurich, Switzerland.cite web | title =Champions Hockey League groups drawn | url = http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/club-events/news-singleview-club-events/article/champions-hockey-league-groups-drawn.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=401&cHash=7460f71524 | accessdate = 2008-04-25] The twelve teams were drawn into groups of three. Each group will play a double round-robin and the best team will advance to the semi-finals.

Group A

hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 8 October, 2008
team1 = Salavat Yulaev Ufa flagicon|RUS
score = 7–1
team2 = flagicon|CZE HC České Budějovice
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Ufa Arena, Ufa hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 22 October, 2008
team1 = HC České Budějovice flagicon|CZE
score = v
team2 = flagicon|SVK HC Slovan Bratislava
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Budvar Arena, České Budějovice hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 29 October, 2008
team1 = HC Slovan Bratislava flagicon|SVK
score = v
team2 = flagicon|RUS Salavat Yulaev Ufa
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Samsung Arena, Bratislava hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 12 November, 2008
team1 = HC České Budějovice flagicon|CZE
score = v
team2 = flagicon|RUS Salavat Yulaev Ufa
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Budvar Arena, České Budějovice hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 19 November, 2008
team1 = HC Slovan Bratislava flagicon|SVK
score = v
team2 = flagicon|CZE HC České Budějovice
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Samsung Arena, Bratislava hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 3 December, 2008
team1 = Salavat Yulaev Ufa flagicon|RUS
score = v
team2 = flagicon|SVK HC Slovan Bratislava
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Ufa Arena, Ufa

Group D

hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 8 October, 2008
team1 = HC Slavia Praha flagicon|CZE
score = 4–2
team2 = flagicon|SWE Linköpings HC
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = O2 Arena, Prague hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 22 October, 2008
team1 = Linköpings HC flagicon|SWE
score = v
team2 = flagicon|SUI ZSC Lions
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Cloetta Center, Linköping hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 29 October, 2008
team1 = ZSC Lions flagicon|SUI
score = v
team2 = flagicon|CZE HC Slavia Praha
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Hallenstadion, Zurich hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 12 November, 2008
team1 = Linköpings HC flagicon|SWE
score = v
team2 = flagicon|CZE HC Slavia Praha
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Cloetta Center, Linköping hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 19 November, 2008
team1 = ZSC Lions flagicon|SUI
score = v
team2 = flagicon|SWE Linköpings HC
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Hallenstadion, Zurich hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 3 December, 2008
team1 = HC Slavia Praha flagicon|CZE
score = v
team2 = flagicon|SUI ZSC Lions
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = O2 Arena, Prague

emi-finals

The semi-finals will be played as two-legged matches. Home ice advantage of the second game goes to the teams with the better records in the group stage.

First Semi-final

hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 10 December, 2008
team1 = Winner Group A flagicon
score = v
team2 = flagicon Winner Group C
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 7 January, 2009
team1 = Winner Group C flagicon
score = v
team2 = flagicon Winner Group A
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium =

econd Semi-final

hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 10 December, 2008
team1 = Winner Group B flagicon
score = v
team2 = flagicon Winner Group D
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 7 January, 2009
team1 = Winner Group D flagicon
score = v
team2 = flagicon Winner Group B
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium =

Finals

The final will also be played as a two-legged match. Home ice advantage of the second game goes to the team with the better record in the group stage. The winner qualifies for the 2009 Victoria Cup.

hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 21 January, 2009
team1 = Winner Semi-final 1 flagicon
score = v
team2 = flagicon Winner Semi-final 2
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = hockeybox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 28 January, 2009
team1 = Winner Semi-final 2 flagicon
score = v
team2 = flagicon Winner Semi-final 1
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium =

References

External links

* [http://maps.google.fi/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=117163452243948648053.000446245ab57fb2eff20 Google Maps - participating teams]