champions hockey league newsletter

Transcription

CHAMPIONS
HOCKEY LEAGUE
NEWSLETTER
>> ISSUE 03 <<
MAY 08, 2008
Champions Hockey League
Draw Results
Also...
with coach Sean Simpson
>> Champions Hockey League
Behind the Scenes
>> Draw Reactions
>> Victoria Cup Update
>> Interview
Linkopings HC , Slavia Prague, Salavat Yulayev
Ufa, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Karpat Oulu , SIT
Ice Tigers, Nurnberg, Eisbaren Berlin, Mountfield
Ceske Budejovice, ZSC Lions, Zurich, SC Bern
>> Hockey Historian
Patrick Houda and Birger Nordmark on the CHL
>> Eisbaren Berlin Profile
CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE
>> ISSUE 03 <<
MAY 08, 2008
CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE DRAW
On Friday, April 25th, more than 75 representatives of
participating clubs, national leagues, associations and
media gathered at IIHF headquarters in Zürich for the firstever Champions Hockey League Draw. IIHF President
René Fasel conducted the draw, which determined the
make-up of the Group Stage of the Champions Hockey
League debuting in October, 2008. “For us,” he said in his
opening speech, “this is the start of a new era in European
ice hockey.” For Fasel and many who attended from the
greater European hockey community, this was a historic
and long-awaited moment.
Fasel was joined on stage, by master-of-ceremonies
Szymon Szemberg, the IIHF’s Communications Director,
who explained the draw procedures. Twelve clubs from
Europe’s Top-7 national leagues were drawn into four
groups, each consisting of three teams.
With the club representatives eagerly awaiting the results,
Fasel drew the first ball and the draw officially commenced.
As the clubs were drawn, it was clear from the atmosphere
among the hockey professionals in the room, that the inaugural season of the Champions Hockey League was off to
a great start. Experts agreed that four strong groups had emerged which would lead to undeniably competitive and
exciting hockey when the clubs take to the ice for the first time on Wednesday, October 8th.
Club representatives mingled amongst each other at the buffet as the event continued with press and photo
opportunities and concluded with a presentation led by Craig Thompson, CEO of Ovation Sports. He and colleagues
Tom Huston (COO) Patrick Jost (Event Director) and Doug Thackrey (Commercial Director) gave a general overview
of the principles and concepts underlying the organization of the Champions Hockey League. In a productive question
and answer session which followed, important factual information was exchanged between Ovation and the Clubs.
This ongoing information process will continue with site visits to each club throughout the summer, ensuring a wellorganized and smooth season.
At the end of the day, each of the Champions Hockey League’s inaugural clubs returned home with a commemorative
plaque by which to remember this moment in hockey history.
“
QUOTES on the Champions Hockey League
The Champions Hockey League is a new step and after the
European Hockey League and the European Championship Cup,
we have only one bullet left in the revolver. It is very important
that this tournament will be successful. Otherwise we will have to
struggle along again. I hope everybody will have the respect and
the patience the Champions Hockey League needs to succeed.
Tommy Topel, Sports Director Swedish League
”
>> PAGE 2 <<
>> ISSUE 03 <<
MAY 08, 2008
WEDNESDAY NIGHT IS CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE NIGHT
GROUP A
Eisbaren
Metallurg
Karpat
GROUP B
HV71
Espoo
GROUP C
Winner of
Qualifying
Tournament**
Salavat
Slovan Mountfield
GROUP D
Slavia
Zurich
Linkoping
08 OCT 2008
A> Eisbaren (GER) vs. Karpat (FIN)
C> Salavat (RUS) vs. Mountfield (CZE)
B> HV71 (SWE) vs. Qualifier (TBC)
D> Slavia (CZE) vs. Linkoping (SWE)
22 OCT 2008
A> Karpat (FIN) vs. Metallurg (RUS)
C> Mountfield (CZE) vs. Slovan (SVK)
B> Qualifier (TBC) vs. Espoo (FIN)
D> Linkoping (SWE) vs. Zurich (SUI)
29 OCT 2008
A> Metallurg (RUS) vs. Eisbaren (GER)
C> Slovan (SVK) vs. Salavat (RUS)
B> Espoo (FIN) vs. HV71 (SWE)
D> Zurich (SUI) vs. Slavia (CZE)
12 NOV 2008
A> Karpat (FIN) vs. Eisbaren (GER)
C> Mountfield (CZE) vs. Salavat (RUS)
B> Qualifier (TBC) vs. HV71 (SWE)
D> Linkoping (SWE) vs. Slavia (CZE)
19 NOV 2008
A> Metallurg (RUS) vs. Karpat (FIN)
C> Slovan (SVK) vs. Mountfield (CZE)
B> Espoo (FIN) vs. Qualifier (TBC)
D> Zurich (SUI) vs. Linkoping (SWE)
03 DEC 2008
A> Eisbaren (GER) vs. Metallurg (RUS)
C> Salavat (RUS) vs. Slovan (SVK)
B> HV71 (SWE) vs. Espoo (FIN)
D> Slavia (CZE) vs. Zurich (SUI)
Note: Home Team is listed first.
SEMI-FINALS
10 December 2008 Winner Group D vs. Winner Group B
07 January 2008 Winner Group A vs. Winner Group C
Note: Any two clubs from the same national association winning their groups will be paired together for the Semi-Finals
FINALS
21 January 2008 Winner Semi final 1 vs. Winner Semi Final 2
28 January 2008 Note: The schedule for both the Semi-Finals and the Finals will be determined based on the results of the Group Stage. In each case, the
club with the better Group Stage results will have the right to play the second leg of that round at home.
>> PAGE 3 <<
>> ISSUE 03 <<
MAY 08, 2008
CLUB REACTIONS: CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE DRAW 2008/2009
Paul Romanuk, international hockey
commentator, author and sports broadcaster, was our Guest Correspondent for
the Champions Hockey League Draw and
conducted the following interviews. For
more than a decade, Romanuk called
virtually every international hockey game,
as well as the NHL, for the Canadian
Sports Network TSN. He is also the author
of the successful Scholastic children’s book series: Hockey
Superstars.
Otto Sykora, Club Manager,
SIT Ice Tigers, Nurnberg
We see the [Champions Hockey League]
as a great opportunity for our players to
see how ice hockey is played in other
countries and to prove ourselves to our
fans and to the world... I don’t know if Bern
has a better chance than us but if we have
a chance in this tournament, we will give everything we’ve got
to be the best.
Juha Junno, General Manager,
Karpat Oulu
I think the Champions League is what
European hockey needs and it is nice to
be here the first time, at the beginning.
I think group A is a very strong group. I
have never been in Berlin! But it was nice
to be in St. Petersburg in the European
Championship Cup three times and I saw a lot of Metallurg
Magnitogorsk [there.] [They are] one of the best teams in
Europe and maybe in the whole world. And we had a dream to
go to the [ECC]Final and meet Metallurg and now we will play
[them here]. It is nice …because they are such a good team.
Don Jackson, Head Coach,
Eisbaren Berlin
What do you think about this new
league?
I am new in Europe and I think it is exciting;
I hope other people find it exciting. There is
no question with the emergence of hockey,
in my opinion, it is growing in Europe…
there will be some new excitement. In Germany for instance,
there are a lot of new arenas, there is a marketing push for new
fans and in our country I think this is going to be positive.
What does it mean to your club?
This is a chance for Germany, as a nation not ranked in the top
4, to step up and prove themselves not only as a league – so
it is a different stage for our guys and we have a lot of young,
great German players so it is a chance for them and we have
also a lot of import players who are always looking to perform.
Alexander Steblin,
representing Salavat Yulaev Ufa
I was the President of Dynamo Moscow
when we had the European League
and I saw how exciting this event was
for players... and now we have these
[Champions Hockey League Certificiates]
and our clubs are playing and we are
looking forward to seeing a great event.
Seva Kukushkin, representing
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
All European events are important for our
clubs and they have been quite successful
at them. We have always reached at least
the semi-finals and won 4 finals, including
the last European Championship Cup.
That is why we think we are pretty strong
and look forward to participating in this new event.
Jaromir Latal, - General Manager,
Mountfield Ceske Budejovice
The Czech league is at a very good
level now and we play very well. We are
very happy with the Champions Hockey
League. Very excited. I think people from
our city, Ceske Budejovice, are very
happy and also for our players it is a very,
very good experience. It is very good that we play with other
teams from other countries and I think we need more games
with [these] teams . It is very, very good for us.
How do the players feel?
One thing that is for sure is that we didn’t have to do a lot
of selling [to the players]. Everybody is excited about it,
everybody wants to compete on a higher level, on a new stage
and the guys I have spoken with before we reported [to the
Draw] were really excited about the play and that’s the most
important part.
How will you approach it from a coach’s perspective?
We looked at our schedule…and we will decrease by a game
or two. But the overall impact on the amount of ice time is
not going to change a drastic amount. You know, we went
the distance in the Playoffs this year. We played a total of 76
games. So this next season is going to be around 65-75 games
depending on how we do in the league so I think most players,
especially the number of import players that we have, that’s
less than a normal season for them.
>> PAGE 4 <<
Sean Simpson, Head Coach, ZSC
Lions, Zurich has a wealth of international
experience having played and/or coached
in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands
and of course, his native Canada. He
gave us his views on the draw results, the
Champions Hockey League and how he
will prepare for the season ahead.
What are your first impressions of being drawn into Group
D with Sweden’s Linkopings HC and Slavia Prague from
the Czech Republic?
I think we have a chance. I don’t know a whole lot about both
opponents. We miss the Russian teams which is very important
for us. I like our group and going to the Czech Republic and
Sweden too will be nice trips besides the ice hockey.
Have you thought about how you will handle the
Champions Hockey League from a coach’s perspective
shuffling lines up, resting players etc.?
Absolutely, in Zürich we have our farm team Grasshoppers
Zurich and we can use their imports, their top players in the
Champions Hockey League. We can flip them in and out, we
are not relying on 17 or 18 guys so we definitely have some
options we can use depending on our schedule. We might be
playing, for example, in Prague on a Wednesday and have
to come home and play Friday and Saturday in the regular
league. We will definitely have to give some thought about our
lineups and how we approach it.
Will we see different styles of hockey played in the
Champions Hockey League?
I think you will really see the different styles and that’s
what should make the [Champions Hockey League] a very
interesting competition. The Russians play wide-open counter
hockey, the Czech’s play left-wing lock and the other teams
play a mix of everything. The different styles meeting in the
different big cities should be very, very interesting.
What’s the feedback you get from your players?
The guys are very proud to play in [the Champions Hockey
League.] They are representing their league in an international
competition. They get a break 4 times from their league.
Although it is a busy schedule, they still get to go internationally
to play, like the [players do in] soccer which is so big here, so
I think the guys are pretty excited about it.
Is the prize money a motivating factor?
>> ISSUE 03 <<
MAY 08, 2008
Do you think people in North America will be surprised
both in the Victoria Cup and the rest of the Champions
Hockey League season by how good European ice
hockey is?
I think they will. I think the fans in North America are pretty
focused in on the NHL and what happens in North America
but there is other good ice hockey and that’s in Europe. I
think the countries have shown that over the years that they
can also play at a good level and the development in these
countries, with the youth hockey developing players not only
to the NHL but to the European Leagues, is top notch.
Miroslav Trady, Club President,
Slavia Prague
This is an exciting occasion for us to be
here and this is the first time that Slavia
will be playing international ice hockey.
We hope that we have a chance here.
And it’s great because the Linkoping
coach is a very good friend of ours. So I
think it will be a very good game.
Mike Helber, General Manager,
Linkopings HC
When I came to Sweden we were only in
the third division, so when I see the two
teams we are playing against it is just
fantastic. It is both an honor and a privilege
to be a part of this and for our team to be
part of this selective group of the twelve
teams across Europe. It is a dream for us right now.
I think from our perspective, being part of the first season of
the Champions Hockey League is very important for us. I had
a long discussion with our new coach and he has dreamt of
meeting the team from Prague, so I can guarantee everybody
he is very happy.
We had a long discussion about how important this was for
our organization for our nation. Obviously Sweden wants
to do well in this tournament, either for Linkoping or HV71
to make it far in this tournament, would be fantastic. So we
are probably going to have a little larger team, a few extra
players to be able to put us in a position to play well both at
the national level but most importantly here in the Champions
Hockey League.
I think that relates back to the organization. I think [that unlike
other attempts at a pan-European league] this time they have
really taken a look at this thing and they’ve really organized it,
sat back and gone at it the right way with the different media
and the prize money. I think it is well organized and hopefully
that’s a big benefit.
>> PAGE 5 <<
>> ISSUE 03 <<
MAY 08, 2008
31 Players from Champions Hockey League qualified clubs
are currently competing at the 2008 World Championships
in Canada*
SC Bern
71 Sebastien Bordeleau F - (FRA)
Vancouver, Canada - Febuary 15th 1975
On the team since 2002
Regular: GP: 48, G: 22, A: 25, Pts: 47
Play-offs: GP: 6, G: 3, A: 2, Pts: 5
Married with 2 kids
61 Patrik Bartschi F - (SUI)
Bülach, Switzerland - August 20th 1984
Regular: GP: 50, G: 18, A: 17, Pts: 35
54 Phillippe Furrer D - (SUI)
June 16th 1985
Regular: GP: 43, G: 6, A: 16, Pts: 22
2 Beat Gerber D - (SUI)
Oberlangenegg, Switzerland - May 16th 1982
Regular: GP: 50, G: 3, A: 10, Pts: 13
Married with 2 kids
Signed a 5 year contract with SCB until 2013
26 Marc Reichert F - (SUI)
Bern, Switzerland - March 22nd 1980
Regular: GP: 46, G: 13, A: 14, Pts: 27
38 Thomas Ziegler F - (SUI)
Zurich, Switzerland - June 9th 1978
Regular: GP: 47, G: 4, A: 11, Pts: 15
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
7 Martin Strbak D - (SVK)
Presov, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia)
January 15th 1975
Regular: GP: 56, G: 8, A: 12, Pts: 20
Play-offs: GP: 13 G: 2, A: 4, Pts: 6
2-Time Russian Champion with Lokomotiv Yarosalvl
Also played for HC Pardubice in the Czech Extraliga
Slavia Prague
20 Jakub Klepiš F - (CZE)
Prague, Czechoslovakia - June 5th 1984
Regular: GP: 19, G: 10, A: 7, Pts: 17
Play-offs: GP: 24 G: 5, A: 7, Pts: 12
Played for the NHL’s Washington Capitals and the AHL’s
Portland Pirates and Hershey Bears and the WHL’s Portland
Winter Hawks - Married
ZSC Lions, Zurich
5 Severin Blindenbacher D - (SUI)
March 15th 1983
Regular: GP: 63, G: 12, A: 10, Pts: 22
29 Beat Forster D - (SUI)
Febuary 2nd 1983
Regular: GP: 64, G: 19, A: 19, Pts: 38
25 Thibaut Monnet F - (SUI)
Febuary 2nd 1982
Regular: GP: 67, G: 22, A: 37, Pts: 59
Salavat Yulayev Ufa
30 Alexander Eremenko G - (RUS)
Moscow, Russia - April 10th 1980
Regular: GP: 33, G: 0, A: 0, Pts: 0 GAA:2.19
Play-offs: GP: 13, G: 0, A: 0, Pts: 0 GAA: 1.39
Married, son Maxim. Also played for Russia’s Ak Bars Kazan,
Dynamo Moscow and Amur Tigers Khabarovsk
25 Alexey Tereshchenko F - (RUS)
Mozhaisk, Russia - December 16th 1980
Regular: GP: 51, G: 16, A: 25, Pts: 41
Married. Also played for Ak Bars Kazan and Dynamo
Moscow
45 Vitaly Proshkin D - (RUS)
Elektrostal, Russia - May 8th 1976
Regular: GP: 52, G: 2, A: 12, Pts: 14
Married, 1 daughter
33 Milan Hnilicka G - (CZE)
Litoměřice, Czechoslovakia - June 25th 1973
Regular: GP: 9, G: 0, A: 0, Pts: 0 GAA:1.95
Play-offs: GP: 1, G: 0, A: 0, Pts: 0 GAA: 3.02
Played in the National Hockey League for the New York
Rangers, Atlanta Thrashers and the Los Angeles Kings.
28 Konstantin Koltsov F - (RUS)
Place of birth: Minsk, USSR (now Belarus) - April 17th 1981
Regular: GP: 37, G: 12, A: 10, Pts: 22
Played for the Pittsburgh Penguins 2003-2004.
Note: * Team Rosters as of May 6 2008
listed uniform number = national team
>> PAGE 6 <<
Eisbaren Berlin
14 Stefan Ustorf F - (GER)
Kaufbeuren, Germany - January 3rd 1974
Regular: GP: 55, G: 20, A: 33, Pts: 53
Married to Jodi, 2 children Kylie and Jake
11 Sven Felski F - (GER)
Berlin, Germany - November 11th 1974
Regular: GP: 52, G: 18, A: 24, Pts: 42
Married to Manuela, 1 child Laura
>> ISSUE 03 <<
MAY 08, 2008
Karpat Oulu
1 Hannes Hyvönen F - (FIN)
Oulu, Finland - August 29th 1975
Regular: GP: 54, G: 24, A: 42, Pts: 66
3 Golds as Finnish National Champion: Has played for Finnish
Clubs Blues, HIFK, Ilves and Jokerit as well as Swedish and
Swiss elite clubs, Farjestad and Fribourg. Also briefly played
for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks.
*Playing on the Finnish National team are three other players
with a long Karpat history: #37 Mika Pyörälä (7 seasons),
#36 Jussi Jokinen (4 Seasons), #10 and Goalie Niklas
Bäckström (4 seasons).
7 Frank Hördler D - (GER)
Weißwasser, Germany - January 26th .1985
Regular: GP: 52, G: 18, A: 24, Pts: 42
Married to Manuela, 1 child Laura
24 André Rankel F - (GER)
Berlin, Germany - August 27th 1985
Regular: GP: 18, G: 6, A: 7, Pts: 13
Married to Anita
26 Florian Busch F - (GER)
Miesbach, Germany - January 2nd 1985
Regular: GP: 54, G: 14, A: 27, Pts: 41
Girlfriend Maria-Theresa
HV71 Jonkoping
1 Stefan Liv G - (SWE)
Gdynia, Poland - December 21st 1980
Regular: SVS% 91,63% GAA 2,26
Play-offs: SVS% 93,75% GAA 1,82
Has 2 SM-golds with HV71 (2004 and 2008), one Olympicgold 2006 and one WC-gold 2006. Liv has played over 100
games with Sweden.
19 Mikko Luoma D - (FIN)
Jyväskylä, Finland - June 22nd 1976
Regular: GP: 49, G: 10, A: 25, Pts: 35
Luoma has 1 SM Gold (2008) Played with AHL’s Toronto
Roadrunners
SIT Ice Tigers Nurnberg
72 Petr Fical F - (GER)
September 23rd 1977
Regular: GP: 52, G: 22, A: 12, Pts: 34
Married and expecting a child
Linkopings HC
29 Kim STAAL F - (DEN)
Herlev, Denmark - March 10th 1978
Regular: GP: 51, G: 12, A: 8, Pts: 20
Has also played for Sweden’s Malmo and MODO and for the
AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals
27 Mats FROSHAUG F - (NOR)
Manglerud, Norway - July 31st 1989
Only played 2 games last season
As a Junior player qualified for Norway Worlds Championship
team. Played two season in LHC U20 Team.
17 Ivan Majesky D - (SVK)
Banska Bystrica, Slovakia - September 2nd 1976
Regular: GP: 44, G: 2, A: 6, Pts: 8
Also played in the beginning of 07/08 for Oulun Kärpät FIN
5 Daniel Fernholm D - (SWE)
Stockholm, Huddinge IK - December 20th 1983
Regular: GP: 54, G: 8, A: 21, Pts: 29
Was a part of Pittsburgh Penguins organization in 05/06
and 06/07 but played games for Wilkes-Barre and Wheeling
Nailers
9 Tony Martensson F - (SWE)
Märsta, Stockholm - June 23rd 1980
Regular: GP: 55, G: 17, A: 50, Pts: 67
Top ever assist winner with 50 assists during regular
season (top overall history of Elitserien). Scored 85 points in
league+playoffs. Signed a new four year deal with Linköping
but will play (rent) for AK Bars Kazan 08/09.
80 Mattias Weinhandl F - (SWE)
Ljungby, Sweden - June 1st 1980
Regular: GP: 54, G: 35, A: 27, Pts: 62
Signed a new four year deal with Linköping but will play (rent)
for Dynamo Moscow 08/09.
>> PAGE 7 <<
>> ISSUE 03 <<
MAY 08, 2008
INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY
HISTORIANS PATRICK HOUDA
AND BIRGER NORDMARK ON THE
Q: It’s been more than a decade since the last attempt
was made to create a pan European hockey league. How
would you describe European club hockey back then?
Why didn’t it work?
HOUDA: I’m not sure all parties involved knew what it took to
participate and run a league like that, and they overestimated
the interest. Overall I would say that the professional level is
higher among the European clubs these days. The awareness
and knowledge is generally better today. A decade ago, the
internet was a relatively new phenomenon. Today the clubs
and various other sites offer clips and live feeds from games
all around the world. This has helped generate an increased
interest in clubs across the borders.
Q: How would you describe the state of European club
hockey today?
NORDMARK: I think its better then ever, especially in
countries like Russia which has the best league outside North
America, thanks to strong economical conditions. Sweden
and Finland are still strong leagues with a huge interest from
media and fans although they lose many players abroad. In
Switzerland and Germany, the leagues are still strong with
good attendance and good media coverage. Perhaps the
Czech Republic is the country with the most decrease in
interest and lower attendances, but they still produce a lot of
excellent hockey players.
Q: As a sport is hockey growing in Europe?
HOUDA: Well, the attendance figures are about the same as
a few years ago and the leagues have to find a way to get
interest back to the major cities
NORDMARK: Maybe not according to expectations. We
always lose to football, and there are lot of other sports
competing. Yes, it is growing if we consider the popularity
and the results for countries such as Denmark, Slovenia and
Hungary.
Q: Is this the right moment to start Champions Hockey
League?
HOUDA: Why not? I believe a lot of lessons were learned
from the European Hockey League experience a decade
ago. It’s important that all the best teams are gathered. With
innovative and smart marketing, the interest in the CHL will
hopefully be there.
Birger Nordmark
Patrick Houda
Q: How will hockey historians like yourself talk about the
Champions Hockey League ten years from now?
HOUDA:Assuming the CHL will be a success story, I’m sure
hockey historians will applaud and praise the efforts of the
people behind it, because launching a venture like this is both
daring and expensive.
Q: What about an eventual Champions Hockey League
winner vs Stanley Cup winner match-up – would this be
a good thing?
HOUDA: Yes, definitely, but this matchup needs the full cooperation from the NHL and all of its teams.
Q: How professional are the clubs in the Champions
Hockey League?
HOUDA: The difference, in my opinion, is minimal between
the clubs in terms of management and professionalism. At the
top level, all these clubs are enterprises with very competent
leaders.
NORDMARK: I think that all the top clubs in the different parts
of Europe are very professionally run.
Q: What are your predictions now that the groups have
been drawn?
NORDMARK: My favourites in the different groups are: Group
A – Metallurg, outsider Karpat. Group B – HV71, outsider
Espoo, Group C - Salavat, outsider Slovan Bratislava. Group
D – Slavia Prague, outsider Linkoping.
FINAL: Metallurg vs Slavia.
HOUDA: Predictions always come back and bite you, but
Russian clubs are generally strong in this type of environment,
so I think we’ll see one Russian club in the final. It’s wide open
for the second finalist.
I have high hopes for a great atmosphere and intense games
in Berlin. Also, Karpat, (HV71) and Mountfield should provide
good atmosphere. Hopefully SC Bern qualifies with their loyal
fans. I have to say that there are no easy victories at this level
any more. There are several players to keep an eye on, but
Voutalainen (HV71) and Perezhogin (Salavat) are two who
stand out as dangerous players.
>> PAGE 8 <<
>> ISSUE 03 <<
MAY 08, 2008
Q: Are these among the best clubs in Europe today?
HOUDA: Yes, of course, all the league champions are
represented and the rest of the teams are really competitive.
Q: What do you expect from the Champions Hockey
League?
HOUDA: I expect the CHL to provide the fans with the best
hockey to be seen in Europe. I also expect 100% commitment
from the players and that they take the CHL seriously. I also
expect / hope that the home crowds will come to these games
to support their teams.
“
First of all, it is an honor for the ZSC Lions to participate and
to be qualified for the CHL as the first Swiss team in CHL history.
We are proud to host some of the best European hockey teams
in Zürich. With a competitive team covering seven different
nationalities, the CHL offers an ideal stage to position ourselves
among Europe’s best. The ZSC Lions are very much looking
forward to challenge the European teams in the CHL.
Peter Iten, Sports Director, ZSC Lions
”
NORDMARK: Many exciting hockey games with a hopefully
huge interest from media and fans.
Victoria Cup 2008:
Bern, Switzerland – PostFinance Arena
Tuesday, September 30th: Warm Up Game
SC Bern (SUI) vs. NY Rangers (NHL)
Wednesday, October 1st: Legends Exhibition Game
Switzerland vs. Russia
Wednesday, October 1st: Victoria Cup Game
Metallurg Magnitogorsk (RUS) vs. NY Rangers (NHL)
At the beginning of May 2008, officials of Metallurg Magnitogorsk and Ovation Sports met in Magnitogorsk, Russia
to prepare for the upcoming Victoria Cup 2008 in Bern, Switzerland. Ovation’s Patrick Jost (Director Event) and
Christian Scholbrock (Victoria Cup Project Leader) met with Metallurg Magnitgorsk’s Gennady Velichkin (General
Director) and Igor Muraviev (Press Officer) and discussed details related to team logistics as well as commercial and
organizational matters around the event. They also extensively surveyed the brand new Metallurg Magnitogorsk
arena (spectator capacity: 7’500), which was completed in 2007 by a Finnish construction consortium.
The meeting in Magnitogorsk also marked the start of a series of official site visits that Ovation Sports is conducting
on behalf of the IIHF at each of the clubs participating in the Champions Hockey League. The official site visits are
part of the ongoing cooperation between IIHF/Ovation, the National Ice Hockey Federations, National Leagues
and participating CHL Clubs which will ensure the league’s success.
Igor Muraviev (PR & Marketing Director Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Christian Scholbrock & Patrick Jost (Ovation),
Velichkin Gennady Ivanovich (General Director Metallurg Magnitogorsk)
during a site visit to the new Metallurg Magnitogorsk in preperation for the 2008 Victoria Cup
>> PAGE 9 <<
>> ISSUE 03 <<
MAY 08, 2008
CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE BEHIND THE SCENES
Horst Lichtner,
IIHF General Secretary
Hugo Stenbeck
The 28-year old Swedish American business man runs
the America’s Cup Swedish
Syndicate, Victory Challenge. A
devoted hockey fan, Stenbeck
is one of a group of Champions
Hockey League investors.
After previous failed attempts
at a pan-European league, why
do you think the Champions
Hockey League will succeed
this time?
To answer that question you
need to know what was done
wrong before and avoid the three
main mistakes made by the old
European Hockey League, back in 1996. The first mistake
was that they wanted to start big and thus had too many teams
involved. From the very beginning we said if we want to do it
right, let’s start with 12 clubs and then let’s grow from a good
start.
The second mistake was that they were underfinanced. Now
we have basically four times the prize money for half as many
clubs. This gives a lot of incentive to the clubs to take it much
more seriously than before.
The third mistake was that they were not prepared in the same
way as we are. This time with Ovation Sports we have people,
with whom I was also involved, in the UEFA Champions
League as marketing director for five years, who know exactly
what to do and how to do it. By a perfect implementation, we
will hopefully convince the broadcasters and the fans with the
quality of the games. And once you have a TV platform and
the fans following the game, I think the rest will come.
Will this grow the sport in Europe?
First of all, ice hockey has a big potential. I am really convinced.
It is the number one sport after football. It is inside with no
weather constraints and has a wonderful fan culture. We do
have a bit of an issue with the size of arenas. But this will
only develop if the game is good and the product is good.
So here we are offering a product to Europe and then we
hope the arenas and fans will see the potential to also kick
off investments into the right area. It is all linked together. It
will not happen overnight. It is not a hundred meter sprint, it is
probably a marathon. It’s as if we are climbing the Himalayas
and we are at Base Camp One. There is still a lot farther to go
and we are looking forward to it. It’s fun, big fun.
Why did you invest in the Champions Hockey League ?
Basically, when the opportunity came along, I could not
understand why the niche had never been filled. With ice
hockey, you have the ice hockey belt – Scandinavia, Russia,
back into Austria, Switzerland and Germany - and I was
surprised no one had thought of this before. And Ovation
Sports understood how to implement the entire opportunity. I
thought it was a sure thing and here we are today.
Will the fans embrace it?
Not only will the fans will embrace it, but more importantly, so
will the players. They’ll start to move. The Czechs will start to
get good opportunities to move to Sweden. The Swedes will
start to move to Russia, etc. I think it is good for the sport in
general, as well as for television. Content is king in this day and
age and to bring more content to the sport is key. Also travel
is easier today. It is not unthinkable for someone to fly from
Moscow to Stockholm just to watch a game for a weekend.
So I think the tourism aspect is important for the different
countries. I think they will embrace it and different cities
will come forward and say “we want to host the Champions
Hockey League.”
Do you think it might keep some of the European players
from going overseas to play?
I think the most interesting aspect is that it will allow some
players to stay home. Why go and live in Detroit when you
can stay and play at home in Hamburg for the same money?
Why live in San Jose when you can play well and get paid for
it living in Stockholm? With the Champions Hockey League,
top players will finally have the opportunity to be able to stay
and play here at home on this continent.
>> PAGE 10 <<
Craig Thompson,
CEO, OVATION SPORTS
For me, it is very special to be
starting the Champions Hockey
League. I think it is a unique
project that will really have an
impact in Europe. Many of us
here at Ovation Sports worked
on football’s Champions League.
Even though the sports of ice
hockey and football are very,
very different, the organizational and marketing principles
behind them are very much the same. Ninety percent of the
principles we learned will be applicable to this hockey league.
So though this is a brand new challenge, we bring a very
strong background to it.
We are now at the starting point for the real ascent. We’ll only
begin to reach the top after we’ve finished our first season.
Then, we will have broadcaster coverage in all countries, live
games on TV every Wednesday night, big full arenas watching
with great anticipation, fans traveling from the other clubs to
follow their teams all over Europe, the press, the websites,
etc.. With our first season, people will see and everyone
will start getting behind this. And in order to make all of that
happen, we have a lot of work to do!
>> ISSUE 03 <<
MAY 08, 2008
Tom Huston,
COO, OVATION SPORTS
We have been working on this
project now for almost a year and
a half and to finally have the draw
come together, and to see all the
teams and representatives here,
and to have everybody so happy
and so receptive to what we are
doing, this is a really a nice step
for us.
There are several more steps between now and when we
start. The Draw was the first. We are currently developing
what is going to be the brand identity of the Champions
Hockey League and we are really looking forward to this next
tangible step: the launch of the new brand identity. Then we
have the promotional campaign, the 12th team qualification
and the Victoria Cup, and then the first season begins with
the first games on October 8th. So this is an exciting time for
everyone involved in the project.
Ice hockey is perfectly positioned to be able to grow and
occupy a much higher position in the public awareness than
it does right now and we think this is the concept that will
do that. Obviously the last fifteen years of UEFA Champions
League football has shown what this model can do for a
competition and how it takes it to the next level and we are
really looking forward to this kind of growth in hockey over the
next ten years.
>> PAGE 11 <<
RUSSIA
>> ISSUE 03 <<
MAY 08, 2008
FINLAND
CZECH REPUBLIC
SWEDEN
Congratulations
to Eisbaren Berlin who qualified for the 2008/2009 Champions Hockey League by defeating Kolner
Haie (3-2 OT, 1-2, 4-3, 2-1 OT) in the DEL Finals on April 22nd. We went to press with our last newsletter just
asSLOVAKIA
they qualified so could not include the profile below. The profiles of the other qualifiers can be read online at:
http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/club-events/champions-hockey-league/chl-newsletter.html
SWITZERLAND
GERMANY
GERMANY
Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL)
Eisbaren Berlin
LOCATION
LEAGUE
CHL QUALIFICATION
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIPS
REGULAR SEASON
STANDINGS
COACH
City: Berlin
Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL)
2007/2008 Del Champion
3 Time DEL Champion, 15 Time German
Democratic Republic Champion
2004/2005: 2 2005/2006: 1
2006/2007: 9 2007/2008: 2
Don Jackson, 2007/008: Won the Championship with Berlin in his first year. Coached
the DEG Metro Stars in Düsseldorf for
2nd season and was an Assistant Coach
for the Quebec Nordiques, Pittsburgh
Penguins, Chicago Backhawks and Ottawa
Senators. He was a 2-time Stanley-Cup
winner as a player for the Edmonton Oilers.
PLAYERS TO
#72 Rob Zepp (G)
WATCH
#2 Deron Quint (D)
#7 Frank Hördler (D)
#27 Steve Walker (F)
#11 Sven Felski (F)
#26 Florian Busch (F)
FOREIGN PLAYERS #19 Mark Beaufait USA
#6 Andy Roach USA
#2 Deron Quint USA
#20 Denis Pederson CAN
#27 Steve Walker CAN
#9 Nathan Robinson CAN
#62 Tyson Mulock CAN
#25 Brandon Smith CAN
#72 Rob Zepp - CAN
FORMER/CURRENT Erik Cole (Carolina Hurricanes)
PLAYERS WHO
Olaf Kölzig (Washington Capitals)
BECAME NHL STARS Thomas Steen (Winnipeg Jets)
Mike Bullard (Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia
Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs)
OTHER
One of the most legendary clubs of the
INTERESTING
German Democratic Republic, they are one
FACTS
of the few in any sport to successfully transition reunification, establishing themselves
as one of the premiere of the DEL.
FOUNDED
1954: SC Dynamo Berlin; 1990: EHC
Dynamo Berlin; 1992: EHC Eisbären Berlin
e.V. 1997:EHC Neue Eisbären Berlin gegr.
1997 e.V
O2 World, Capacity: 14,200, Built: 2008
ARENA
WEBSITE
http://www.eisbaeren.de/
“
Eisbären Berlin were always looking for international competition
to become better and better. That’s why we already took part in the
Continental Cup twice (hosted the finals in 1999), went to the final
four tournament of the European Hockey League in Moscow and
took part in the Spengler Cup twice in 2006 and 2007. We’re proud
to be a part of the inaugural season of Champions Hockey League,
especially since one of the first games in our new arena is going to
be a Champions Hockey League game. Our fans always loved the
international competition and I’m sure there will be more than a few
travelling to the road games.
”
Peter John Lee, CEO Eisbären Berlin, Hockey Operations
Retractions
Our apologies to Slavia Prague for errors in the April Issue.
Please note the following amendments:
Coach: Vladimir Ruzicka has been coach since 2000/2001. He is
not the assistant coach of the Czech national team
Foreign Players: # 27 Karol Sloboda SLO (D ) #55 Igor Rataj SLO
(F)
Former/current players who became NHL stars: Replace
David Volek with Jospeh Vasicek (Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville
Predators)
Arena: O2 Arena - February 2008
>> PAGE 12 <<

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