CHL to re-launch in 2010-11

ZURICH – The International Ice Hockey Federation has entered into an agreement in October 2009 with the relevant national member associations and Hockey Europe to secure a re-launch of the Champions Hockey League for 2010-2011.

Hockey Europe is the union of the professional hockey leagues from the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland.

The agreement foresees participation of clubs from Europe’s Top-7 leagues in the 2010-2011 Champions Hockey League: Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland.

“This agreement marks an extremely important step towards the re-launch of the Champions Hockey League,” said IIHF President René Fasel. “We are all in it together now as the IIHF, the national associations and the leagues have agreed to settle our differences and the common objective to focus on a successful re-start of the league.”

Peter Gudmundson, General Manager of Hockey Europe said: “We are in a very exciting and dynamic phase in European club hockey right now. But regardless of what the best way may be five or ten years from now, the Champions Hockey League is right now the superior alternative and to get the league re-launched and underway in autumn of 2010 is our goal. Together with the IIHF, we are equal stakeholders in the league and we are committed to the effort.”

The Champions Hockey League 2010-2011 is planned to include 16 teams with four teams in four groups. The group winners advance to the home-and-away semi-finals. The final will be played home and away too.

In the future, national champions from other than Europe’s Top-7 leagues will have the chance to qualify for the Champions Hockey League, possibly through the Continental Cup. The Continental Cup includes teams from 19 other countries, below the Top-7 leagues.

In conjunction with the agreement, the IIHF has issued the Champions Hockey League Tender Document available for potential investors. Click here to download the document.

Note: All pages of the 2008-2009 Champions Hockey League are archived in the menu on the left.