Nottingham Panthers celebrate victory at the 2026 IIHF Continental Cup. Who will lift the trophy in January 2027?
photo: Karl Denham / Panthers Images
The qualifying groups for the 2027 IIHF Continental Cup are set, and provisional hosts have been earmarked for the first two rounds.
As last year, 14 teams are in contention for the trophy. They will come through two rounds of qualification ahead of the six-team final in January. The format is similar to last season, but this year no teams are given a bye direct to the final stage.
The first-round qualifiers run from Oct. 16-18. Group A features one of last year’s finalists, HK Mogo (LAT), competing with Sokil Kyiv (UKR), Elektrenai Energija (LTU) and CH Jaca (ESP). Elektrenai is the proposed tournament host.
Group B is likely to be hosted by Estonia’s Viru Sputnik. Corona Brasov (ROM), BJAC HC (HUN) and IHC Zagreb (CRO) are the other competitors. In both groups, the top team will advance to the next stage.
Round two is played in November. Group C features GKS Katowice, a finalist in the past three seasons. The Poles will face Rouen Dragons (FRA) and Belfast Giants (GBR), with the Northern Irish team looking to win the trophy for a second time. Rouen, Continental Cup winner in 2012 and 2016, is set to host from Nov. 13-15, with the qualifier from Group A completing the line-up.
Group D, provisionally staged in Asiago, Italy, sees the host team entertain 2024 champion Nomad Astana (KAZ) and Herlev Eagles (DEN) plus a qualifier from Group B.
The top three teams from each group will advance to the final, which is set to be played from Jan. 14-17. Like last year, the six-team final will have two groups of three teams, followed by a day of head-to-head showdowns to determine the medals. The third-placed team in each group plays for fifth place, the group runners-up play for bronze before the group winners meet in a gold medal game to conclude the tournament.
Last season, host club Nottingham Panthers took the honours, beating Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk of Kazakhstan 4-2 in the gold medal game. Herning Blue Fox beat GKS Katowice to bronze in a shoot-out, and HK Mogo took fifth ahead of Angers Ducs.
As last year, 14 teams are in contention for the trophy. They will come through two rounds of qualification ahead of the six-team final in January. The format is similar to last season, but this year no teams are given a bye direct to the final stage.
The first-round qualifiers run from Oct. 16-18. Group A features one of last year’s finalists, HK Mogo (LAT), competing with Sokil Kyiv (UKR), Elektrenai Energija (LTU) and CH Jaca (ESP). Elektrenai is the proposed tournament host.
Group B is likely to be hosted by Estonia’s Viru Sputnik. Corona Brasov (ROM), BJAC HC (HUN) and IHC Zagreb (CRO) are the other competitors. In both groups, the top team will advance to the next stage.
Round two is played in November. Group C features GKS Katowice, a finalist in the past three seasons. The Poles will face Rouen Dragons (FRA) and Belfast Giants (GBR), with the Northern Irish team looking to win the trophy for a second time. Rouen, Continental Cup winner in 2012 and 2016, is set to host from Nov. 13-15, with the qualifier from Group A completing the line-up.
Group D, provisionally staged in Asiago, Italy, sees the host team entertain 2024 champion Nomad Astana (KAZ) and Herlev Eagles (DEN) plus a qualifier from Group B.
The top three teams from each group will advance to the final, which is set to be played from Jan. 14-17. Like last year, the six-team final will have two groups of three teams, followed by a day of head-to-head showdowns to determine the medals. The third-placed team in each group plays for fifth place, the group runners-up play for bronze before the group winners meet in a gold medal game to conclude the tournament.
Last season, host club Nottingham Panthers took the honours, beating Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk of Kazakhstan 4-2 in the gold medal game. Herning Blue Fox beat GKS Katowice to bronze in a shoot-out, and HK Mogo took fifth ahead of Angers Ducs.