BERNE – The Victoria Cup, a new trophy awarded to the winner of the challenge game between the winner of the European club champion and an NHL team, was unveiled in Berne on Monday night, with the mayor of Berne, Alexander Tschäppät, the US Ambassador to Switzerland, Peter R. Coneway, and the players and management of Metallurg Magnitogorsk and the New York Rangers in the audience.

The trophy has been designed by a world famous Italian company, GDE Bertoni, known for, for example, the FIFA World Cup trophy. The Victoria Cup has a unique design, with twelve Perspex – a thermoplastic material – light blue hockey sticks, six on each side sitting on a marble case and forming a “V”. The names of the winning clubs will be engraved on the back of the sticks.

The Victoria Cup reception, leading up to the unveiling of the trophy, began with a speech by Tschäppät, welcoming the teams to the capital of Switzerland. After that, the New York Rangers presented the mayor, the ambassador and IIHF president René Fasel with the team’s jerseys, sporting “Bern 08” on the back, led by team captain Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, and Henrik Lundqvist. Metallurg Magnitogorsk then had the floor to present the prestigious guests with “presents from the motherland”.

Also, Fasel presented New York Rangers GM Glen Sather, Metallurg GM Gennadi Velichkin, NHL’s Senior Vice President Ken Yaffe, NHLPA’s Executive Director Paul Kelly, and Ovation Sports’ CEO Craig Thompson, with plaques commemorating the inaugural Victoria Cup.

It was a night for looking back, looking forward, and reaching out, with the players and management of both teams enjoying a casual night out.

Tonight all that is a pleasant memory as the New York Rangers meet SC Bern in an exhibition game leading up to the first Victoria Cup.

RISTO PAKARINEN