The groups for the inaugural 2008-2009 Champions Hockey League have been drawn at the IIHF headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, on April 25. Reigning European club champion Metallurg Magnitogorsk from Russia will face Kärpät Oulu and Eisbären Berlin.
“For us, this is the start of a new era in European ice hockey,” IIHF President René Fasel said. 11 teams and the qualifier were drawn into four groups consisting of three teams each.
Group A: Kärpät Oulu (Finland), Eisbären Berlin (Germany), Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia).
Group B: HV71 Jönköping (Sweden), Espoo Blues (Finland), SC Bern (Switzerland, qualifier).
Group C: Salavat Yulayev Ufa (Russia), Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia), Mountfield Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic).
Group D: Slavia Prague (Czech Republic), ZSC Lions Zurich (Switzerland), Linköpings HC (Sweden).
“Metallurg Magnitogorsk is maybe one of the best teams in the world and we wanted to play them in the 2008 European Champions Cup final, which we unfortunately missed,” Juha Junno of Kärpät Oulu said after the draw. “Now we have the chance to play them in the Champions Hockey League. It will be a strong group.”
“I was also involved in the European Hockey League ten years ago and it will be again a good opportunity for the players to play the Champions Hockey League,” Sean Simpson, the new head coach of the ZSC Lions, said.
Qualification: The 12th team was determined by a qualifier tournament with HC Kosice (Slovakia), SC Bern (Switzerland) and the Sinupret Ice Tigers Nuremberg (Germany), September 12-14, 2008, in Nuremberg, Germany, which was won by SC Bern.
Schedule: (all starting times below are listed CET)
Qualification | | | |
Date | | | |
September 12, 2008 | Sinupret Ice Tigers | SC Bern | 19:30 |
September 13, 2008 | SC Bern | HC Kosice | 18:30 |
September 14, 2008 | HC Kosice | Sinupret Ice Tigers | 18:30 |
| | | |
Group A | | | |
Date | Home | Away | |
October 8, 2008 | Eisbären Berlin | Kärpät Oulu | 19:30 |
October 22, 2008 | Kärpät Oulu | Metallurg Mag. | 19:30 |
October 29, 2008 | Metallurg Mag. | Eisbären Berlin | 16:00 |
November 12, 2008 | Kärpät Oulu | Eisbären Berlin | 19:30 |
November 19, 2008 | Metallurg Mag. | Kärpät Oulu | 16:00 |
December 3, 2008 | Eisbären Berlin | Metallurg Mag. | 19:30 |
| | | |
Group B | | | |
Date | Home | Away | |
October 8, 2008 | HV71 Jönköping | SC Bern | 19:30 |
October 22, 2008 | SC Bern | Espoo Blues | 19:30 |
October 29, 2008 | Espoo Blues | HV71 Jönköping | 19:30 |
November 12, 2008 | SC Bern | HV71 Jönköping | 19:30 |
November 19, 2008 | Espoo Blues | SC Bern | 19:30 |
December 3, 2008 | HV71 Jönköping | Espoo Blues | 19:30 |
| | | |
Group C | | | |
Date | Home | Away | |
October 8, 2008 | Salavat Yulayev Ufa | Ceske Budejovice | 16:00 |
October 22, 2008 | Ceske Budejovice | Slovan Bratislava | 19:30 |
October 29, 2008 | Slovan Bratislava | Salavat Yulayev Ufa | 19:30 |
November 12, 2008 | Ceske Budejovice | Salavat Yulayev Ufa | 19:30 |
November 19, 2008 | Slovan Bratislava | Ceske Budejovice | 19:30 |
December 3, 2008 | Salavat Yulayev Ufa | Slovan Bratislava | 16:00 |
| | | |
Group D | | | |
Date | Home | Away | |
October 8, 2008 | Slavia Prague | Linköpings HC | 19:30 |
October 22, 2008 | Linköpings HC | ZSC Lions Zurich | 19:30 |
October 29, 2008 | ZSC Lions Zurich | Slavia Prague | 19:30 |
November 12, 2008 | Linköpings HC | Slavia Prague | 19:30 |
November 19, 2008 | ZSC Lions Zurich | Linköpings HC | 19:30 |
December 3, 2008 | Slavia Prague | ZSC Lions Zurich | 19:30 |
Tie-break format:
Three points are awarded for a win and no points for a loss. No game shall end in a tie.
Should a game be tied after regular time, a game winning shot competition (“shootout”) is staged to determine the winner. There will be no additional overtime period. Each team is to be awarded with one point for the draw. The winner of the shoot-out will be awarded with one extra point.
Each team must select three different shooters to compete in the game winning shot competition. If the game is still tied after three shots by each team, the GWS will continue with a tie-break shootout by one player of each team, with a reversed shooting order. The same or new players can take the tie-break shots. The same player can also be used for each shot by a team in the tie-break. Only the decisive goal will count in the result of the game.
Playoff format:
The semi-finals and finals will be played on a best-of-two basis with each club playing each opponent twice (home and away). The club with the most points in each semi-final pairing shall advance to the finals. Where at the end of the 2nd game of the semi-finals or finals both teams are equal on points, a shoot-out will determine who proceeds to the finals or wins the Champions Hockey League. There's no shoot-out after the first game, which can end in a tie.
Semi-final draw: Winner Group D vs. Winner Group B, Winner Group A vs. Winner Group C. Note: Any two clubs from the same country will be paired together for the semi-finals. Home ice advantage of the second game goes to the team with the better records in the group stage. The semi-final games will be played on December 10, 2008, and Januar 7, 2009.
The final games will be played on Januar 21 and 28, 2009. Home ice advantage of the second game goes to the team with the better records in the group stage.